The Water of Leith

A walkway through art and nature
Popular plate: If you fancy a spot of lunch, you’ll find several excellent restaurants close to this trail or head for the gastronomic hotspot of Leith.

This 12-mile stretch of walkway winds serenely through the Scottish capital from Balerno right to the port of Leith with plenty to amuse along the way. Easily accessed from the leafy shaded pathways are ancient watermills, spectacular bridges and rusting railway tracks.
Keep your eyes open too for the knee-deep statues throughout the shallows and dotted on the banks. These six life-sized figures, known as '6 Times', were created by artist Anthony Gormley, and can be found positioned between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the sea. Commissioned by the National Galleries of Scotland, they gauge the height of the river as it rises and falls.

But the Water of Leith isn't all about man-made attractions - it also boasts an abundance of natural highlights from the stunning landscapes of green fields, wild woodland and rocky gorges to the distinctive wildlife, including herons, otters and pike.