If you’re visiting Edinburgh, then you should absolutely take the time to visit the historic village of Colinton.
You may well already be aware of the “Colinton Tunnel”, but the historic milling village has so much more to offer – and the best people to show you are locals.
To most, Colinton is a little-known part of Edinburgh, but steals the heart of every visitor. The village is home to thousands of years of history, and, while now within the Edinburgh city limits, has retained its quaint and idyllic character.
It has not only retained its feeling as a village, with beautiful nature laiden walks along the Water of Leith and the Pentland Hills, but is home to several key historical monuments thateven most people in Edinburgh are not aware of.
Colinton is the inspiration for our small-batch botanical gin.
—
So, let us walk you through 1000 years of history in our sublimely beautiful home- Colinton. It’s remarkable, at every turn.
- Colinton & Craiglockheart Dell (featuring Colinton Castle)
- Colinton Tunnel.
- Spylaw Park & Galespie House
- Upper Spylaw Mill
- Colinton Parish Church & The Yew Tree
- Spylaw Street & Cuddies Lane Mural
- Colinton Village Centre.
- Tordruff Reservoir
- Bonally Reservoir
–
The Craiglockheart & Colinton Dell
We’re starting here because this is by far the most beautiful way to be welcomed into Colinton.
The Dell is a steep wooded gorge that runs roughly 2.5km between Craiglockheart and the Colinton Tunnel – historically, the wooded area was part of lands belonging to Craiglockheart Castle, and a hub for the 18th-century mill industry. Much of the mill infrastructure still gives the riverside walks a unique sense of character.
There is a network of walks in the dell, one passing the old Craiglockheart Grotto, and the other which follows the old train line back to the city centre; this path is now famous with cyclists and walkers of the city.
These days it is a conservation area of sublime beauty – with trees towering about you from all sides, historic monuments taken over by ivy and moss. Of all places, the Dell provides a sense of natural peace, while still being closely connected to the city centre by the Union Canal.
As a side note, there is access to the Merchiston Castle School on the far side of the Dell; on the grounds stood Colinton Castle, a 12th-century structure used as a Hunting Lodge of Mary Queen of Scots. The ruined castle, marked as COHINTON on a map produced in the 16th century, was later replaced by Colinton House in the 1900s.
Colinton Tunnel Mural
The Colinton Tunnel Mural, Scotland’s largest historical mural, has become a tourist magnet that draws hundreds of visitors from around Scotland, Europe and the USA.
The tunnel was completed in 2021 after a long campaign by the Colinton Tunnel to preserve a piece of Colinton’s history that had fallen into disrepair.
The original design – which runs the full length of the 140 metre tunnel – was designed by the wonderfully talented Chris Ruterford (a Colinton local), who took inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s (another famous visitor of Colinton) poem “From a Railway Carriage”. The final project was taken on by a whole village of artists, local community groups and over 600 young people from 5 local schools.
If you’d like a full outline of the history of the Colinton Tunnel, you can visit the official website here.
As you wander through the tunnel from its entrance in the Dell, you will come out the other side into Colinton, where the old railway station was situated. Continuing for 150m, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the river and village to your left, Gillespie Bridge (built in 1874) above your head, and Millstones to your right.
Spylaw Park
As you reach Gillespie Bridge, you can turn left, down spiral stairs, and past the site of an old mill – still piping water from above onto a brass-coloured lock where a millstone would have sat.
The brass lock is the inspiration for our logo.
Welcome to Spylaw Park!
It is thought that mills have been in this area since 1226, when Colinton was called Hailes. At one point in time, all Scots Porridge Oats were processed at the West Mills, a little upstream.
The house purchased in the middle of the park was built in 1650 – originally a mill and home to James Gillespie, the famous snuff merchant. It was later expanded in 1773 into the mansion you see today, before he died in 1797. Since it has changed from a hostel, to have been converted into flats.
Behind the house runs the Water of Leith from the West Mills. As you cross the bridge, you can turn right into the woodland river walk or head up the hill into Colinton Village.
Upper Spylaw Mill & Juniper Green Walkway
As a distraction, if you wish to continue walking along the water away from town, you will eventually find yourself at Juniper Green. This path can be followed all the way to Balerno (3.5 miles). It is a scenic and historic route, past old mills and with access to Harlaw Reservoir.
About a mile from Spylaw Park is the historic Upper Spylaw Mill, now converted to flats.
Upper Spylaw Mill, (adjacent to West Mill Road) is Scotland’s 4th oldest paper mill. First producing paper in 1682 and later snuff in 1765. The owner was William Reid, a great rival of James Gillespie. In April 1776, a report in the Edinburgh Advertiser recorded a raid by police, who found smugglers with green and Bohea tea from China, and Brandy!
As you reach the small metal bridge at the junction with stairs heading up to Juniper Green, you can loop back around and walk down West Mill Road, which returns to the Water of Leith walkway and Spylaw Park; the walk is magical from both sides of the river with ruins of old mills along the waterway. At the end of West Mill Road, you can see the historic West Mill Road cottages and the site of the old West Mill (12-14 West Mill Road).
Spylaw Street & Cuddies Lane
As you reach the top of the hill, you’re entering Colinton’s historic village centre.
As you step into the road, look left along Spylaw Street. This is one of the most famous postcard snaps from the area, particularly in Summer and Autumn. The trees frame an idyllic village scene that rivals that of Dean Village. To the left is also one of Colinton’s Pubs – The Spylaw – a very welcoming stop for a local tipple or bite to eat.
If you carry on straight ahead, you’ll see the Cuddies Lane mural – linked with the Colinton Tunnel – celebrating the community that thrived in this area for generations. The Mural was again designed by Chris Rutterford and commissioned by the Colinton Amenity Association (CAA).
The area- often called bridge-end – has been part of the original Colinton Village for at least 600 years, and commemorates the industrial heritage from the 19th century on the spot of the village’s blacksmith.
Colinton Parish Church (est 1095)
This is where the documented history of Colinton began. The area was undoubtedly occupied and used as a fording point for potentially thousands of years before the church, but evidence of that has been lost to time.
Now St Cuthbert’s Church, originally the parish of Hails, was founded by Ethelred, Earl of Fife, and the son of King Malcom III. The church was under the authority of Dunfermline Abbey – the historic seat of the Scottish Kings. Its presence is confirmed in history by a Papal Bull from Pope Gregory.
The church was rebuilt in 1248 and stood until 1544 when it was destroyed by the English invasion (famous called the “Rough Wooing” a part of a campaign to draw the Scottish gentry from Catholic French influence). The current church site was established in 1636 and rebuilt twice in 1771 and 1907 – later renovated in the 1990s (what we see today).
For fans of Scottish fiction, the church is most famous as the childhood playground of Robert Louis Stevenson. His grandfather, Dr. Lewis Balfour, served as the parish minister, and the “golden days” Stevenson spent at the Manse inspired much of his poetry – and later works.
Two of the most striking physical features on the grounds are the ancient Yew tree – RLS was said to have used as a swing – a massive sentinel likely 6 centuries old, and a haunting iron mortsafe.
This heavy iron casket-like cage is a grim reminder of the 19th-century “Resurrection Men,” designed to bolt down coffins and protect the recently deceased from Edinburgh’s notorious body snatchers – something Stevenson later took inspiration from.
Inside the church is a community cafe where you can enjoy a coffee in beautiful surroundings, but also wander around the area reading more about the characters that existed here hundreds of years ago.
Bonally to Tordruff Reservoir (Clubbiedean Cafe), the Bonally Reservoir & the Pentland Hills.
Colinton’s village charm doesn’t end there – it stretches out for miles and miles, up into the Pentland Hills. Accessible from Woodhall Road, Spylaw Park, and West Mill Road – head for Bonaly Road towards the Pentland Hills.
Bonally is a picturesque residential area first recorded in 1280 and takes you over the city bypass into the Pentland foothills. If you’re in Edinburgh for only a few days, you do not need to travel north to experience the jaw-dropping beauty of the Scottish Highlands – the Pentland Hills are less than an hour from the city centre.
Still within Colinton, there is a popular walk to the Clubbiedean Cafe and Clubbiedean Reservoir, past the Tordruf Reservoir. Here, you can grab a coffee and walk around the water – into the woods past the Clubbiedean Iron Age fort.
There are several routes around that offer spectacular views across the city, East Lothian, and the west of Scotland. Here you can see how small Scotland is!
It’s best to plan your route here, or stay in Colinton for a few days, so that you can explore all the paths in this area.
Visiting Colinton
If this is the first time you’ve heard of Colinton, you should visit! It is stunning, picturesque and quaint in a way that very few places in Edinburgh are.
Even better, if you like gin, you should follow us and explore what we have on offer.