Edinburgh Helicopter Rides
Lift off near Kirkliston and watch Edinburgh come into view from above, from a first glimpse of the skyline to half-hour sightseeing flights built around the city, its castle and bridges.
See the capital become one complete picture beneath you
Edinburgh is dramatic enough from the pavement. Put a helicopter underneath you and the whole city changes scale. Streets, skyline and landmarks stop arriving one at a time and start joining together into a view that only really exists from the air.
The flights leave from Conifox Adventure Park at Foxhall on the outskirts of Kirkliston, around 20 minutes from central Edinburgh. From there, you can fly simply for the thrill of it, make the skyline the focus or turn the day into a full half-hour aerial tour of Edinburgh, its castle and bridges.
First Flight
Five minutes of rotor noise, lift-off and the very simple pleasure of finally being in a helicopter.
Edinburgh Skyline
Watch the capital appear ahead and see a familiar city rearrange itself beneath the helicopter.
City Sightseeing
Give Edinburgh more of the flight, with city tours that keep the capital at the centre of the view.
Castle & Bridges
Spend half an hour airborne with Edinburgh, its castle and bridges providing the headline sights.
11 Ways to Fly from Conifox
Come for the helicopter itself, then let Edinburgh start stealing the show as the skyline appears ahead.
6 Mile Buzz Helicopter Flight
The point of this one is beautifully simple: get in a helicopter and feel it leave the ground. Five minutes in the air delivers the rotor noise, the lift-off and the view opening beneath you, all before the grin has had much chance to wear off.
View Experience
12 Mile Themed Helicopter Flight
Edinburgh starts to become the reason for flying on this eight minute trip. The skyline appears beyond the countryside and suddenly a city you know from street level is sitting out in front of you through helicopter glass.
View Experience
18 Mile Adventure Helicopter Flight
Ten minutes airborne gives the Edinburgh skyline time to become more than a distant glimpse. City, countryside and the Forth-side landscape begin to connect below, turning the approach itself into part of the sightseeing.
View ExperiencePut the capital at the centre of the day with city flights that give Edinburgh more space in the window.
25 Mile Adventure Helicopter Flight
This is where Edinburgh gets the room to become the destination. Around 15 minutes in the air gives you time to enjoy the city as a whole rather than simply spotting it ahead, with the urban landscape spreading out beneath the helicopter.
View Experience
20 Min Helicopter Pleasure Flight
Edinburgh is firmly the main event here. Eighteen minutes flying gives the city more space in the day, letting the view breathe as streets, landmarks and the wider setting come together from a perspective that simply does not exist on the ground.
View ExperienceThirty minutes in the helicopter with Edinburgh city, its castle and bridges providing the reason to look out of every window.
30 Min Themed Helicopter Sightseeing Tour
Half an hour in the helicopter turns Edinburgh into a proper sightseeing occasion. The city, its castle and the bridges all become part of the same aerial story, with enough time in the air to stop chasing the next landmark and simply enjoy being above it all.
View ExperienceTake the seat beside the pilot or add bubbly after landing when the flight is meant to feel like a present rather than just a day out.
Ultimate Co-Pilot Experience
This is the one for somebody who will spend as much time looking at the cockpit as the scenery. Sit beside the pilot, take in the forward view and watch Edinburgh appear ahead from the seat that makes the helicopter itself part of the attraction.
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Blue Skies Helicopter Flight with FREE Bubbly
Five minutes in a helicopter is already a memorable way to mark an occasion. Add bubbly after landing and the whole thing becomes a compact little celebration with a much better story attached to it.
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Extended Blue Skies Helicopter Flight with Bubbly
Give the celebration an Edinburgh backdrop. Around eight minutes flying brings the skyline into view before you return to earth for the bubbly finish, making this a very easy birthday or anniversary gift to feel good about.
View ExperienceTwo city-focused choices for when Edinburgh itself is the entire reason for getting airborne.
UK Wide City Helicopter Tour
If the words “Edinburgh by helicopter” are what sold the idea in the first place, this does exactly what it says on the tin. The city is the focus, the helicopter is the viewpoint and twelve minutes flying gives you a completely different way to see a familiar capital.
View Experience
Extended City of Edinburgh Helicopter Tour
This is Edinburgh with the sightseeing dial turned all the way up. Thirty minutes in the air puts the city, castle and bridges at the centre of a flight that feels like an event in its own right rather than a quick look from above.
View ExperienceConifox Adventure Park
Edinburgh helicopter rides depart from Conifox Adventure Park at Foxhall on the outskirts of Kirkliston. It is around five minutes from Edinburgh Airport and about 20 minutes from central Edinburgh, giving the city page an honest launch point outside the centre rather than pretending the helicopter leaves from the city itself.
Conifox Adventure Park
Foxhall, Kirkliston, EH29 9ER Edinburgh launch site – 11 helicopter experiencesThe map is for general orientation and does not identify the exact helicopter touchdown, parking or passenger meeting point. Follow the joining instructions supplied with your booking for the correct flight-day arrangements.
A capital city deserves a view that feels like an occasion
You do not need half an hour to understand why Edinburgh works from a helicopter. Even the shorter flights change the city immediately, turning a skyline you normally approach by road or rail into something sitting out in front of you across the landscape.
Give Edinburgh more of the flight and the city becomes the whole story. The 15 and 18 minute options keep the capital at the centre of the view, while the half-hour sightseeing flights bring the city, castle and bridges together in one aerial experience.
And there is something wonderfully indulgent about seeing Edinburgh this way. No pavements, no traffic, no climbing another hill for the viewpoint. Just the helicopter, the city below and a perspective that very few visitors ever get to take home with them.
Before you choose
Where do Edinburgh helicopter rides take off from?
They depart from Conifox Adventure Park at Foxhall, Kirkliston, EH29 9ER. The venue is on the outskirts of Kirkliston, around five minutes from Edinburgh Airport and about 20 minutes from central Edinburgh.
How many helicopter choices are available near Edinburgh?
Conifox Adventure Park has 11 helicopter experiences, including first flights, Edinburgh skyline and city sightseeing, Co-Pilot, bubbly and two separate 30 minute Edinburgh sightseeing products.
Can I see Edinburgh from the shorter flights?
Yes. The 12 Mile Themed flight is described locally as A View of Edinburgh Skyline, while the 18 Mile Adventure flight is A View of Edinburgh City Skyline.
Which flights focus on Edinburgh city?
The 25 Mile Adventure and UK Wide City options both use the City of Edinburgh Tour description. The 20 Min Helicopter Pleasure Flight is the Extended City of Edinburgh Tour.
What are the 30 minute Edinburgh sightseeing choices?
The 30 Min Themed Helicopter Sightseeing Tour and the dedicated Extended City of Edinburgh Helicopter Tour both use the Edinburgh City, Castle & Bridges Tour description, with approximately 30 minutes flying.
Can I take a Co-Pilot flight near Edinburgh?
Yes. The Ultimate Co-Pilot Experience provides approximately eight minutes flying with A View of Edinburgh Skyline as the local flight.
Are bubbly helicopter flights available near Edinburgh?
Yes. Blue Skies uses the five minute 6 Mile Buzz flight, while Extended Blue Skies gives approximately eight minutes flying with A View of Edinburgh Skyline before the celebratory finish.
Is the launch site actually in central Edinburgh?
No. The launch site is Conifox Adventure Park at Foxhall on the outskirts of Kirkliston. Edinburgh is the customer-facing city because the local flights are specifically built around Edinburgh skyline and city sightseeing.
What happens if the weather is unsuitable?
Helicopter flying is weather dependent, so flights may need to be rearranged if conditions are unsuitable. Follow the booking and joining instructions for the latest flight-day information.