walkhighlands

Valley of a thousand dogs

Date walked: 14/05/2023

Time taken: 2.5 hours

Distance: 7.5km

If you take the water of Leith walkway on a weekend, you feel very underdressed without one or preferably more dogs in tow :lol: hence my nickname :lol: I make this trip at least once a week, returning via Torphin, Torduff, Bonaly or Dreghorn, and to pass the time I count the number of dogs I encounter - 47 is the record so far. :lol: (edit Dec 23 55)
The Water of Leith Trust was formed in 1988 to clear up what I think was a tip, and to maintain it thereafter, and a great job they do too. :D
The water of Leith Walkway starts from the canal and continues to Balerno and on to Kirk Newton, and basically follows an old railway line: it is currently being resurfaced with a rubbery compound which is very pleasant to walk on - much nicer than tarmac.
At this time in May with the trees coming into leaf giving a mass of different shades of green, a host of wild flowers and a pervading smell of the ubiqitous wild garlic it is particularly entrancing.
I have put together a number of pictures mostly in upstream order : I feel they probably don't really do justice to the scenery - but here they are:-
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At the start where the valley is wider, the Walkway is someway from the river, but there are numerous paths that lead down to it .
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And a number of "meadow" areas. One of the large trees here had a notice saying " I eat carbon dioxide for breakfast" which I rather liked :wink: - but it has now been removed :(
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This footbridge has been out of action for some ime, but is now being renovated
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The road bridge by Colinton Church: the "famous" artwork tunnel goes underneath.
Just beyond is the entrance to Spylaw Park, and from here to Currie the dell is much narrower and the walkway goes right beside the water - crossing it a number of times.,
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The Southern Bypass croses this high bridge
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A weir - just beyond is Juniper Green
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An underground inflow enters here - I suspect the stream at Bonaly which vanishes a short way below the car park
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Corn Marigold I think and Bluebells. I thought at first the former was a garden escapee - but I saw it at a number of places. These bluebells I don't think are "wild"
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Honesty - white and pink varieties
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Wild garlic and Horse chestnut blossom
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When I was a boy, woods like these would have been a mass of small songbirds at this time of year: chiffchaffs, willow warblers, blackcaps, whitethroats, flycatchers, tits, and finches . Alas no more :( :( There are magpies, woodpigeons and rooks. I saw a solitary grey wagtail flitting among the stones, and a heron - neither of which stayed to be photographed, but a dipper was darting around where the foortbridge crosses the stream leadingup to Woodhall road and Torphin
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dipper
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Red Campion, Carraway
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Cowslip Cowwheat of some variety I think
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At Currie the river turns away from the Walkway and you pass some houses
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After a few hundred metres I turned left up a path signposted "Pentland Hills", and climbed up beside a small tributary that originates in Poet's Glen. Steps lead up to the road which I followed for a hundred metres or so to the entrance to the glen on the L
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Hedgerow flowers - Speedwell and Crosswort
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The entrance to Poet's Glen: the path a couple of metres to the right is much nicer to walk on
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Stitchwort and Hawthorn blossom
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The pond in the glen from the bridge over the burn
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A fine clump of Marsh Marigolds
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The carpet of Bluebells here are definitely wild
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At the top of the glen I headed Left through the farmyard at Easter Kinleith and up the hill past a fine row of beech trees
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Beyond the gate, the hillside is a mass of gorse - as is the whole area around Torduff. The coconut smell is quite intoxicating
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A particularly fine bush
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Maybe my favourite tree - Currie behind
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past my sell by date


Activity: Mountaineer
Mountain: Weisshorn
Place: Torridon
Member: FRCC, John Muir Trust, Woodland Trust, Border Forest Trust
Camera: Lumix G6
Ideal day out: remote mountain where i'm unlikely to meet many people

Munros: 282
Tops: 110
Corbetts: 86
Fionas: 27
Donalds: 6
Wainwrights: 159
Hewitts: 146
Sub 2000: 8



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Statistics

2023

Trips: 2
Distance: 7.5 km

2022

Trips: 9
Distance: 82.6 km
Ascent: 3843m
Corbetts: 2
Sub2000s: 5

2021

Trips: 5
Distance: 50.8 km
Ascent: 3305m
Munros: 1
Corbetts: 1
Sub2000s: 2

2020

Trips: 9
Distance: 80.2 km
Ascent: 3536m
Munros: 1
Fionas: 2

2019

Trips: 10
Distance: 91.8 km
Ascent: 7166m
Munros: 2
Corbetts: 4

2018

Trips: 11
Distance: 39.3 km
Ascent: 2088m
Munros: 1
Corbetts: 2
Fionas: 1

2017

Trips: 13
Distance: 39.75 km
Ascent: 3366m
Munros: 1
Corbetts: 2

2016

Trips: 15
Distance: 210.95 km
Ascent: 11849m
Munros: 3
Corbetts: 8
Fionas: 5

2015

Trips: 21
Distance: 143.9 km
Ascent: 10590m
Munros: 1
Corbetts: 7
Fionas: 8
Donalds: 1

2014

Trips: 6
Distance: 80.6 km
Ascent: 5180m
Munros: 2
Corbetts: 6
Fionas: 1

2013

Trips: 5
Distance: 42.9 km
Ascent: 3887m
Munros: 3
Corbetts: 2
Fionas: 2

2012

Trips: 1

2011

Trips: 4
Distance: 32 km
Ascent: 2397m
Corbetts: 1

2010

Trips: 2

2009

Trips: 6

2008

Trips: 5

2007

Trips: 2

2006

Trips: 5
Ascent: 3900m

2005

Trips: 3

2004

Trips: 3

2003

Trips: 13
Distance: 107 km
Ascent: 2586m

2002

Trips: 11

2001

Trips: 8

2000

Trips: 8

1999

Trips: 4
Distance: 35.7 km
Ascent: 1768m
Munros: 2

1998

Trips: 1
Distance: 36 km
Ascent: 1760m
Munros: 4

1997

Trips: 2
Distance: 41.35 km
Ascent: 3622m
Munros: 7

1996

Trips: 1
Distance: 70 km
Ascent: 3700m
Munros: 8

1995

Trips: 2
Distance: 29 km
Ascent: 2548m
Munros: 3

1994

Trips: 3
Distance: 43.1 km
Ascent: 3739m
Munros: 7

1993

Trips: 2
Distance: 47.5 km
Ascent: 3050m
Munros: 4

1991

Trips: 1
Munros: 2

1990

Trips: 2
Distance: 16.5 km
Ascent: 1108m
Munros: 4

1989

Trips: 3
Distance: 48.5 km
Ascent: 3780m
Munros: 9

1986

Trips: 1
Munros: 2

1972

Trips: 1
Distance: 29 km
Ascent: 1230m
Munros: 1

1969

Trips: 1
Distance: 7.3 km
Ascent: 962m
Corbetts: 1

1967

Trips: 1

1966

Trips: 1

1960

Trips: 1
Munros: 3


Joined: Apr 24, 2013
Last visited: Mar 16, 2024
Total posts: 1064 | Search posts