Wherever I go I try
to work walks into my plans. If I have a meeting or I'm running a
workshop or I'm delivering a painting or I'm visiting a friend, I
look at the Ordnance Survey to see what green spaces I can find.
Nature spots are everywhere and it's so satisfying discovering them,
so much nicer walking through and along them than rather than
sticking to the most obvious main-road routes.
Each month through
autumn, winter, spring, the RSPB Edinburgh Local Group puts on an
evening talk at Napier University's Craiglockhart campus, two and a
half miles from Haymarket station. From Haymarket I could get the
bus, taking half an hour, costing £1.60. Not bad but I prefer to
leave home at least an hour earlier and walk from the station
instead. I've gradually honed my walking route to maximise nature and
minimise road, I use canal and residential streets and nature reserve
with woodland, hill, pond. A really interesting varied walk.
The Route:
- exit Haymarket
station
- walk briefly along
Dalry Road
- up Dalry Place
(Where I lived my first two years. Admire the gardens of the colony
houses.)
- turn right along
Morrison Crescent, cross the busy Western Approach Road (there's a
crossing.)
- cross
Fountainbridge and walk up Gilmore Park (where the new Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop will be)
- turn right onto
Union Canal at Leamington Lift Bridge, keep on the towpath for more
than a mile
- exit canal where
North Meggetland Road crosses the canal by bridge
- turn right onto
Colinton Road
- turn left onto
Lockharton Gardens which soon becomes Lockharton Crescent
- on your left pass
through a small gate into the trees. This is Craiglockhart Woods and Hill, a Local Nature Reserve (LNR)
Craiglockhart Woods
and Hill, Local Nature Reserve
As you enter the
woods turn right and follow paths through the trees. Soon you come to
a small patch of marsh and then Craiglockhart pond. Look on the pond
for swan, moorhen, coot, mallard, tufted duck and - when I did the
walk the other week - a water rail padding silently through the
reeds. This was 21st February, a pair of swans were already a good way through building a nest. A third, younger, swan seemed almost to be helping them.
 |
| nest building on Craiglockhart pond |
 |
| Spot the water rail. Well, just about. Water rail tail anyway. Just about. |
From the pond make
your own explorations, there are various footpaths to follow. I
usually take a steep path up to a high point looking over city to the
west and golf course to the east. I spend some time sitting and
watching up there then follow a path downhill towards the university.
From my high point further footpaths will take you all the way up and
around Easter Craiglockhart Hill, if you wish.
To get to Napier
Craiglockhart campus follow the pond-level footpath south until it
emerges onto Glenlockhart Road. Ahead you'll see the uni and its
spaceship lecture theatre. Alternatively continue your walk by taking
the footpath/track immediately east of the uni buildings. This leads
up onto more golf course from where you can explore Wester
Craiglockhart Hill. Jackdaws nest on the cliffs under
landslip-prevention wire and further along there are lots of wild
raspberries in summer.
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Come to my Edinburgh talk - 20th March 2018, Craiglockhart campus, Napier Uni
RSPB Edinburgh Local Group puts on lots of talks and walks. Details by clicking here.
My talk:
Title: Landscapes & Birds of Scotland - An Artist's View
Time: arrive 7pm - 7.30pm, talk starts at 7.30 pm
Price: members £2, non-members £3, under 16s free (includes refreshments)
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How to get there
Haymarket is the station immediately before Waverley as your train arrives into Edinburgh.
Haymarket is the station immediately before Waverley as your train arrives into Edinburgh.
Timetables and 'Buy Tickets' options on ScotRail website.
Many thanks to ScotRail for enabling my Scotland by Rail work.
Many thanks to ScotRail for enabling my Scotland by Rail work.
