๐Ÿ“Œ Slateford, City of Edinburgh
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…

The southwestern suburbs of Edinburgh conceal a true wee gem. Colinton Dell is one of the most scenic sections of the Water of Leith, carved deep into the bedrock between Slateford and Colinton. Loved by locals, it’s also well worth a quick trip out by bus for visitors staying in the city centre. This attractive circuit explores the local water courses via canal towpath, dismantled railway (featuring a tunnel decorated in colourful murals) and riverside path at different vertical levels, with options for refreshments at the halfway point in Colinton Village – where the route can be combined with a longer excursion to Torduff Reservoir and Bonaly Country Park.

๐Ÿ“ท Chronological photo guide

๐ŸŒ Location

๐Ÿ“Œ Start / finish at Water of Leith Visitor Centre, Lanark Road (A70), Slateford, 3 mi southwest of Edinburgh Waverley station

๐Ÿงญ O.S. Grid Reference: NT 221707

๐Ÿ›ฐ๏ธ GPS coordinates: 55.923068,-3.248407

๐Ÿš† Slateford | ๐ŸšŒ Lanark Road

๐Ÿš— Street parking to west, or more street parking in Colinton Village at south end of walk route

๐Ÿ“ Key info

โ–ถ 5 km / 3 mi | โ–ฒ 150 m | โŒ› 1.5 hr

Features: ๐Ÿ’ง Union Canal; ๐Ÿ•ธ Colinton Tunnel; ๐Ÿ  Colinton Village, ๐Ÿ’ง Colinton Dell / Water of Leith

โฌค Easy | Wide paths – steps at the start, with some ascent and descent on the return route.

โžก๏ธ Anticlockwise circuit: start & Water of Leith Visitor Centre – join Union Canal by steps to north – Colinton Tunnel by dismantled railway line – Colinton Village – Colinton Dell / Water of Leith riverside path – start

Download file for GPS

๐Ÿฅพ On our last visit

Wildlife: Treecreepers, tits, other woodland birds; mallard with ducklings in the Water of Leith.

Weather: Mostly sunny, about 10ยฐC, light winds.

May 2020
Show 2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Jenny R

    How long is this walk please?

    • Scotland Off the Beaten Track

      Hi Jenny. This route is approximately 3 miles long (probably 1.5-2 hours at an average walking pace). You can find info such as route length, ascent and difficulty in the info above!

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