Leimus one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Straightforward route from Leith to Musselburgh, using mainly roads and promenade.

The start, from Leith, passes a few shops, but away from the town centre, the route is along a fairly unattractive industrial area around the docks. It is not until we are up an over the railway bridge, and where we access the prom, does it get a pleasant walk. A wide concrete track, right up against the Firth of Forth. It's a varied riverfront, with the odd shop, pub, industrial and residential use.

Eventually, at the end of the prom in Joppa, we join the main road, following it through Fisherrow. We cross the Esk using the old bridge (stepped), before ending at the new crossing at Bridge Street.

A good walk, but in places not the most picturesque, and in places not for wheelchair users.

Review of SlowWays Route Leimus one (Leith to Musselburgh)
I reviewed this route on a sunny Sunday afternoon in August 2022. The first part of the route is along a busy road but the pavements are wide and safe (It is to be hoped that new paths will become available in this area as it is developed for waterfront housing). There are some narrower sections a little further on which are fine for walkers and cyclists but would present a challenge for buggies and wheelchairs. The middle section uses the broad promenade along Portobello beach. The final section uses pavements as it makes its way through Fisherrow and into Musselburgh. The route finishes by crossing the River Esk via the footbridge at the end of Market Street. As pointed out by another reviewer, using the footbridge requires negotiating steep stone steps. However it is an easy diversion to Bridge Street to cross there on a level path. All in all, a pleasant route with minimal challenges.

I agree with the other reviwers and will upload an alternative route largely avoiding the busy roads. The Beach House cafe on Portobello promenade is recommended for coffee and cakes. Adventurous walkers who do not mind scrambling over boulders can walk all the way from Seafield to Musselburgh by the shore (at low tide - check the tide tables!).

A straightforward route from Leith to Musselburgh which affords an opportunity to walk along the beach if you're able and get the tide.

The Leith end of this walk has you walking through an old industrial part of Leith with scrap yards and car lots. It's a fast road and not exactly pleasant, but the pavement is decent, and the crossings all have signals for pedestrians.

Once passed Seafield treatment works, you can cut down onto the beach if you're able to and walk along the shore until reaching Portobello. If not, the pavement cuts onto the East end of the prom relatively soon. The prom surface is mostly in good condition and should be usable by those on foot or moving by wheelchair. As you get further into Porty, the prom gets busier, with many cafes to stop at if you desire.

I walked this in the Musselburgh to Leith direction. It is a good route between Musselburgh and the end of the off-road section at the edge of Leith. I’d definitely recommend it that far but unpleasant going into town on the main road from there. It is perfectly safe on the wide footway - hence fine as a route overall - but trafficky, noisy and pumping out horrible lungfuls of diesel fumes. I did not enjoy this bit.

I am not local but did a bit of exploring and there looks to be a decent off-road alternative on paths and cycle paths into and out of Leith. For a start (coming from the Musselburgh end) there appears to be a footpath between w3w tooth.with.cubes and yours.waddled.margin on the far side of the disused railway track, and then you could use Seafield Street to pick up the cycle path (either by the ageing wooden steps at w3w busy.doctor.money, or a slightly more roundabout step-free route to the south) that goes by Seafield Cemetery and on through Claremont Park, arriving into Leith via Queen Charlotte Street (though it is currently a little hampered by the tram-building works). I am not going to upload another route because someone who lives here is best placed to do this but this is a suggested alternative.

This is a direct, flat route with the mid section going along the seafront at Portobello, although the Leith end involves walking alongside a busy main road through a partly industrial area (generally safe with a decent pavement but less pleasant). For ‘wheelers’, be aware the Musselburgh end of the route goes over the Old Bridge with steep steps at either side - a slight adjustment to go over the New Bridge and along Bridge Street (rather than Market Street) would avoid this.

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