An Edinburgh city walk with a difference - The Water of Leith Walkway from Balerno to Leith.
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Today's walk takes us from the outer edge of Edinburgh all the way to Leith Docks. But when you consider this 12.5 mile/20km walk cuts right through the heart of the city, it's not what you might expect! We will try to complete the whole Water of Leith walkway in a single attempt. Will we make it all the way? Join us to find out!
Hi, I’m Steve. I am a travel reviewer and post my trip reports here on TH-cam. I pay for my own travel and produce my own videos. If you have any questions about my journeys or travel advice in general, please drop me a comment - I do my best to respond to every single one. I’d also love to hear any recommendations you may have for future content, or why not challenge me to try something a little out of the ordinary! If you are looking to collaborate on any type of project, I’d love to hear from you - email me your ideas and hopefully we can work together in the future.
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The Water of Leith is one of the most beautiful rivers in Scotland. Its no wonder Edinburgh was, once upon a time called Dunedin, the garden of Eden.
Technically, Dunedin means the 'Fort of Eidyn', 'Eidyn' being an Anglo-Saxon name unrelated to 'Eden'. It is, however, still called Dunedin today - 'dun' and 'burgh' being the same word (fort) in different languages. In Scottish Gaelic, 'Edinburgh' is 'Dùn Èideann'.
i am born and bread Dunedin , Otago, NZ i know a different water of the Leith, i grew up in Musselburgh
its wonderful to see the places our places were named after
Thanky ou both so Enjoyable and Much appreciated
I used to do that walk with an old mate of mine back in the day. We had an amazing walk one evening, bonfire night, and there was fireworks going off in every garden of the new housing estates on that journey. We saw a badger, no doubt freaked out of hiding by the constant light and noise that went on for miles. My mate died 14 years ago and this brought back some happy memories. Thanks.
I'm sorry to hear your friend is no longer with us, but so glad to bring back some good memories! :) I'd have loved to have seen more wildlife, the only thing missing on this day (apart from fireworks of course!)
@@steve-marsh no worries. Normally the appeal of these walks is to escape the constant hum and noise of the city, and it's amazing how quickly that disappears once you're in the heart of nature, - like flicking a switch. I'd need to check out more of your channel, but it would be good if you went to The Hermitage/Blackford Hill area and filmed around there. The 360 view from the top of that hill is the best view of Edinburgh I've seen. All the best.
@@manicstreetpreacher200 So true! Also check out my 7 hills video, there is (a wee bit) of hermitage and Blackford on there :)
Good times
A beautiful peaceful walk 🤗
Wit a beautiful walk that wiz Steve lovely scenery thanks to use both.cheers 🍺🍺
In my time I have lived in Bslerno, Colinton Dean Village and Leith. I loved your video, have walked snd cycled every inch.
What a wonderful path eh Chris?
@@steve-marsh I've actually only ever cycled the entire route. Enyoyed the sub stages on foot numerous times. Cant wait to return to Edinburgh.
Enjoyed this video some lovely views along the way,sunny day ,
Thanks for taking us on a wonderful walk in the sunshine ... beautiful! Spring is clearly on its way in Edinburgh!
Cheers for coming along John! Looking out the window today, I really hope that wasn’t spring and summer all rolled into one day :)
I so adore the cast iron direction signs on what looks like a fabulous “hidden” city walk. So much to see and explore and so close to the city centre. Thank you for sharing. 👏👏👍😎
“Where’s all the girls”? “Shopping”. LOL. Another wonderful video, thanks for taking us along😊
Hehe thanks so much Linda :)
As an Englishman in my in 50's i didn't realise what a beautiful city Edinburgh is. I heard it was good for the nightlife, but i also like a bit of culture. I think a visit for a long weekend, or longer should be on my bucket list.
Thanks so much for watching! Yeah, a great city to visit. Living here is getting a bit on the expensive side these days, but really recommend a trip here.
Love the leith walk especially at the end when it comes into the city brilliant video.
Thanks so much!
Glad you got your hat back. Hate loosing stuff on the trail.
That hat means so much more to me now :)
born and brought up here. went to school in Juniper Green and the whole Water of Leith / Colinton Dell and the Pentlands via Bonaly was our playground growing up. i remember the 'puffing Billy' train that used to run on that railway line and how, in the summer, it would set the embankment by our house on fire with sparks from the engine and how much we enjoyed putting those fires out before the fire brigade could get there!
What a great walk, I have only been along by the Dean Village - I would love to live there, but I don't do the Lottery! I didn't know about the Anthony Gormley statues, that was exciting to see them, (the ones on Crosby Beach are amazing - atmospheric). Loving the birdsong on the walk. Thanks for taking us along on a lovely day.
You pair have got such a lovely place in bonny Scotland 😊
Another superb walking blog. Well done to you both. One of my favourite routes in Edinburgh with the walking group. Although always feel tired at the finish. There is a sign on Leith Shore, across from Kings Wark bar which shows the route map, similar to the sign at Balerno. That's the finish. We get the bus to Balerno for start. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Mark, can’t believe we missed the proper start/finish line 🤦🏼♂️ but to be honest we were too tired to even look properly :) so glad we got out there on such a nice day to do it! Thanks for watching!
instablaster...
McLevy territory - a must listen to. Policing old Leith and Edinburgh.
I went for a walk along the Union Canal on Saturday from Fountainbridge to Slateford I hadn't walked along the canal in years and what a change since I was a kid especially at Fountainbridge and at Meggetland. It was such a lovely walk.
Nice Theresa! Every time I do that section I wish I lived in a narrowboat :)
Lovely bit of woodland
My first flat i bought was in Sandport st and my kitchen looked over to Cables Whynd and the bridge
Oh,Man I am so chuffed I discovered your channel, videos are fab, always a pleasure to sit down and relax to. Well done and keep em coming. Taking the wife and kids to Edinburgh at end of June for a few days, can’t wait to experience the history and culture.
Thanks so much for the support Marcus! I hope you have an awesome time in Edinburgh - feel free to drop me a message or email before you come if you have any questions!
Catching up on some of your older stuff, happy memories of walking some of this with our son. Good to see the bits we missed, thank you. An oasis in the middle of a city, albeit a beautiful one.
What a lovely day for a walk and Edinburgh is truly sparkling. Thanks for showing places I’ve never seen - despite living here for 28 years! 😀
Cheers Roger - that's the beauty of Edinburgh, it's full of hidden gems for you and me to uncover - I see stuff on your channel all the time that I had no idea about :)
I done this very walk about 20 years ago and after watching this I really must do it again soon. Brilliant 👏
Cheers Derek! Lovely walk right through a city without ever seeing it :)
Nice to see some sunshine on Leith.
What a lovely walk! I feel so lucky to live on it's path and to walk it regularly!
Glad you get to enjoy it as well! We're pretty much close enough to go there a 2-3 times a week, but ashamed to say it's been quite a recent discovery!
Cracking walk Steve, stayed in Edinburgh my whole life but now live out near Bonnyrigg, If you haven't done already you'd like the walk/old railway route from Valleyfield in Penicuik to Eskbank, cuts right through Roslin Glen and goes over some pretty cool viaducts and through some nice tunnels too, a good cycle but definitely worth a walk to take in some of the sights ie, Wallace cave, Auchendinny Gunpowder Mills, Roslin Chappel etc, a few wee diversions but well worth it along the route if you have the time and weather on your side.
Stick in!
That sounds awesome Kris, thanks so much - I’ll put it on the list! I’m guessing I’m not allowed out there let, but as soon as it eases, I’ll be there!
Another lovely video of such a beautiful city, and I never knew there were blue skies in Scotland! ;)
Cheers Andrew! Haha to be honest we had to be patient to do this walk and waited over a week for sunny conditions. The grey skies are back now! :)
What a beautiful walk. it certainly made my evening having your notification come on. Getting to the point that I am beginning to talk to my chickens, so starved of human company here on the edge of Dartmoor. Your wonderful videos keep me sane. Thank you for taking me along on your very interesting walk.
Thanks Sandra! I think talking to chickens is perfectly normal, I'm sure they make a lot more sense than humans :)
What a great walk. It has been so long since I have been to Edinburgh. All I have seen have been the usual highlights, and I have hardly scratched the surface; your videos really show what an insanely attractive place it is. Can't wait until I can actually be able to get back to the UK. In the meantime, I will visit Edinburgh and Scotland vicariously through your highly entertaining and excellent videos. Cheers, Ian
Cheers Ian! Hope you get back soon and we bump into each other!
Walking along the path and see the statue of a person in the water would scare the crap out of me 😂😂…Steve ask where are all the girl ducks and just as quick as she Alicja is says they are shopping 😂😂❤
Brilliant! Thanks for taking us along! The more I watch your VLOGs, the more I wish we had spent more time in Edinburgh!
Cheers Bill, thanks for coming along and for keeping me motivated to make more!
Well done for inspiring me to tackle the full route yesterday while in town in a holiday. I too was knackered by the end at the swing bridge, nor could I find any sort of end post sign. Bummer. Thanks for a brilliant video and putting this one on the map for me (and many others).
So glad you did it too! Great effort! :)
Charming, delightful. Thank you, guys!
Hi Steve , Fantastic video the only bits I knew of was the shortcut we used to take from Leith up tp Coburg St to the lights at the end of Ferry Rd and where the old Stonehouse Stadium was on Gorgie Rd. Think I shall try the Murrayfield to Leith section in the spring ....cheers.
Good call Dennis, that would be my favourite stretch for sure!
Hello Steve! What an enjoyable stroll and totally different view of Auld Reekie. As usual when I saw "walk" in your title I started to worry :) I passed your clip on to my sister who spent three winter months in Edinburgh in "17". I was informed, "oh, yes, it was a most pleasant walk". I hope to take the walk one of these days. Again thanks for another great video. Cheers Jim.
Hah thanks so much Jim, and cheers for sharing as well! :)
Looks OK walking in peace and quiet Steve and partner
So with out darkest days behindour ship of hope will steerand when in doubt just keep in mindour motto PERSEVERE
Very good as always thanks
Great tour! And surprise of the nice weather up in Scotland at this time of the year!
Haha me too! To be honest, we waited over a week to film this one, keeping the camera batteries charged up for a sunny (and more importantly,calm) day! Not looking too much like spring or summer out my window today though! 😆
@@steve-marsh Yikes! Though expected that from Scotland (or I should say the whole British Isles!!!)😆
Yes it's a kingfisher both 😊 plus an interesting nature walk
Hi Steve, river of Leith I know so well. I worked at a sheep tannery that was in Dean village for many years (Leggett's) it is closed now! Those modern houses you seen on your journey were flooded at least twice a few years back. Another great blog Steve - Well done!
Hey Steve, couldn’t help to think how much more accessible the River would be without the weirs, for the fish & for those boating it’s lovely waters. Enjoyed walking with you both, thanks for the upload!
Very true Doug! I’m not sure if the weirs are a remnant of the past from the milling days or if they are to control the river, but without them I’d love to give it a shot in the kayak! Cheers for watching! :)
@@steve-marsh I would agree it was probably part of the infrastructure during the industrial revolution. A few weirs were removed from the river that runs through my city and immediately people began using the river more. And while Im not for certain, I think I saw the fish smiling more.
Last time I was in Murryafield was to see Oasis, was a stunning day that, sat outside on the grass till about 7pm then went into the gig and were right near the front, 75k total sell out gig.
Thanks again Steve
Sounds epic Gary! I've only seen REM there, and that was incredible too, but I bet it was proper rocking when you were there - I miss big gigs!
That was a decent walk with some great views. Thanks for sharing. Keep safe guys.
Cheers Peter you too! :)
Thank you for saving my sanity during this never ending lockdown. Subscribed.
Thanks so much or the support! Welcome aboard! More videos for you soon I hope :)
Great video, and you had perfect weather for it.
Thanks 👍
Beautiful
Loved the walk... Beautiful!
Thanks so much for watching!
An excellent video again both of you keep up the good work
Thanks so much David from us both! :)
Nice video thanks I like the Message on the Stone paving.
Agreed! And very apt at the moment!
Lovely video. Sensibly took the downhill route.
Not that it's relevant but I like to walk through Holyrood, round Queens Drive, through the Meadows, along the canal till the aqueduct, follow the Water of Leith till the end, across to the Links & then up Easter road to the start.
Or
Through Holyrood, across the Meadows, along the canal, up the Water of Leith to Colinton, past the barracks & Napier to Hermitage Braid. Along there and then through Inch Park, through Craigmiller Castle Park to Duddingston Village, round Duddinston low Rd & up around Queens Drive to the beginning.
Which is probably more information than anybody wanted!
Never too much info and they are two proper walks! Edinburgh is a great city to just head out on a nice day and before you know it 4 hours have passed!
12.56 this is the area of the Dean Village I lived in for around 8 years , I was the last flat before the yellow buildings on the right , it was like living in a goldfish bowl with the tourists looking in
The more of these videos I watch , the more I realize just how much of Edinburgh I have yet too see , people need to get away from the Royal mile and the Castle and explore this fantastic city
So true Jon, there are a lot of hidden gems in and around the city!
Plenty of "sunshine in leith" too steve!
I'm only halfway through at this point but I've had that song in my head throughout.
Haha very true! :)
Excellent video , you captured the whole fantastically now to send abroad to let some Ex pats pals show what they are missing ....will check out your other videos . Thanks very much
Thanks so much for supporting my channel Kenneth! Really appreciate you sharing and will be back with more videos soon I promise!
I’m lucky to live in Juniper Green. And love walking up and down along it. At the moment they are upgrading the footpath to a great standard.
Some of that walk around Leith brings back painful memories of the 2019 Edinburgh Kiltwalk. My feet still haven't recovered! Lovely video Steve.
Cheers Derrick haha glad I could bring back some painful memories - great effort doing the Kiltwalk! My feet still feel it after this walk :)
My favourite place to walk
I'm not surprised! Stunning stretch of water :)
Absolutely cracking, next time I am over in the UK I intend to do this walk made glorious by the sun the scenery and your company, thank you.
Thanks so much Simon! It’s a cracking walk, and looks even better in summer :)
Ah what a lovely walk & so sunny! Bet it's lovelier in spring with lots of flowers (take us back!). Reminded me of when I was a nurse in late 70s, walking from what was the old Paddington General Hospital, (now a posh housing est!) Harrow rd, London W9 along the canal to St Marys in Praed st, Paddington via Little Venice & the Paddington Basin. Was a longer way to work but I loved it. I hate those Gormley statues they really give me the creeps, beach or river! Really weirdly I was reading all about Dean village only last night! 😮it was on a medieval group & lots pointing out it was only built in 1800s! 😆 Fab video thanks I'm still finding plenty I've not seen!
The section between Dean Village to cannonmills, i know so well.
A cracking walk, novel metal "map" on the footway when you weren't halfway along 👍
That was a very nice walk I had for breakfast. And my legs is not sore at all :-)
Haha love it Lars :)
just a nice walk to do when the weather is like that
Exactly! Cheers :)
Fantastic video as always. The other gormley I think is at the back of ocean terminal. Behind Britannia
Cheers Andy! I had a rough idea where it was but not exactly, so was too tired to look for it 😆
Excellent video - the light touch in the commentary as normal with good content ! The tourist board for the city should use your videos !
Cheers John! Really appreciate the comment :)
Your 100% right stuart we always lose at the rugby 🤣🤣🤣
Enjoyed seeing your walk ! I grew up in Colinton, went to Colinton Primary School in the Fifties ! Then moved back to Colinton before getting married. Also lived in Stockbridge and The Cooperage on the quayside in Leith (you passed the ground floor french windows of my flat!)
Have cycled with my daughter many times along the Union Canal from Tollcross up to Lanark Rd, over the footbridge and on thro Colinton Tunnel and up to Balerno !
Brilliant memories !
Cheers Steve now from the Cotswolds !! 👍
Wow you’ve stayed in some cool places, including where you are now! Thanks so much for watching and really glad I could bring you some very recognisable places!
Yeah ! and just opposite The Cooperage in Leith, other side of the bridge, there used to be 'The African Queen', a floating restaurant venue formerly a Guinness yacht, I got married in the captains wheelhouse with our reception inside the boat over 30 years ago ! No idea if it's still there or not !
Thanks for your video really enjoyed it brought back memories walked it many times I preferred the top half Balerno to Slateford then along the canal in the city. Hopefully once lockdown is over will be able to get back through
Cheers Alister, glad to bring you some recognisable places! I must admit I love the canal stretch as well, but at the moment it's just too busy for the narrow towpath. Hope you can get back through to Edinburgh soon! :)
You missed another Gormley just when she said Stockbridge there's one just at the bridge on the corner of saunders Street before you crossed over to pizza express
Another pleasant video! THANKS! And another trek we had planned for last year's covidx'd visit.
Cheers Jerry!
An other great video mate, I recognise many of those paths.
Keep em coming btw I still cant believe you tried to sleep in that tunnel.
Enjoing your adventures.
Regards
Scott
Haha I know eh?! That's one video theme that won't be repeated in a hurry - talk about desperation :D Cheers for the message Scott!
Awesome!!! I’ve been waiting so long for someone to do a video like this, thank you 😊🙋♀️ I even made a decision or two while watching your video: I ordered a map of Water of Leith Walkway from the Conservation Trust and I decided I’d like to start my walk at Roseburn Cliff pathway.... when the world is safe for me to travel of course 😊 Your videos are amazing!!
Thanks so much Inga! And nice to see you ordered a map from the Trust - they do such an amazing job so it's great to give them support! Hope you have a lovely walk when the time comes :)
Another very enjoyable video Steve. Thanks for sharing. All the best from Thailand.
Thanks Kenneth! All the best to you too!
Luv ya Videos Stevie,
You should do a couple of videos off the Walks around BALERNO, That would be kool mate.
LOVE from BALERNO. Richie Kerr. 😊
Cheers Richie! Balerno is awesome, I'll be back there soon for sure!
@@steve-marsh kool Buddy,
Give me a shout and I will take you on a pub crawl, in the village, The Grey Horse. , and the Balerno Inn. Lol.😉 xxx
Thank you so much. We missed our planned trip to your neck of the woods, due to the pandemic, so it’s gratifying and comforting to view your videos.
Thanks so much for watching and that's a really nice comment to read :)
Nice little walk in the sunshine 👍
Cheers Ally! We had to be patient for that weather, now doing the same waiting to get out for the next video :)
@@steve-marsh likewise 😁 👍
"where are all the women ?" to the ducks.. without missing a beat your sweet better half " SHOPPING" , My sweet Paulina is Polish so I feel a camaraderie Steve. 🤓🤓💯🎶📸🎬
"It's a tree" 😂😂😁😁🤣🤣
Always good value for a gift like that :)
Much respect to you both. Beautiful walk through an amazing city. Really enjoyed that. Thank you.
Thanks so much Willie! It was a fun day out :)
Nice video as per, I love seeing all the little heard of things you can do in and around Edinburgh/Scotland
Thanks Chris! :)
Amazing walk in Edinburgh
Excellent video
Many thanks!
@@steve-marsh You're welcome ☺
Steve you say your parents used to say “ around the next corner. Mine would just say soon!”
Loved this walk, often spoke of coming into town and doing stretch through the Dean Village. Food for thought now!
Well worth it Helen, absolutely lovely path
Thanks for bringing me along Steve.Really enjoyed the walk.Best wishes to you both.
Cheers Derek, thanks for coming along :) All the best to you too!
Oh, so happy to see this video pop up. Brent and I were just sitting on the sofa ready to see if our son had posted a video and we saw yours. We look forward to watching your videos so much. The pathway you took looks lovely and maybe some day we'll get to stroll it also. I believe I have an ancestor from Leith, but still doing some research. You made our day and so glad the weather co-operated with you. I am envious of all that greenery, our spring won't be here in Atlantic Canada for a while. Our winter weather seems to be just starting here as far as snow storms so I've missed a few of my daily walking trips. Today was "BALTIC" here, so I decided to stay inside. Glad to see you are both healthy and out getting your exercise. Looking forward to another video soon! You're part of our mental health regime now, so that means you're obligated. ;)
Thanks you so much Janice and Brent! It was a lovely day, but to be honest we had to sit on this one for a week waiting for the best weather :) I hope that wasn't our spring and summer all in one day! That's really exciting to research ancestry, I just hope you can trace back to a building that still stands as Leith has undergone a lot of regeneration in the last years. The Water of Leith is often described as 'a silver thread in a ribbon of green' and it's hard to disagree! Thanks again and hope you're both doing well :)
Another great video Steve. You were certainly lucky with the weather. Nice to see parts of the real Edinburgh away from the tourist routes. Is a lot of the route around the old town? Looking forward to coming up to Fort William in July (have missed it up there so much). Doing the Kyle of Lochalsh railway journey for the first time, so looking forward to it. Take care both.
All the best to you too Bob! I'd say it's more around the new town, but it's so central anyway it's easy to make diversions into the city and create your own tailor made route :) I'm excited for you for July, hope you have an incredible time, might see you up there! :)
@@steve-marsh That would be awe some if we could meet up for a beer. Not sure if Edinburgh is on the itenary but will let you know. Cheers buddy.
Another very enjoyable video. Thanks for sharing. You certainly make that "brown ford" chap look ordinary. 😀
Thanks so much William! 😊
Looks like you had a great day weather wise, a route I know well I have run it many times all down hill fab
A great route for running! Yeah, we sat on this one for about a week waiting for the best weather! :)
Just subscribed to channel mate really enjoying it! From a Glasgow man, thumbs up on the St Pauli jumper as well 👍☠️
Cheers Arron! Welcome aboard! I’d love to go to a St Pauli game, that would be some video for the channel! Aw the best, and thanks for the support!
@@steve-marsh aye i believe it would make a great video mate. I’ve never done it myself but had mates who have said it was a great trip! Keep it coming really enjoyable
Thank you for taking us on another lovely Edinburgh walk! I had never heard of Dean Village - what a stunning place. And the Gormley statues were a surprise. 😀
Thanks for coming along Sue! Yeah, Dean Village is picture-perfect, especially on a nice sunny day. The statues were a surprise for us too - we thought there were only two of them! :)
Another excellent film; thank you both. I was brought up in Leith and ironically I now live near Colinton!! My late wife loved walking by the river and also on the old railway lines which are now used by walkers and cyclists- mainly tolerating each other! Did you know that you can walk from Murrayfield Stadium (just about) to Ocean Terminal (just about) without walking on any streets?
Your contributions are always welcome. Many thanks again to you both. You have a great wife there!
Thanks so much for the kind comment! Really appreciate it :)
Absolutely Fantastic adventure Steve.. well done.👍👍
Brilliant! I use the walkway at the Canonmills & Leith end every day. Great to see it through someone else's eyes.
Another place in Edinburgh I've not taken enough advantage of Paul, been down there a few times since filming the video :)
Great video, looks an amazing walk!!
Do love the better halfs response "Its a tree" Lol......
Keep up the great work....
Cheers Darren! :D I'm glad I caught that reaction on film :)
I think trees are gorgeous too 😍
Dean village..one of many beautiful parts of Edinburgh, nice video.
Totally agree Iain - I regret not filming a bit more there from different angles
Lovely walk captured really well.Thanks again for another top quality video.
Cheers Julian!