Buggy Walks

Buggy Walks started as a partnership, established in 2016 by 3 keen ramblers in the Edinburgh area. We won a contract to promote and lead walks for new parents using the city’s QuietRoutes in the autumn of 2016. This formed part of the Council’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, aiming to spread the word about the opportunities for walking in Edinburgh.

Buggy Walks' aim is to provide friendly and attractive walk routes for new parents home alone with baby to come out and enjoy. Our walks help prevent social isolation at a critical juncture as well as offering a structured way to get out in the fresh air exercise and gain confidence by meeting up with other new parents in a relaxed, inclusive and friendly environment. The walking routes have been carefully chosen to be manageable, gentle and inclusive of all new parents. They last around an hour, with a baby friendly cafe or community centre at the end of the walks.

Buggy Walks In 2019 Buggy Walks became an unincorporated association and elected a new board. For 2019/2020 we received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund as well as Path for All Partnership, through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund.

Buggy Walks encourages and supports volunteer walk leaders from within the community. We use Meet Up as the social media platform of choice to advertise our walks.

We currently have walks in the areas of: The Meadows, Union Canal, Botanical Gardens, Saughton Park and Gardens, Figgate Park Portobello, Gilmerton, Leith and Currie. We are always seeking to open new routes as we grow. Let us know which area should be next!

If you don’t see a walk in your area, and you would like to request one, contact us at info@buggywalks.co.uk. We are always looking for new walk leaders to grow our network. If you are interested to become a walk leader or just want to understand more about it, please get in touch and we can meet over a cup of tea.

For full details of all our walks as well as a simple registration method please go to: http://www.meetup.com/Buggy-Walks-MeetUp-Edinburgh/

We can also be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Edinburgh-Buggy-walks-511012422442770/

For more information on Edinburgh’s QuietRoutes and for walking ideas, go to: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/quietroutes


Our project team is:

  • MAGDA DE JAGER - Chair
    Magda joined her local buggy walk when her baby was 5 months old. She found it a great way to meet other new parents and get some exercise. When the opportunity to join the Buggy Walks board came up she knew it was a great opportunity to help the organisation thrive to ensure other new parents could join this supportive community. Magda is originally from South Africa and works in information security.
    Contact: magda@buggywalks.co.uk

  • ODDNY JONSDOTTIR - Treasurer
    Oddny has been with Buggy Walks since it started in 2016 and has enjoyed seeing it grow in its support to new parents. Her main role is as a midwife where she enjoys supporting and caring for parents through the journey of pregnancy into parenthood. With a first degree in Medical Anthropology her overriding interest is in pregnancy and childbirth which is what led her on to the journey of Midwifery.
    Contact: oddny@buggywalks.co.uk

  • CAROLE PETRIE - Volunteer Co-ordinator
    Carole has a wealth of experience in retail and the customer focused market. After having a baby she wanted to take a career break to focus on being a Mummy. Carole is the walk leader of the Gilmerton and Cameron Toll Walks. She enjoys going for a gentle stroll and meeting new Mummy friends and their babies. Buggy Walks has helped her find a new interest in her local area. Carole now loves to promote all the lovely green spaces Edinburgh has to offer.
    Contact: carole@buggywalks.co.uk

  • CAROL HOWARD-WILLIAMS - Member
    Carol joined the Meadows Buggy Walk when her son was 4 months old. She’s from New Zealand originally and have no family close by; as a first-time mum she found Buggy Walks was a great support. Buggy Walks helped her discover baby-friendly spaces nearby and she got to know other local parents, many of whom are now friends.
    Carol’s background is in biology but she worked in IT for many years, most recently as a director in a large construction firm. She joined the Buggy Walks Board in March 2019.
    Contact: carol@buggywalks.co.uk

  • MARTHA MATTOS COELHO - Member
    Martha has been involved with Buggy Walks for many years and was elected to the Board in 2022. Martha is a single parent of two boys and loves the outdoors. They are always exploring new areas in Scotland. Martha serves the community as a local councillor in Edinburgh.
    Contact: martha@buggywalks.co.uk