The Walkway

The walkway is a delightful stroll away from the hustle-and-bustle of the city, and ideal for families.

The walkway passes many areas of interest including: Colinton Village, Craiglockhart Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Gardens, Murrayfield Stadium, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and Leith. 

The route is suitable for cycling and is partly accessible by wheelchairs and on horseback. You can also see amazing works of art such as The Colinton Tunnel and 6 Times by Anthony Gormley.

You can listen to a commentary of the route along the walkway while you walk by connecting to our Audio Trail

The Water of Leith Walkway was completed in 2002 by courtesy of Millennium Project funding.  It is managed by The City of Edinburgh Council Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries Department who also manage many of the parks and greenspaces along the 13 mile route.

The route is well signposted and a walkway map is available from the Visitor Centre priced £1.00 or you can buy your detailed map now using the Paypal button below.  

Alternatively, you can download a basic pdf map of the route – here.

The following is a rough guide to mileage along the walkway:  Balerno to Slateford is 5 miles – 2 hours, Slateford to Leith is 7.5 miles – 3 hours,  Roseburn to Stockbridge approx 2 miles – 45 mins, Stockbridge to Leith approx 3.5 miles – 1 hour 20 mins.

Path Closure Information

Bridge Closures in the Dells

Due to fallen trees upstream of the Visitors Centre, Bogs Bridge and Kate’s Mill Bridge are closed. These are the 2nd and 3rd bridges in the Dells, the wooden bridge at Redhall remains open.

Redbraes Tunnel

After many years of flooding we are pleased to announce improvements to the walkway between Powderhall Bridge and Redbraes Tunnel.

The works will include path resurfacing, improved drainage and installation of a handrail on the steepest section.

Works are due to commence on Monday 17th March and are expected to take two weeks.

Please note the path will be closed during this time, including overnight as the new surface requires time to cure.  Please respect the closure and use the cycle path to Steadfast gate instead to allow the best surface long term.

Buy a Walkway Map

This is a printed map which will be posted to you so please select the correct option for UK or International Postage 

Featured Events

Sun 9th Mar

The Dells in Spring – Hands on Guided Walk for Adults

Springtime exploration focusing on tree identification and spotting signs of spring
1:30pm - 3:30pm
£7

Sun 13th Apr

Visitor Centre Silver Anniversary Celebration

Save the Date! The Visitor Centre is turning 25 and we’d love you to join us to celebrate our Silver Anniversary.
1pm - 4pm
Free

Tue 8th Apr

River Dipping – Kids Event

Join us to explore the river and find out what lives in the water.
1:30pm - 3:30pm
£7, accompanying adult free

Paths for Everyone - Code of Conduct

Our city is great for walking and cycling with its network of off-road paths across the city. 
 
These paths are for everyone. Whether you’re, out for a stroll, heading to work, off for a run, walking the dog, going for a bike ride, out for the day with the kids.
 
We would like everyone to be able to use the paths in safety and comfort. Please follow this simple code of conduct.

Paths for Everyone is an initiative created by sustrans in their vision of a National Cycle Network and is an initiative supported by Edinburgh Council

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