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BRITAIN BENEATH · GUIDE · 8 OCTOBER 2026

Edinburgh’s Old Railways: Routes You Can Follow on Foot

Roseburn and Trinity reuse Edinburgh’s railway routes as public paths. Walks pass through old tunnels, while tram proposals raise questions about Roseburn’s future.

Based on published records and visitor information. We have not visited these places.

AI-generated illustration

AI-generated illustration. An old railway route used for walking and cycling. Imagined scene, not a real site view.

An imagined old railway route used for walking and cycling. It is not Roseburn or Trinity, or a view of their surfaces and access today.

AI-generated for Britain Beneath · 2026-09-27. Resized and converted to WebP for faster loading; no cropping.

The tracks went, the routes stayed

Walkers and cyclists use former railway routes through north and west Edinburgh. At Roseburn and Trinity, public paths follow lines once used by trains, including old bridges and tunnels.

The council’s core paths plan describes connections towards Newhaven, Granton, Pilton, Trinity and Roseburn. Its route records establish which stretches are public. They do not open all the railway land or buildings beside them.

Roseburn may change again. Council proposals consider using the corridor for trams while retaining routes for walking, wheelchair travel and cycling. For a walk today, use the existing path information rather than a drawing of proposed work.

Following Roseburn Path

Roseburn Path follows the former Caledonian railway. The council’s public route runs from Russell Road towards Telford Path at Muttonhole Gate. Access links include Balbirnie Place, Wester Coates Terrace and Ravelston Dykes.

Railway builders laid out a route through the city and built bridges where needed. Walking or cycling along Roseburn Path follows part of that course. The old railway route now connects places for people travelling on foot or by bike.

The council record identifies the public path. It is stronger evidence of access than the simple fact that trains have stopped. Land and structures beside the path do not all share its public use.

Trinity’s railway tunnel

Trinity Path runs south from Trinity Crescent under Lennox Row and East Trinity Road. The council’s May 2026 list confirms it as a public footway and cycleway.

Historic Environment Scotland records the nineteenth-century railway tunnel at East Trinity Road. The public path uses that passage, so walkers and cyclists can follow a section of the former railway underground.

The paths branch. You can choose one stretch rather than cover every line. Use council details to pick a start and finish. This guide does not give a measured circular walk or promise that all entrances have the same access.

A possible future for the route

Roseburn’s route is also part of a debate about extending Edinburgh’s trams. Council material describes one option using the path and another through Orchard Brae. It considers how walking, wheelchair travel and cycling could continue alongside trams.

Those are proposals, not completed work. Drawings of new bridges or path widths do not show the route you can use today.

Choose a stretch to walk

Use named public paths and signed entrances. Some access points have steps or ramps, even where the old rail route is fairly level. A flat line on a map does not promise a step-free way onto it.

Check local signs and works notices, especially if you need a specific entrance or tunnel. We have not inspected the lighting or surfaces. Share the paths with care.

Pick a signed entrance and a stretch you want to follow. Check access to that entrance as well as the path itself, especially if you need to avoid steps.

Sources and further reading

Council path records and tram proposals were checked on 26 September 2026. Tunnel details come from the downloaded Historic Environment Scotland index. We could not read the full Trove entry. We have not visited, measured a walk or checked step-free access throughout. The tram plans are proposals, not completed work. The 1 place records below give more information.

You can follow the links to read the original sources. Sources and permissions.

Places in this story

Underground

East Trinity Road railway tunnel

Near Edinburgh

Researched guide · September 2026

Visitor access offered