5. Celebrate Culture with Scotland's Largest Mural in Colinton Tunnel
Easy, flat 6km stroll along the Union Canal and Water of Leith
Wide variety of landscapes, art and nature
Return by bus from Colinton
Getting to the Start
The Union Canal in Edinburgh starts in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh Quay (POSTCODE: EH3 9BA) . If you are driving to the start, then you’d probably be better finding a parking space in Bruntsfield nearby and joint path from there - to save hefty City Centre parking fees (also… the bus will bring you back to Bruntsfield)
Highlights
140m mural inside a formerly derelict Colinton Tunnel celebrating local art and Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem ‘A view from a railway carriage’
Cool houseboats scattered along the canal
Get back to nature in the Colinton Dell
A to B walk with a pub / cafe at the end and on an easy bus route back to start.
We love this walk. It’s a really great afternoon out. The walk starts at the beginning of the Union Canal. There’s lots of see and a little blue canal barge (The Counter) that has been brought back to life as a floating coffee shop. You can pick up some refreshments here - if needed. The landscape changes with each kilometre, as you walk down the canal, along the Water of Leith and finally into the Colinton Tunnel. The paths along the canal are quite narrow. Although we have cycled this route in the past, we’ve found it more enjoyable to walk.
Walk Description
The Union Canal is found behind a bunch of new, office-looking buildings in Fountainbridge! Basically, if you can find Loudoun’s cafe in Fountainbridge, it’s behind the Quay 2 buildings opposite.
Stay on the right hadn't side of the canal, with the mural led boards on your right hand side. You’ll quickly see The Counter cafe barge and the Leamington Lift Bridge.
If you’ve chosen to park your car in Bruntsfield - you’ll walk down Viewforth and join the canal at the Leamington Lift Bridge.
Follow the path with the canal on your left. After about 2 miles, you’ll arrive at the Slateford Aqueduct, which you’ll walk over.
Shortly after the Slateford Aqueduct, you’ll start to think a bout leaving the canal path onto the Water of Leith - towards Colinton Dell. Its quite easy to miss this turn off to the left so look out for:
A footbridge that goes up and over to the left of the union canal path. (you need to be on that bridge!)
Blue directional signage. There are three signs on a pole and one of them points to Balerno and Colinton.
This path follows the Water of Leith and into Colinton Dell - a truly lovely part of the world.
Eventually you’ll reach the highlight (and the end) of your walk - the Colinton Tunnel. It’s a colourful and exciting art project that really has brought this old Victorian tunnel to life.
Top Tips
Buses No. 10, 45 and 16 all take you back to Bruntsfield. If you’ve chosen to park your car in Bruntsfield at the start - you can pick up your car here.
There are a couple of nice pubs / cafes near Colinton Tunnel that might help round off the day in a merry way!
Map and GPS
Press play below on the map below and you can download the route to your phone from the Menu.
