John Muir Way: Section 7

South Queensferry to Edinburgh


How to get there

I decided to take public transport to South Queensferry for this next section of the John Muir Way. From Glasgow I took the train to Haymarket then another one back out to South Queensferry. 

The Route

The path makes it way along the front of the town passing under the iconic rail bridge. It's stays close to the shore as it ducks into the woods at the fishery cottage. The trail can be a little mucky underfoot as you catch glimpses of the river Forth. There are also some nice sandy beaches along this stretch of the route. The woodlands open up at Dalmeny House, another one of these large stately homes the JMW has been showing me on my last two outings. At this point the track diverts towards the water and then along the front before ducking back into the woods. When I reappeared it was at eagle rock, near Crammond.

Small beach areas

Dalmey House

Eagle Rock


The track then takes you out of the forest, away from the Forth and between fields of barley, slightly flattened by the wind and under the flight path of Edinburgh airport. At the end of this section the route starts to resemble a city walk. The path then takes you over the river Almond and up through very nice and expensive housing, past the Royal High School. From there there is a brief walk around Davidson's Mains Park before the walk takes you past the obligatory housing estate to the hike up Costorphine hill. 
Fields outside Edinburgh

River Almond

Davidson Mains Park

Corstorphine Tower
The brief walk to Corstorphine Tower, which is located at the top of the hill is worthwhile for a couple of reasons. Firstly there is a very nice garden area that is good to have a sit and rest before the start of the hill. Secondly, the heavily wooded area around the tower makes for a pleasant cool feel when walking the route on a warm day. 

 From the tower, the walk winds down next to the outskirts of Edinburgh Zoo and past Murrayfield rugby park.
Murrayfield Rugby Park
From here the path ended back up to the aquaduct and the obligatory canal walk that ended at Boroughmuir High school. This was slightly more interesting than the previous canal walks on the John Muir Way as there were people actually using the canal for canoeing. I then took a right up the hill and finished my day at the Meadows. 
Canal Walk

End of the canal walk





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