Water of Leith Walkway: Difference between revisions

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55°53′9.73″N 3°20′23.31″W / 55.8860361°N 3.3398083°W / 55.8860361; -3.3398083

The Water of Leith Walkway is a public footpath and cycleway that runs alongside the river of the same name through Edinburgh, Scotland, from Balerno to Leith.

History

The concept of a public path first appeared in 1949, but the necessary construction work was not begun until 1973. The walkway was laid out in stages. The section of the footpath between Juniper Green and Slateford was opened to the public on 30 August 1973.^[1] A section near Dean Village was completed in 1977 using labour from a job creation programme.^[2] In 2012 a landslip between Dean Path and Sunbury Bridge caused that section of the walkway to be closed. Remedial works failed and subsequent legal liability disputes delayed the section's reopening until May 2022.^[3]^[4]

Route

The path runs from Balerno, south west of Edinburgh city centre to Leith on the Firth of Forth, 12 miles (19 km) to the north east. At Balerno the walkway begins next to Balerno High School.^[5] The section from Balerno to Slateford utilises the dismantled Balerno railway line and forms part of National Cycle Route 75.^[6]^[7] The path runs downhill, but the incline is so slight that it is barely perceptible. Approximately half a mile of the route is on roads; for the remainder the path runs alongside the Water of Leith, and away from traffic. The path surface is a mixture of tarmac, compressed grit and compressed earth. The route is signposted and well used by both pedestrians and cyclists.

Leaving Balerno the walkway crosses the river on a former railway bridge before passing through the site of Currie railway station in the village of Currie. The path recrosses the Water of Leith and continues through the site of Juniper Green railway station in Juniper Green then passes underneath the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. After reaching Colinton and its former railway station the walkway departs the riverbank to pass through the 140-metre (150 yd) Colinton tunnel. The tunnel walls are decorated by an extensive mural inspired by the Robert Louis Stephenson poem From a Railway Carriage.^[8] The mural, a community project led by artist Chris Rutterford assisted by local volunteers and schoolchildren, was completed in October 2020.^[9] The path passes through the attractive Dean Village area of Edinburgh and ends in the docks at Leith.

Points of interest

The walkway provides access to many interesting sights, like the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Dean Gallery.

References

^ "Edinburgh Corporation City Planning Department Notice". The Scotsman. No. 40639. 29 August 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 23 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Untitled article". The Scotsman. No. 41911. 6 October 1977. p. 10. Retrieved 24 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Anderson, Joseph (8 April 2021). "Water of Leith river path to be repaired after years of closure". BBC News. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^ Bryan, Anna (13 May 2022). "Edinburgh Councillors celebrate as Water of Leith walkway reopens after 'so many years of closure'". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^ Wham, Alasdair (2006). Edinburgh and Lothians : exploring the lost railways. Wigtown : G.C. Books Ltd. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-872350-14-1 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Balerno Trail Step » Audio Trail » The Water of Leith Conservation Trust". The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ Helen Brown (3 April 2020). Water of Leith Management Plan 2020-2030 (pdf) (Report). Water of Leith Action Group. p. 7. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
^ "Colinton Tunnel from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ Alderman, Laura (22 October 2020). "Old railway tunnel transformed into kaleidoscope of colour". STV News. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

External links

An audio trail, text and video links hosted by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust
Summary of places of interest along the route

[1] "Edinburgh Corporation City Planning Department Notice". The Scotsman. No. 40639. 29 August 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 23 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[2] "Untitled article". The Scotsman. No. 41911. 6 October 1977. p. 10. Retrieved 24 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[3] Anderson, Joseph (8 April 2021). "Water of Leith river path to be repaired after years of closure". BBC News. Retrieved 23 August 2023.

[4] Bryan, Anna (13 May 2022). "Edinburgh Councillors celebrate as Water of Leith walkway reopens after 'so many years of closure'". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 23 August 2023.

[5] Wham, Alasdair (2006). Edinburgh and Lothians : exploring the lost railways. Wigtown : G.C. Books Ltd. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-872350-14-1 – via Internet Archive.

[6] "Balerno Trail Step » Audio Trail » The Water of Leith Conservation Trust". The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

[Management_Plan-7] Helen Brown (3 April 2020). Water of Leith Management Plan 2020-2030 (pdf) (Report). Water of Leith Action Group. p. 7. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

[8] "Colinton Tunnel from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

[9] Alderman, Laura (22 October 2020). "Old railway tunnel transformed into kaleidoscope of colour". STV News. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

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 The concept of a public path first appeared in 1949, but the necessary construction work was not begun until 1973. The walkway was laid out in stages. The section of the footpath between [[Juniper Green]] and [[Slateford]] was opened to the public on 30 August 1973.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 August 1973 |title=Edinburgh Corporation City Planning Department Notice |page=14 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |issue=40639 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19730829/597/0014 |url-access=subscription |access-date=23 August 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref> A section near [[Dean Village]] was completed in 1977 using labour from a job creation programme.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 October 1977 |title=Untitled article |page=10 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |issue=41911 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19771006/182/0010 |url-access=subscription |access-date=24 August 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>  In 2012 a [[Landslide|landslip]] between Dean Path and Sunbury Bridge caused that section of the walkway to be closed. Remedial works failed and subsequent legal liability disputes delayed the section's reopening until May 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Joseph |date=2021-04-08 |title=Water of Leith river path to be repaired after years of closure |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-56678259 |access-date=2023-08-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryan |first=Anna |date=13 May 2022 |title=Edinburgh Councillors celebrate as Water of Leith walkway reopens after 'so many years of closure' |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/edinburgh-councillors-celebrate-as-water-of-leith-walkway-reopens-after-so-many-years-of-closure-3693336 |access-date=23 August 2023 |work=[[Edinburgh Evening News]]}}</ref>
-== Points of interest ==
-The walkway provides access to many interesting sights, like the [[Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art]] and the [[Dean Gallery]].
 == Route ==
 The path runs from Balerno, south west of Edinburgh city centre to [[Leith]] on the Firth of Forth, {{Convert|12|mi|km}} to the north east. At Balerno the walkway begins next to Balerno High School.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wham |first=Alasdair |url=http://archive.org/details/edinburghlothian0000wham |title=Edinburgh and Lothians : exploring the lost railways |date=2006 |publisher=Wigtown : G.C. Books Ltd. |isbn=978-1-872350-14-1 |page=137 |language=en |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> The section from Balerno to Slateford utilises the dismantled [[Balerno line|Balerno railway line]] and forms part of [[National Cycle Route 75]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Balerno Trail Step » Audio Trail » The Water of Leith Conservation Trust |url=https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/audio-trail/balerno/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=The Water of Leith Conservation Trust |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Management Plan">{{cite report |author=Helen Brown |date=3 April 2020 |title=Water of Leith Management Plan 2020-2030 |url=https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/28361/water-of-leith-management-plan-2020-to-2030 |publisher=Water of Leith Action Group |page=7 |format=pdf |access-date=24 August 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url= http://web.archive.org/web/20230822214816/https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/28361/water-of-leith-management-plan-2020-to-2030|archive-date=22 August 2023}}</ref>  The path runs downhill, but the incline is so slight that it is barely perceptible. Approximately half a mile of the route is on roads; for the remainder the path runs alongside the [[Water of Leith]], and away from traffic. The path surface is a mixture of tarmac, compressed grit and compressed earth. The route is signposted and well used by both pedestrians and cyclists.
 Leaving Balerno the walkway crosses the river on a former railway bridge before passing through the site of [[Currie railway station]] in the village of [[Currie]]. The path recrosses the Water of Leith and continues through the site of [[Juniper Green railway station]] in [[Juniper Green]] then passes underneath the [[Edinburgh City Bypass|A720 Edinburgh City Bypass]]. After reaching [[Colinton]] and its former [[Colinton railway station|railway station]] the walkway departs the riverbank to pass through the {{Convert|150|yard|m|adj=on|order=flip}} Colinton tunnel. The tunnel walls are decorated by an extensive mural inspired by the [[Robert Louis Stevenson|Robert Louis Stephenson]] poem ''From a Railway Carriage''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colinton Tunnel from The Gazetteer for Scotland |url=https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst94449.html |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.scottish-places.info |language=en-gb}}</ref> The mural, a community project led by artist Chris Rutterford assisted by local volunteers and schoolchildren, was completed in October 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alderman |first=Laura |date=2020-10-22 |title=Old railway tunnel transformed into kaleidoscope of colour |url=https://news.stv.tv/feature/old-railway-tunnel-transformed-into-kaleidoscope-of-colour |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=STV News |language=en-GB}}</ref> The path passes through the attractive [[Dean Village]] area of Edinburgh and ends in the docks at Leith.
+== Points of interest ==
+The walkway provides access to many interesting sights, like the [[Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art]] and the [[Dean Gallery]].
 ==References==