Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

The Innocent Railway is a disused railway which has been converted into a cycle path. It runs underneath part of Holyrood Park through a tunnel and then skirts Arthur’s Seat, Duddingston Loch, runs alongside the A1 to Milton link and then carries on for the beach at Musselburgh using Brunstane Road. The path is even and well kept, but the signs disappear once you are in sight of the water’s edge at Musselburgh.

The whole thing is about three miles – six miles there and back to the tunnel at Holyrood Park. However, you can’t follow the cycle path on Google Maps. Just trust the cycle signs until you have to pick a spot near the beach. The path takes you past a large ASDA and through some less-than-scenic council estates and within a stone’s throw of Niddrie. However, if you fancy taking a different route back, consider taking in the pretty little village of Duddingston with its old stone buildings and cute shops.

Cycle Tunnel: Innocent Railway, Edinburgh

When we went along this route it was windy, snowing, the brakes on the bike were too tight and we had decided to try running / cycling with each other after a long bout of recent running. Needless to say neither of us enjoyed cycling into the wind alongside cheeky little ten-year olds on BMX’s. However, this path will be perfect in summer for getting to the beach at the same time as getting fit. A prime picnic route for warmer months.

I’m too tight to buy a cycle path map, but it would have been really helpful. There are several Edinburgh cycle path maps available from Waterstones.