HIt was a lovely morning as I packed my tent away and wheeled my
bike down to the sand and shingle by the Cramond Causeway. I had
plenty of time to catch my train so wasn’t in a hurry. The tide was
out when I started my short ride across the concrete causeway and I
wheeled by bike the last narrow bit as it was still very wet and
slimy.
Leaving Cramond Island
Coming in to land at Edinburgh Airport
Near the harbour
Back on the concrete promenade I stopped by the rubbish bin to leave
by bag of rubbish then set off east along the promenade. There was a
slight tail wind and I head a very pleasant ride looking out across
the Firth of Forth to my left. At the Harbour Road I made a short
detour along the roads on Granton Harbour then back to the Lower
Granton Road where I continued to the Old Chain Pier bar. It was
closed but I stopped for a few minutes. It is named after the pier
that used to stand here but I could see any evidence of its
existence.
Old Chain Pier Bar
From its opening in 1821 until the Granton Harbour opened in 1838,
the Chain Pier was the main point from which steamer services on the
Forth departed. Services continued after that, but at a reduced
level, until the 1850s. The Chain Pier was destroyed in a storm
on 17 October 1898.
Old Chain Pier 1898
Chain Pier
I soon reached Newhaven and the Port of Leith Harbour where I found
a route taking be along the west side of the harbour. I made a loop
round western Harbour Drive then returned to the main road and a
short detour to call at the Asda Store then on to the Ocean Terminal
to sit and have something to eat. I’d sopped briefly to photograph
the Royal Yacht Britannia which is moored in the harbour. It is
disappointing that the only viewpoint is a small aperture cut in the
metal mesh fence. I cycled round Ocean Drive and crossed Commercial
Street to head for the cycle track along the Water of Leith.
Royal Yacht (retired) Britannia
Rodney Street tunnel
Rodney Street Railway Tunnel
The track eventually joins the line of the old railway and enters
Rodney Street tunnel. Rodney Street tunnel was opened in 1847 and
closed in 1968. After work by Sustrans, City if Edinburgh Council
and the Scottish Government it was re-opened in 2009.
Rodney Street Tunnel in use.
Construction of the Scotland Street Tunnel began during the early
1840s and was officially opened on 17th May 1847. It was abandoned
in 1868 after only 21 years of operation. During the Second World
War the tunnel was utilised again as the Scotland Street Tunnel and
was seen as the perfect location to establish an emergency control
centre and bomb shelter in the event of an air raid attack. Bunkers
were installed with access to fresh water and featured drainage
systems and electric lighting. Up to 3,000 people could be protected
within the tunnel at any one time. Many building remains from its
time as Edinburgh’s “biggest and safest” air raid shelter are still
in evidence today.
Scotland Street Tunnel
On
the Scottish National Portrait Gallery building
Melvill
Monument in St Andrew's Square
Melville Monument - 1821 Robert Stevenson (1772-1850) finalised
the dimensions abd superintended the building of this 140ft high
1,500 ton, edifice utilising the world's first iron balace-crane
invented under his direction by Francis Watt in 1809-1810 for
erecting the Bell Rock lighthouse.
I emerged on to Scotland Street and a steep climb up and on to St
Andrews Square and the Melville Monument. I descended to Princess
Street and then to East Princess Street Gardens to read and while
the time away to my train for Preston. This time I’ve pre-booked on
the Virgin train.
The Virgin service about to leave Waverley for Preston and beyond
Return to
Whittle Wanderer
