The Water of Leith Walkway

A great place to push the buggy along on a sunny day or for a nice meandering jog whatever the weather.
It’s a nice relatively peaceful walkway although there are busy times such as after school or the working day it can get quite hectic with bikes, kids, dogs and buggies! But maybe I live at the busy end down in Leith!
The great part of the walkway is that it takes you through some great parts of the city. The Leith end is full of great places to eat and drink in the numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. Then you have Stockbridge with again many a place to stop and chill… especially the Botanics! On and on you go… give it a try :)

I had a spectacular walk along the Water of Leith the other weekend
We started in Colinton Village where the walk was very well waymarked. We noticed that it split a few times and had the choice to walk via the canals or by a different route. We chose the canal route which led us through neighborhoods we hadn’t seen before and we were passed by kayakers, runners, walkers, cyclists, etc. It was Edinburgh’s first nice weekend of the year and everyone was out enjoying it.
It was a brilliant route, except that we didn’t fully appreciate that we needed to follow the signs for the «Water of Leith Walkway Visitor Centre» — instead we kept along the canal and eventually found ourselves in Toll Cross.
So, minus one star for somewhat confusing signage there and along other sections of the route where you need to wander through town a bit to find the next section of the walk, but ultimately a really excellent path through Edinburgh.

All Edinburgh life is here: the Water of Leith takes you through so many sides of this city. Over the past three weekends I’ve walked the length of the marked ‘walkway’, in three stages. From the picturesque village of Colinton to the Michelin stars of Leith, via Murrayfield and Dean Village it’s a gem.
Parts are well maintained, various stretches are currently receiving some rehabilitation, other bits feel just this side of wild. That can be refreshing (you could be a hundred miles from civilisation) but it’s a bit tricksy when you have to double back on yourself if you miss the path and find a fence blocking your way.
Who walks along the WoL? On a Sunday afternoon it could be anyone — middle aged couples with dogs, families with kids on bikes, and for all I know rugby internationals with their long, striding and purposeful gait. Along the way they pass weirs, old mills, sweeping bends and bubbling rapids. Overhead the towering structures of Dean Bridge and the city bypass. And always the trees and birds of Scotland.
It’s easy to forget you’re in the heart of the city half the time, with life going on all around you. That also means there are plenty of places to join the river, and every one of them worth investigating.

Well marked with good views
Fair stroll along the water
An escape from life

The Water of Leith Walkway is one of those parts of Edinburgh that sincerely make you feel like you’re no longer in the city. I mean, Dean Village undeniably does that. And that’s one of the bits where the Water of Leith Walkway snakes its way through. And it does snake. Through different parts of the city. Different bits of the water suffer from the accumulation of different quantities of debris, but the water is generally quite clean (though I don’t necessarily recommend going for a dip).
The walk through Dean Village is my favourite bit, and it’s definitely the best route to take if you’re walking to the Dean Gallery.

I love this walkway, it is a way to feel as if you have left the city, whilst still being in the centre of it! I come and have a walk alongside the Water of Leith quite regularly and feel it is a good way to unwind. The pat itself is quite long and goes all the way from Balerno to Leith, I generally like heading from the picturesque Dean Village into Leith.
If you join the walkway around the Murrayfield area, some of the pathway is disjointed and you have to use roads to re-​join the walkway. I think someone may have stolen a few signs telling you where you need to go to get back to the path as me and my friend got a bit lost.
However, I would thoroughly recommend that anyone who hasn’t already had a little stroll alongside the Water of Leith should give it a go as there is so much wildlife and history to take in.

If you fancy going for a walk in Edinburgh, then you are spoilt for choice! However, sometimes places like the Meadows can be too busy on a hot summer’s day, and sometimes you want to escape the many tourists who ascend Arthur’s seat! Well, one great walk that I have been on is the Water of Leith walkway.
The walkway follows the rive right down to the Leith dockyards, however en route there are many nice areas to walk, many which make you feel that you have escaped from the city! The walkway is well signposted and the great thing about it is that you can leave it and rejoin it at certain points. Great for if you want to visit the art galleries near the walkway such as Dean Gallery or the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
It is also suitable and indeed a favourite with cyclists.
With twists and turns, this walk gives you a chance to explore more than one part of Edinburgh.