Water of Leith

The Water of Leith is a river in Edinburgh that begins in the Pentland Hills and flows through the city centre before reaching the Firth of Forth at Leith. It travels past villages like Balerno and Colinton, passing old watermills and the Dean Bridge designed by Thomas Telford in the 19th century. The river’s deep gorge near Dean Village once powered mills and now forms a dramatic setting for the bridge. The river supports fifteen types of fish, including brown trout and occasional Atlantic salmon, though weirs limit their movement. Otters, roe deer and badgers are often seen along its banks, alongside birds like kingfishers and grey herons. The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, founded in 1988, works to protect the river and its wildlife while running educational programmes. A 20-kilometre walkway follows the river from Balerno to Leith, passing through woodlands and former railway tunnels. One tunnel in Colinton features a mural inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem. Near Slateford, the Union Canal crosses the river via the Slateford Aqueduct, close to the visitor centre run by the Trust.