Treks and the city; Enjoying Scotland's landscape without heading

Water of Leith walkway Where: Edinburgh What: Water of Leith Walkway Level: Easy/intermediate Distance: River is 21 miles from source in the Pentlands; official pathway is 12 miles from Balerno to Leith; popular section from Roseburn to Stockbridge is 2.5 miles Time: 45mins-1.5 hrs Start: Balerno Finish: Leith Contact: www.waterofleith.edin.org, www.ramblers.org.uk/info/urbanwalks Most urban dwellers are familiar with urban walking. That's the activity also known as shopping, right? Well, possibly, yes. And, sure, if someone remarks that, "My favourite urban walk traverses Sauchiehall Street before swinging on to Buchanan Street," that's fine, but there are more interesting options, believe me.

The point is not that these walks are in the heart of the city. Rather, it helps if you are oblivious to the roads, the cars, the shops, the noise, and the filth, and transported from all that is undesirable about the city, but without the tedious and tiresome car journey into the country.

Scotland is blessed with some great urban walks. With regeneration efforts concentrating on 'green' areas, which usually, of course, happen to be in close proximity to rivers, parks and disused railway lines, many long-established and long-forgotten walks are being spruced up. And, with that, accessibility is invariably improved along the way.

Take, for example, the Water of Leith, which over recent years, and very much like the port where it ends and which lends the river its name, has been transformed.

From its source in the Pentland Hills, the river, 21 miles long and as narrow as a burn in places, cuts through the heart of Edinburgh, via the villages of Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green and Colinton, through the suburbs, into the New Town, running through Dean Village, Stockbridge and Warriston, before joining the Forth in Leith.

In October last year, work was completed on the final section of the walkway at Bonnington, where a relatively hidden little stretch backs on to an industrial estate. It is an area now teeming with wildlife - kingfishers, badgers and otters have all been spotted - and yet, like other parts of the river, it sits quite happily beside 21st century industry.

According to Helen Sadler, manager of the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, the river is a tremendous asset, but still a bit hidden, in comparison to some of the famous rivers in other major cities.

A breakthrough was made when the path connecting Lanark Road and Gorgie Road opened. In turn, that opened up the Water of Leith Walkway.

But it will take more, suggests Sadler, for the Water of Leith to enjoy the status of other major city rivers.

Perhaps it is because the river has never been a site for industry in the same way as the others - at least as far as the public is concerned. Sadler begs to differ. "The Water of Leith was one of Edinburgh's major industrial heartlands," she points out. "In the 12 miles between Balerno and Leith, there were at one time 70 mill sites. That's an incredible level of industrial activity.

"You can see its heritage most obviously in Dean Village, which was once considered one of the grottiest industrial areas of Edinburgh, but which is now one of the most desirable.

"There are a lot of historical features and it's a social journey. A little further along from Dean Village there's St Bernard's Well, a monument that always intrigues walkers. Hundreds of years ago a fresh water spring was discovered, and the Victorians capitalised on this.

"The statue is of Hygeia, the Goddess of Health, and it was built in 1789," says Sadler. "Inside it's fantastic. We're now landscaping it and putting in a ramp for wheelchair access."

For walkers, the Water of Leith offers more than a taste of the countryside. But it's also a gateway, ending (or beginning) as it does in the foothills of the Pentlands.

The walkway is popular among walkers and commuters, including cyclists. It links with four long-distance cycle routes (the North Edinburgh Cycle Route, the Union Canal, Route 75 of the National Cycle Network and the old railwaytrack, which intersects at various points), and Sadler is happy to promote the Water of Leith in its efforts to become Edinburgh's major artery.

Another group to which it appeals is walking groups, particularly the section from Dean Village to Stockbridge. Wheelchair access is a an issue of prime concern to the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, as are healthy living initiatives.

Sadler swithers when asked to nominate her own favourite section.

"Along the way the character changes so much," she notes. "You have deep wooden glens where you could be anywhere. I love Colinton Dell, on the section between Lanark Road and Colinton Village. There are beautiful wild flowers and it's jam-packed with wildlife and that's the kingfishers' favourite part.

"I also love Dean Village, because of its rich history, but the area between there and Roseburn, beneath the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is remarkable. You're in the middle of a capital city but all you can hear is the river running and birds singing."

The Clyde & Kelvin Allander Walkway Where: Glasgow Level: Intermediate Distance: 40 miles Time: Varies Start: Tall Ship Finish: Falls of Clyde at New Lanark

CONSIDERABLE work has transformed the paths that follow the Clyde from New Lanark to the city centre. The nine-mile Kelvin-Allander Walkway, through Kelvingrove Park and Maryhill, leads to the West Highland Way at Milngavie.

Contact: Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board, tel: 0141 204 4400 Old Deeside Railway Where: Aberdeen Level: Easy/ Intermediate Distance: 6 miles Time: 21/2 - 4 hours Start: Duthie Park Finish: Petercutler From Duthie Park near the centre of Aberdeen, the Old Deeside Railway extends far into the countryside, but a popular section takes the walker through the fringes of the city to the suburb of Peterculter. The path is secluded, well made and it runs alongside the River Dee in places, while dipping into woodland too.

Contact: www.agtb.org Falkirk Wheel Where: Falkirk Level: Easy/ Intermediate Distance: 3 miles Time: 1-11/2 Hours Start: Falkirk High Station Finish: Falkirk Wheel Directing an urban walk to what is widely regarded as an exceptional feat of modern engineering, not to mention a fascinating piece of public art, is proving a popular option for many, helped, too, by easy access by road and rail.

The Falkirk Wheel boatlift, the only rotating boatlift in the world, is sited in a natural open amphitheatre at Rough Castle, near Falkirk. Walking along the canal towpath from Falkirk High is an attractive option, and walkers can even continue to Polmont to re- join the Edinburgh-Glasgow train line.

But a warning for walkers: the Falkirk Wheel site closes at 6.30pm, when the Rough Castle Tunnel is locked off and the swingbridge is pulled in. The nearest crossing, should you be stranded, is at the Union Inn in Camelon.

The Old Perth Trail Where: Perth Level: Easy Distance: 1.5 miles Time: 45 minutes Start: St John's Kirk, beside City Hall Finish: St John's Place Ancient though parts of Perth may be, much of the city is Victorian. The Old Perth Trail, which cuts through the city centre and along the banks of the River Tay, has no significant inclines, though there is the opportunity to veer off the beaten track at Queen's Bridge and head up Kinnoull Hill. It adds about a mile to the walk. Landmarks include Perth Museum and Art Gallery, the Fair Maid's House, Balhousie Castle and Moncrieffe Island.

Contact: Map is available from Perth Tourist Office, tel: 01738 450600, www.perthshire.co.uk Dundee Law Where: Dundee Level: Intermediate Distance: 1 mile Time: 1/2 - 1 hour Start: Dudhope Castle Finish: Viewpoint on summit of Dundee Law The extinct volcanic rock that is Dundee Law stands tall over Scotland's fourth largest city. On a clear day, the view can extend miles, north to the Grampian Mountains and south to the Southern Uplands. Apart from this very obvious landmark in the city, there are many more urban walks to choose from and Dundee boasts 59 parks providing 4,000 acres of parkland, more per head of population that anywhere else in the UK.

Contact: www.dundeecity.gov.uk/outdooractivities

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