Walking Edinburgh’s Lost Railways

Within the City of Edinburgh, thereare many miles of "dismantled railway" that have been transformed into smooth,gently-graded, tarmac routes, ideal for pedestrians of all ages (especiallyyoung families), for cyclists and for joggers. The railway engineers, whobalanced excavation and infill, have left a legacy of cuttings and embankmentswhich are generally unobtrusive and often surprisingly tucked away from today'scity life. In 1981 Lothian Regional Councilacquired various disused lines and other railway land, making possible thecreation of cycleways-cum-footpaths.The programme began in 1983 and hasflourished ever since. More might have been achieved had the line closures ofthe 1960s been accompanied by comprehensive plans for re-utilisation, which themood of the times did not favour. There was instead piecemeal redevelopment fordomestic housing, commerce and industry.Although a more enlightened policysubsequently prevailed, these results are not easily undone. Nevertheless, the maze of track bedshas very largely been preserved covering a total of some 40 miles - in part theproduct of inter-company rivalry and duplicated provision. Thirteen walks aredescribed and, although each stands alone, tackling them in sequence openswindows on two centuries of urban expansion which has subsumed once-independentcommunities, all with their own histories.The first walks described begin atWaverley Station in the city centre. Where track beds have been lost - especiallythrough parts of old Leith - exploratory detours are detailed. The authorstherefore advise that more time is allowed than the distances cited maysuggest!