What Edinburgh Leisure does

Edinburgh Leisure is a charitable trust and company limited by guarantee (Company No. SC179259, Scottish Charity No. SC027450), founded in 1998 and headquartered at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. It operates 75 sports and leisure facilities across the city, comprising 18 gyms, 12 swimming pools, 6 golf courses, the EICA Ratho indoor climbing arena (described as Europe's largest), multiple swim and tennis centres, and school-based sports campuses. The organisation serves Edinburgh residents and workers through a multi-tier subscription membership platform (Fitness, Gym, Swim, Golf, Climb, Evolve, Young Adult 16-24) with discounted tiers for students, over-65s, and people with disabilities, alongside pay-as-you-go access, coaching courses across 17 sports, holiday camps, facility hire, and the Active Communities health programme that supports 12,500 people annually in partnership with NHS Lothian and the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership. The business is a mission-driven nonprofit — every penny is reinvested into facilities and community programmes — with no external investors and oversight tied to The City of Edinburgh Council.

The commercial operation spans roughly 30,000+ active members, 5.7+ million annual visits, and 1,000+ staff. Revenue is generated through recurring monthly direct-debit memberships, usage-based pay-as-you-go, course fees, corporate wellness packages via the EGYM Hussle partnership, and venue hire. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through physical venues, a proprietary mobile app, and the Gladstone Go online booking platform. Recent strategic moves include the TrackMan Golf Simulator launch (2026), Pickleball coaching (2025), the EGYM Hussle corporate channel partnership (February 2026), and the 2026 Green Apple Environment Award for an on-site composting initiative backed by the Solar Co-operative Community Benefit Fund.

Name

Edinburgh Leisure

Legal name

Edinburgh Leisure

Website

https://edinburghleisure.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Edinburgh Leisure is a charitable trust operating 75 sports and leisure facilities across Edinburgh — including gyms, swimming pools, golf courses, and the EICA Ratho climbing arena — serving 30,000+ members and 5.7M annual visitors through tiered memberships, pay-as-you-go access, coaching, and community health programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fitness and Leisure Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD), Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB)

Keywords

• Leisure facility operations
• Fitness memberships
• Sports coaching
• Swimming pool services
• Community health programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly or annual direct debit memberships providing access to gyms, pools, fitness classes, climbing, and golf facilities. Multiple tier options including Fitness, Swim, Gym, Climb, Golf, and combined packages.
2. Pay As You Go: Casual access to facilities including golf rounds, climbing sessions, and fitness classes without membership commitment.
3. Coaching and Lessons: Revenue from coaching courses across 17 sports including swimming, gymnastics, tennis, diving, and more. Courses available for children and adults.
4. Facility Hire: Hire of sports halls, tennis courts, swimming pools, and event spaces for private functions, parties, and corporate events.
5. Climbing and Adventure Activities: Pay-as-you-go and course-based revenue from EICA Ratho climbing arena, Europe's largest indoor climbing centre, including taster sessions, development courses, and equipment hire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Edinburgh Leisure operates 75 sport and leisure facilities across Edinburgh, providing access to gyms, swimming pools, fitness classes, golf courses, climbing arenas, coaching in 17 sports, holiday camps, and health/wellbeing programmes. The charitable trust sells tiered subscriptions (Fitness, Gym, Swim, Golf, Climb, Evolve), pay-as-you-go access, lessons, facility hire, and corporate wellness packages.

Product overview

Edinburgh Leisure operates a platform of 75 sports and leisure facilities across Edinburgh, offering a tiered membership structure and individual activity access. The core offering consists of Fitness, Gym, Swim, Golf, and Climb memberships, supplemented by specialized memberships including Young Adult (16-24 years), Evolve Hybrid Gym, and Soft Play. Coaching Courses span 17 sports including swimming, gymnastics, tennis, athletics, diving, and climbing at EICA Ratho. Additional services include Holiday Camps, Facility Hire, and the Active Communities health programme supporting 12,500+ people annually. Facilities include 18 gyms, 12 swimming pools, 6 golf courses, the EICA Ratho climbing arena, saunas/steam rooms, and the TrackMan Golf Simulator. The company is a charitable trust reinvesting all revenue into Edinburgh's health and wellbeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fitness Membership Comprehensive monthly subscription providing access to 18 gyms, 12 swimming pools, fitness classes, swim classes, and running tracks across all Edinburgh Leisure venues, for individual adults seeking general fitness access.
• Gym Membership Monthly subscription providing gym-only access and gym-based classes across the Edinburgh Leisure estate for individual adults focused on strength and conditioning.
• Swim Membership Monthly subscription providing access to swimming pools, swim classes, saunas, steam rooms, and Turkish Baths across the Edinburgh Leisure estate for adult swimmers.
• Golf Membership Monthly subscription providing access to six golf courses across Edinburgh: Braid Hills, Carrick Knowe, Craigentinny, Portobello, Silverknowes, and Wee Braids, for individual golfers.
• Climb Membership Monthly subscription providing access to the climbing wall, bouldering facilities, and fitness classes at EICA Ratho for individual climbers.
• Evolve Membership Monthly subscription providing access to the Evolve Hybrid Gym at Meadowbank Sports Centre, Evolve Classes, and indoor/outdoor athletics track for individual fitness users.
• Young Adult Membership (18-24) Discounted monthly subscription at £34.00 per month providing full access to all gyms, pools, fitness classes, and climbing arena for individuals aged 18-24.
• Young Adult Membership (16-17) Discounted monthly subscription at £24.00 per month providing access to all gyms, pools, classes, golf courses, and climbing arena for individuals aged 16-17.
• Coaching Courses Structured sports coaching across 17 sports including gymnastics, swimming, tennis, athletics, basketball, football, diving, and climbing, delivered to children and adults for skill development.
• Holiday Camps School-holiday sports coaching camps for children covering swim skills, dive skills, trampoline, gymnastics, tennis, and adventure activities.
• Facility Hire Hourly hire of halls, gym halls, 3G pitches, swimming pools, and event spaces for team practice, events, parties, and corporate functions.
• Active Communities Health and wellbeing programme supporting around 12,500 people annually to get active, delivered in partnership with NHS Lothian and third sector organisations, targeting health-referral and inactive populations.
• EICA Ratho Climbing Europe's largest indoor climbing centre at South Platt Hill, Edinburgh, offering top rope, auto belay, bouldering, speed climbing, a Clip 'n Climb zone, and coaching programmes for all ages.
• Golf Courses Six golf courses across Edinburgh: Braid Hills (18-hole), Carrick Knowe (18-hole), Craigentinny (18-hole), Portobello (9-hole), Silverknowes (18-hole), and Wee Braids (par-3), available via membership or pay-as-you-go rounds.
• Saunas and Steam Rooms Spa facilities comprising 8 saunas and 5 steam rooms across various Edinburgh Leisure venues, available to members for relaxation and recovery.
• TrackMan Golf Simulator State-of-the-art indoor golf simulator at Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre offering 55-minute sessions for up to 4 people to play world courses at £25 per session, launched in 2026.
• Pickleball Coaching Pickleball coaching courses introduced at Craiglockhart Leisure & Tennis Centre in 2025, featuring four-week coaching courses for all skill levels.
• Pool Fitness Classes Water-based fitness classes including Aquafit, Hydrospin, Hydro Yoga, H20 HIIT, and coached swim classes, available to members and pay-as-you-go customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.7+ million visits per year across 75 facilities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EGYM HusslecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Long-term partnership between Edinburgh Leisure and EGYM Hussle to promote corporate fitness in Edinburgh, benefiting 17 venues including Meadowbank Sports Centre. Collaboration aims to increase participation in fitness and extend Edinburgh Leisure's reach into the corporate sector, with some venues incorporating EGYM equipment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Places Leisure: UK charitable leisure trust operating council leisure facilities on a non-profit basis with tiered memberships, fitness, swim and coaching programmes - structurally identical to Edinburgh Leisure's trust-based operating model.
• Active Nation: UK charitable trust running sport and leisure facilities for local councils, with a non-profit operating model and membership tiers close to Edinburgh Leisure's.
• Everyone Active: UK leisure operator (part of GLL/Better group) managing dozens of council leisure centres with fitness, swim and coaching memberships - the largest direct comparator in the public-leisure trust space.
• GLL (operating as Better): UK's largest charitable leisure social enterprise, operating hundreds of leisure facilities on behalf of local authorities under the 'Better' consumer brand. Directly comparable non-profit, council-affiliated operating model with subscription memberships, coaching, and Active Communities-style health programmes.
• Fusion Lifestyle: UK leisure operator running local-authority facilities on a trust/charity basis, offering gyms, swimming, fitness classes and sports coaching under multi-venue membership schemes - functionally equivalent to Edinburgh Leisure's per-city estate model.

Broad incumbents

• PureGym: UK's second-largest low-cost gym chain with multiple Edinburgh sites - the most direct commercial competitor for value-tier gym memberships and PAYG fitness.
• The Gym Group: Largest low-cost gym operator in the UK with national footprint and subscription model - competes head-to-head with Edinburgh Leisure for price-sensitive gym members in Edinburgh.
• Nuffield Health: UK's largest healthcare charity combining fitness club memberships with clinical health services - comparable charitable mission and active-communities-style health programmes, though broader in scope.
• David Lloyd Leisure: Premium UK family health, fitness and racquets club operator - competes with Edinburgh Leisure's premium golf, swim, tennis and family offerings from a higher price point.

Regional players

• Life Leisure (Trafford): UK council-affiliated leisure trust operating in Greater Manchester with multi-venue fitness, swim and coaching offerings on a non-profit basis - comparable in structure but geographically distinct from Edinburgh Leisure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EdinburghLeisure
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edinburgh-leisure
• Instagraminstagram.com/ed_leisure
• TikToktiktok.com/@ed_leisure
• Xx.com/Ed_Leisure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh Leisure