15.5km Meadows to Blackford Edinburgh Cycle

This route takes you from the beautiful Meadows, through the historic Hermitage of Braid and Braidburn, and back to the Meadows. The route follows mostly well-paved paths and National Cycle Route 75. You can find parking nearby using this website and app. You can hire a bicycle from Cycle Scotland,Tartan Bike Hire, or Leith Cycle Co. You can also find parking with Parkopedia if you have your own bike. You can find out more about taking your bike on public transport here.

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Our route starts in the Meadows.

The Meadows is a popular hangout spot for university students and those looking to take a break from the city. The Meadows are particularly stunning in the spring, when the blossoms are in full bloom. You will also find some interesting sculptural pieces, like the Prince Albert Sundial. Eight of the eleven stones are from different quarries and vary in colour. The crown of the Prince, the Marquis of Lothian’s arms, the Lord Provost’s cypher, the city’s and the Scottish armies’ shields, and the proverb “Tak tent o’ time, ere time be tint” are all displayed atop the pillar. At the west end of Melville Drive stands a similar structure.

At the top is a unicorn with shields representing the Arms of Scotland, England, and Ireland, the Scottish Burghs’ coats of arms, and the Edinburgh masons’ crest. On the edge of The Meadows, near the Pavilion Cafe, is a fountain dedicated to Helen Acquroff, a blind musician and singer whose fame rose in the late 1800s when she filled the city’s theatres and concert halls. Her special touch for each performance was to write a poem or two about the guest of honour or dignitary in attendance and, to everyone’s surprise, perform her special rendition at the end of the evening.

Leaving the Meadows, exit onto Argyle Place, turn left onto Hatton Place, then right onto Lauder Road. After 900 metres, turn left onto St. Alban’s Road.

Turn right onto Mayfield Road.

After 1.5km, keep a slight right on Liberton Road, then right onto Blackford Glen Road. Continue straight, following the path that also follows the Braid Burn stream to reach the Hermitage of Braid.

The first recorded owner of the area of the Hermitage of Braid was the son of a Belgian knight in the 12th century. The area has had numerous owners over the centuries, and the house you see today was built in 1788 and designed by Robert Burn. Since 1937, when the Hermitage was presented as a public park, it has been used by the Scouts, and today, rangers who manage the countryside are based here.

In 1840, it was declared that the area was once a glacial environment; you might be able to see the grooves on the big rocks in Blackford Quarry caused by these glaciers, which led to this conclusion. Therefore, the area was given special attention for geological study. The house is open to the public and shows the area’s history, which is now a nature reserve too.

Once you pass the Hermitage of Braid House, after about 650 metres, turn right onto Braid Road and left onto Braidburn Terrace. At the intersection, continue over onto Greenbank Crescent. After 25 metres, turn left onto the pathway that goes through Braidburn Valley Park. Follow the path that runs along the Braid Burn stream.

Braidburn Valley Park has been awarded Green Flag status since 2007, which is a testament to the quality of the grounds. To commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, 5000 Girl Guides planted cherry trees in a trefoil shape, with some cherry trees being replanted in 2008 by a few of the original girl guides together with the current ones.

The end of the path will lead you to the main road, where you should turn left on Greenbank Crescent. Just off the right is a pathway that takes you back to the Braid Burn stream. Follow this path until you reach the main road. Turn right into Furhill Crescent, then immediately left onto a pathway along the gate. The pathway becomes a ramp onto the main road, Oxgangs North. Cross the road onto another cycling pathway that follows Braid Burn onto another main road. Turn right onto Colinton Mains Drive.

When you reach the first roundabout, take the second exit to stay on Colinton Mains Drive. Colinton Mains Drive becomes Oxgangs Road North until you reach another roundabout. Take the second exit again to go onto Colinton Road. Take the next street left onto Craiglockhart Road and follow the curve to the right, which becomes Craiglockhart Road North.

After about 1.1km, turn left onto Craiglockhart Gardens. After 350 metres, turn right onto Craiglockhart Avenue. Just after the road curves to the left, turn right to continue under the aqueduct. Turn right at the next road onto National Cycle Route 75 or Allan Park Road. Follow the curve of the road. At the end, where the road splits, continue onto the pathway towards the bridge. Just before the bridge, turn left to ride along the canal, passing the Union Canal Milestone.

The Union Canal was an idea to connect Edinburgh to Falkirk and Glasgow initially proposed in 1793, and it was finally realised in 1823 with the official opening of the Union Canal. It used viaducts and tunnels to cover 50km without locks and could handle boats up to 21 metres long. However, the canal reached its demise with the development of railroads in 1842; commercial traffic ceased in 1933, and it was officially closed in 1965.

British Waterways launched a major restoration proposal in 1994 to reopen the Union and Clyde Canals, which link Scotland’s east and west coastlines. Every half-mile along the canal, there were mile markers or milestones that indicated the distance from Edinburgh on the east face and from Falkirk on the west face.

Continue straight along this pathway for roughly 2.5km and go under six bridges. When you reach Leamington Bridge, turn right to cross over the bridge, then left at Rope Walk. Follow the curve of the road to the right onto Lower Gilmore Place. At the end of the road, turn left onto Gilmore Place, right onto Leven Street, then left onto Valley Field Street to end at the Meadows.

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Resources:

If you enjoyed this route, see our 15km Calton Hill and Holyrood Park Cycle Route.

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Download the GPX File.

Information from various sources including wikipedia.org