Edinburgh has a complicated relationship with cycling. The city is hilly – no pretending otherwise – and the centre can be intimidating for nervous riders. But there’s a decent and expanding network of routes, some of it genuinely excellent, and the city’s compact size means cycling is often the fastest option for short cross-city trips.
Water of Leith Walkway
The crown jewel of Edinburgh cycling. The Water of Leith Walkway is a 12-mile shared-use path following the Water of Leith river from Balerno in the south-west right through to Leith at the coast. You can pick it up at multiple points – Dean Village is five minutes’ walk from the West End, and from there the path heads west through Stockbridge, Roseburn and out to Colinton. In the other direction from Dean Village it’s a short ride to the Colonies and down to the Shore.
The path is almost entirely traffic-free, mostly surfaced, and passes through some of Edinburgh’s loveliest urban green spaces. It’s genuinely picturesque in all seasons – the gorge section at Dean Village especially. Shared with walkers and joggers, so be considerate with speed.
Innocent Railway Path
Another converted railway line, this one running from the Meadows (just south of the Old Town) eastwards to Duddingston and out towards Musselburgh. It’s completely traffic-free, well-surfaced, and passes through the dramatic rock cutting at St Leonard’s. The path connects with the Musselburgh cycleway out along the coast. It’s called the Innocent Railway because the original horse-drawn line was reputedly so gentle that no one was ever hurt on it. The traffic-free section is a proper urban cycling asset.
Portobello Seafront
The promenade at Portobello is an easy, flat ride along Edinburgh’s stretch of the Firth of Forth coast. Park anywhere in the residential streets behind and cycle the prom – it’s a mile of traffic-free seafront, busy with families and dog-walkers on weekends. Good ice cream from the seafront cafés. The route continues east to Musselburgh along the coast path. Great for a low-effort morning ride.
On-Road Routes
Edinburgh’s council has invested in segregated lanes on several main routes – Leith Walk now has a proper two-way protected lane, as does George Street in the New Town. The A702 corridor southbound has decent provision. The Roseburn Path (shared-use, off-road) connects Roseburn to Balgreen Road and the western suburbs.
The National Cycle Network Route 1 passes through Edinburgh on its way up the east coast; the Forth Cycle Way (Route 76) heads west towards the Forth bridges and connects to Fife cycling routes on the other side.
Bike Hire
Just Eat Cycles is Edinburgh’s docked cycle hire scheme, with docking stations across the city centre, Leith and some suburban areas. Hire via the app. Standard pedal bikes and e-bikes in the fleet. Day passes are available. The e-bikes make the hills much less of an issue and are genuinely useful for longer trips across the city. Cycle hire shops including Biketrax in Tollcross offer full-day hire for visitors wanting a proper day out on the trails.
The Hills – Honestly
Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill, the Castle Hill, Corstorphine Hill – Edinburgh sits on and around several volcanic hills and they are real hills. The Old Town is built on a ridge. The city rewards e-bikes and fit riders. That said, the valleys (Water of Leith, Braid Burn) are all navigable on any bike, and most of the best cycling routes use these lower corridors. Don’t be put off – just know what you’re getting into before you try to cycle up the Royal Mile.
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