Water of Leith Walkway: Difference between revisions
→Route: breaking Route into two subsections. Seems a natural break as the walkway departs from the old railway and it is the location of the visitor centre. |
→Balerno to Slateford: dells |
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=== Balerno to Slateford === |
=== Balerno to Slateford === |
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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> 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 at Spylaw Park, rounds Spylaw House, built for 18th century merchant and philanthropist [[James Gillespie (philanthropist)|James Gillespie]] and shortly after enters 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> |
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> 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 at Spylaw Park, rounds Spylaw House, built for 18th century merchant and philanthropist [[James Gillespie (philanthropist)|James Gillespie]] and shortly after enters 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 emerges from the tunnel into Colinton Dell, a steep-sided wooded gorge, which is a haven for wildlife.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colinton Dell from The Gazetteer for Scotland |url=https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst8548.html |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.scottish-places.info |language=en-gb}}</ref> Craiglockhart Dell follows. |
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=== Slateford to Leith === |
=== Slateford to Leith === |
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55°53′9.73″N 3°20′23.31″W / 55.8860361°N 3.3398083°W
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. 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.
Balerno to Slateford
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] 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 at Spylaw Park, rounds Spylaw House, built for 18th century merchant and philanthropist James Gillespie and shortly after enters 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 emerges from the tunnel into Colinton Dell, a steep-sided wooded gorge, which is a haven for wildlife.[10] Craiglockhart Dell follows.
Slateford to Leith
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.
- ^ "Colinton Dell from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. 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