Waters Of Leith

Stretching the entire length of the Water of Leith,  (13 miles), the well-signposted walkway is easy to pick up along short sections where it runs through Edinburgh's northern suburbs, carrying the walker kly from the grand architecture of the New Town to wooded gorges filled with the sounds of running water and even birdsong.

The stretch heading west from Stockbridge past the Dean Village to the Dean Gallery is both a practical route between these spots, and a prettily varied walk through the deepest part of the gorge which passes a series of attractive old buildings, including St Bernard's Well, a Classical folly built over a mineral spring.

In previous centuries the river was heavily polluted by the New Town's sewage and up to 100 different mills and small factories which were established along its length; today you might see a fisherman trying his luck on one of the slower stretches of the stream before it drops down into Leith and the sea.

The visitors centre is open every day from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

Except Christmas and New Year - Closed from 24th Dec to 3rd January.