Riverside Ramble, Balgreen to Leith

This is part two of the Riverside Ramble, a pleasant lunchtime photo-plod along the Water of Leith Walkway from Balgreen to Shore at Leith. I hope you've already enjoyed part one, Balerno to Balgreen,

I have about a mile of road work to bring me to the footbridge where I left the riverside in part one. Crossing this bridge I should be able to join the river side paths, but alas there is a closure here due to the construction works for the tram line. There is a sign-posted diversion which takes me back out onto the roads for a few minutes before, at last, some rougher ground along the river side. If it has rained this section is puddles, but the temperature is a little sub-zero, today the puddles are frozen.

Footbridge over the river at Balgreen

Footpath closure and diversion onto the roads ...

... and soon the river side path with frozen puddles.

The walkway runs through Roseburn Park here with great views of Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish international rugby. You can see snow clad Pentland peaks in the distance to the left. It is a pleasure to run on the grass around the edge of the footpath through the park here, the earth is frozen but not very hard.

Roseburn Park, Murrayfield Stadium

The walkway heads onto road briefly at Roseburn but in no time at all returns to the river side and underneath a majestic stone bridge. This is an old branch railway line bridge. The urban trains have not run here for many years and a wonderful bicycle path runs along the course of the railway line. There are lots of these bicycle paths in Edinburgh - fantastic for cycling and running. There is a flight of steps here which links the Water of Leith Walkway with the bicycle path. These links provide endless options for almost traffic free cycling and running routes - it's all wonderful. This section of the river has several weirs and I adore the sound of the water running over the weir. The weirs often snag trees which have fallen and floated down river.

Majestic stone bridge across the river.

Here the weir has captured a fallen tree.

The walkway here is very popular with runners and cyclists. We pass underneath another beautiful stone bridge near the Gallery of Modern Art, there is another weir just before the bridge. Soon we are down steps beside a very high weir as we approach pretty little Dean Village.

Beautiful stone bridge, with runners

Steps beside a high weir, with cyclist

Dean Village

The walkway rejoins the river side after Dean Village and immediately we are treated to the sound and view of another weir through the trees, and the fantastic arches of Dean Bridge. The river leads us to Stockbridge where there is another path closure and diversion. There is quite a bit construction work along this part of the river to improve the flood defences. So the diversion takes me along the roads a little more but I am rewarded with a run along the beautiful Rocheid Path.

Large weir on the river below after Dean Village ...

... and the fantastic arches of Dean Bridge above.

Flood defence works at Stockbridge

Beautiful Rocheid Path

The walkway will soon bring me to Canonmills and a little more road work, but en route I have spotted the heron, which always gives me happy feelings. The road work yields to river side paths at St Mark's Park, and lots of dogs. There are several opportunities to switch onto the branch railway line bicycle tracks here as well.

The Heron

Riverside trails, with dogs

I continue along the walkway crossing Newhaven Road and soon to the last section of the river. Here the water is wide and slow and there are quite a few ducks. I guess this object in the river must be a sluice gate. The path here very soon brings me to the end of the run today at Shore in Leith.

Newhaven Bridge

Sluice gate? ... with ducks.

The end, at Shore in Leith

Boats moored at Shore

A pleasant although in places slippy gentle hour and a few minutes running along the Water of Leith walkway on a cold day, just over eleven kilometres which would have been even better without numerous footpath closures and diversions onto road work.