Walk 263 - Colinton Tunnel

On a breezy but bright day 23 Strollers met at the Water of Leith Centre at the foot of the Lanark Road to walk to the Colinton Tunnel via the canal and the Water of Leith.

Some Strollers took advantage of the meeting place for a coffee or tea and to use the facilities.

The Water of Leith Conservation Trust was formed in 1988 and organises over 240 clean ups of the river each year with an aim of protecting the river and its environs as well as running education sessions and  liaising with Edinburgh Council. 

A few of us declined the invitation to climb the 90 steps up to the aqueduct and followed the road up the pedestrian bridge crossing the Lanark Road where we met the others who had braved the heights of the aqueduct and followed the Union Canal for a short distance.

From here we followed the path along the route of what was once the Balerno Branch railway. It was opened to passenger and freight traffic in 1874, but was aimed mainly at serving the many mills that used to be on the river. At its peak 20 trains a day ran in both directions and passenger traffic grew with the expansion of the town and also day trippers at the weekend. Passenger traffic was stopped in 1943 and freight in in 1967. A proposal was made to make the old route a footpath and cycleway but it took till 1980 for it to happen. This involved reopening the Colinton Tunnel which had been bricked up and putting in lighting.

As we approached the tunnel, we were serenaded by a musician who seemed to be using the acoustics of the tunnel to practice his saxophone playing. The art work in the tunnel is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem ‘From a Railway Carriage’. With the words of the poem on one side of the tunnel being linked by artwork to murals on the other wall depicting the lines of the poem. The artwork has been created by various groups from professional artists to school and community groups.

Go to the Project’s website at www.colintontunnel.org.uk and view some of the YouTube videos from the links on the Tunnel’s Home page, for example the STV News Broadcast from October 2020.

We then stopped in Spylaw Park for a nice relaxing lunch, where the house that used to be home to James Gillespie still stands, but is now flats. He built his fortune on snuff and tobacco and when he died he bequeathed his money to build a hospital and school for the poor.

After lunch we then headed back through the tunnel and then down to the path by the Water of Leith to follow it back to our starting place. 

Our thanks to Alistair B for arranging the walk and for such good weather to go with it. Hopefully June will be as nice.

 

Outing to the Tall Ship at the Riverside and Glasgow Cathedral - Monday 9 May 2022

There were 34 of us in our first group visit to Glasgow (plus one who met us there.). All of us very well prepared for the rainy day. Our driver was Isla who is brilliant at coping with the huge bus.
A quick decision was made to avoid Corstorphine as we headed to Dobbies at Livingston for the ‘Coffee Stop’. I heard positive comments about that and recommend the flat white.
The staff at The Tall Ship are friendly and helpful. Vera came in her boiler suit to welcome us, warn us about the wet ship and then we were free to view it as we wished. She went back to rubbing teak oil into an old box. There was lots of information about its past and ongoing restoration.
Our rainwear was needed for the walk from the coach to the Cathedral. It was my first time there and it is magnificent. Most of the stained glass windows were replaced in the 50s and 60s. They are beautiful and compliment the ancient building. My neck got sore with all the ‘looking up’. If it had been dry I’d have walked round the gardens. Some found a pub round the corner (recommended by the shop girls) so had coffee (so they told me!).
We arrived at the Leapark Hotel in Grangemouth in plenty time for drinks to be bought before our meal was served. Compliments all round for service and delicious, generous food.
A very good day.
Liz Staples