Edinburgh's Best Kept Secret: Water of Leith Walkway

The wonderful thing about Edinburgh is that it's a city you can never truly exhaust. Beyond the obvious attractions, it holds many surprises if you give it a chance. Always keep your eyes peeled for the discreet detours. And don't be afraid to jump down the rabbit-hole - you might just land up in your own little wonderland.



I went off to Dean Village last Friday, to make my long-awaited trip to the Modern Art gallery. Dean Village is roughly 20 minutes by foot from the City centre. Start from Princes Street, and head North-west; you'll segue nicely from the impenetrable mass of shoppers to rows of sweet, well-tended residences which sit snugly along Belford Road. It's a nice place by itself to stroll around.

The museum lies somewhere down Belford Road, but what's inside it is a subject for another time. As you cross the road to enter the museum grounds, you might notice a sign by the side of the road:

Head down the wooden flight of stairs which lead to the Water of Leith Walkway. I have a feeling you won't regret it.

You'll find yourself on a little pathway right next to the river. Trees on either side of the Water of Leith enclose you in a quiet, contemplative world where the only sounds are the footfalls of the occassional jogger - muffled by the soft, mossy ground - and of course, the whimisical bubbling of the water as it makes its way down the river bed. It's picturesque, enchanting and a wonderful place to just wander along and get away from it all.

I've since learnt that the walk way extends for quite a distance, and leads all the way to Leith. I only walked a smidgen of it on Friday, before making a detour to get back home before dark. If I could, I would definitely go back again and attempt to cover the entire length of the walkway!

So if ever you need some respite from city life (not that Edinburgh's stressful actually), head straight to the water. Just stand there and take all the time you need to soak it in. You'll be charmed.

Down the Closes

A random activity anyone can do in Edinburgh.


Place yourself anywhere along the Royal Mile.

Look around you.





Now look closer.







For some strange reason, I'm reminded of how J.K. Rowling described Harry Potter's first encounter of the Leaky Cauldron. 'Slide' is the word she used, and how appropriate it is. Your eyes are indeed tempted to slide between the loud and fancy storefronts, ignoring the non-descript pub in between. But it's there nevertheless - a quiet, unassuming portal to another world.

These narrow, little alleyways are leftovers of the Royal Mile's medieval past. They are literally everywhere on the Royal Mile, sandwiched in between various tartan and souvenier shops. They are generally overlooked by busy pedestrians and tourists headed for more photogenic sights at Edinburgh Castle or the Holyroodplace Palace. But they are there nevertheless, silent archways suspended in time. And every now and then, someone abruptly turns and vanishes into them.

In a bid to satisfy my curiousity, I decided to take a few turns myself down the closes on Monday afternoon. No close leads to the same place, but most of the ones I took transported me into tranquil courtyards and peaceful residential areas - all rather different worlds from the busy trunk street I had just exited.






I won't lie and promise that you'll find anything special or particularly exciting. But the point is not to go with expectations. Rather, relish the sense of the unknown as you roam down the winding and claustrophobic lanes. Realize with a start, that you're walking down roads taken by people 500 years ago and which are literally soaked in history. Ponder on some of the more enigmatic names you'll see - what exactly went on at Fleshmarket's Close? Did the world really seem to end at the World's End Close? Who was 'Dunbar' and why did he have a Close named after him?

Above all, just embrace the feeling of being happily lost. Suspend the need to follow any clear route, and abandon attempts to find yourself on a map - you'll probably search in vain anyway.

And if you're lucky, you just might find yourself somewhere special when you emerge into the light. If you're not, that's fine. You can still take a chance on the next lane which presents itself to you :)

Lost and Found in the New Town: An Afternoon in Pictures

Decided to take a walk on Monday afternoon around the New Town in Edinburgh. I didn't have any destination, but I thought I would try and pass the famed George Street. Well, famed for different reasons. It's named after an English monarch for one. It was also designed as the city's main thoroughfare till Princes Street claimed that position. But for most of my schoolmates, George Street is simply known for the posh clubs along the stretch.

And so it was at George Street that I began my rather modest walk in the heart of New Town.

The street itself is nothing exceptional, save for the monument to James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish physicist. Maxwell presides at the head of George's Street, and I've since learnt that this monument was only unveiled in November last year.

An interesting fact about Edinburgh is that you can't walk 50 steps without bumping into a statue of one of the city's many illustrous sons (sadly, haven't seen any daughters yet). A local mentioned this once, which I think is fairly true: you don't see relatively many statues commemorating great generals, founding fathers or political figures - ie: those in the big, grand equestrian mould! There are however, a prolific number of intellectual and cultural figures immortalized including Sir Walter Scott, John Knox, David Hume and Adam Smith. Make of this what you will.

Incidentally, if you look carefully at Maxwell's feet, you'll see his dog Toby as well! Apparently Maxwell was famed for talking to Toby about his scientific theories.



Ah. Whynot. An apt name for a place where the beautiful people go to drink, make merry and toss restraint out of the window. Why not indeed? One of the clubs I keep hearing about but have yet to check out.



Walking further, I entered St Andrews Square Garden and encountered this magnificent column. It is truly quite a sight, if only because of its immense height which makes it visible all the way from the head of George Street. It's a tribute to Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville who died some 200 years back. Check out the inscription at the base of the column.



The name might make you do a double-take. Yes, Robert Stevenson was the grandfather of the other more famous individual who shared his name - Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde fame!



Hung around at the Gardens for a while, snapping photos and people-watching. And then I was off to ...nowhere in particular. Along my journey, I transited at:



The nicely-paved Multrees Walks which is a boulevard of fashion. It has a quiet, genteel air about it unlike the animated buzz along Princes Street. Multrees is cool, trendy, and luxuriating in boutique outlets, counting Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton as permanent residents.



Don't be fooled by its non-descript and somewhat underwhelming appearance. The Stand, on York Street, is one of Scotland's premier stand-up comedy clubs. Have been meaning to go for ages. With tickets starting as low as 2 pounds ('Red Raw' beginners' nights), why not?


Whilst looking for Queen's Street, I accidently chanced upon this narrow sideroad which opened up into a small but charming little square, known as Findlay Court. It was sandwiched between two buildings, one of which I assumed to be a red-bricked church.

It was only after I exited the courtyard that I realized the 'church' was in fact the Scottish National Portrait Gallery! It has a really venerable and intricate facade, complete with gothic arches and fancy niches filled with sculptures. The inner foyer is just as lovely, affirming the resemblance to a lavish cathedral. The balustrades are adorned with this amazing fresco-like artwork, which depicts some kind of procession. The second-floor walls have painted murals on them, while the stairways contain lovely arched, stained-glass windows. The pictures below do no justice to the gallery at all!




Do you spy the unmistakeable likeness of Queen Victoria in the stained glass?

Gorgeous. Something else I love about the gallery is its colours - everything from the striking red sandstone facade, to the unusual but lovely pairing of warm, pinkish-rose walls and green (bordering on teal) carpeted floors. And the portrait collection itself is really quite fascinating. I never thought portraiture could be all that interesting, but I think I have changed my mind especially after browsing the more contemporary works on the 2nd floor. The My favourite work was titled Three Oncologists:

Strange, surreal. It's almost hypnotic. I love the play on light in this picture, and how it makes the figures look almost spectral. Do go visit the gallery if you can, but before April 2009. The gallery will be shut from then till 2011 as it undergoes renovation...though why they want to refurbish such an amazing building I do not know. Sigh.

And so that's how I accidently found myself on Queen Street, within the plush interior of one of the prettiest galleries I've ever encountered. Certainly a visit which was well worth the walk, even though I hadn't intended to stumble across it. But that lends the experience a spontaneous beauty itself I suppose.

The gallery marked a fitting endpoint to my rather long, rambly walk and now (since I'm tired), a close to this equally long, rambly post. Thanks for walking with me :)