Walking Edinburgh’s Lost Railways

By Robin Howie and John McGregor

Hidden within Edinburgh’s modern landscape lies the ghost of a railway network that once fuelled the growth of Scotland’s capital. In Walking Edinburgh’s Lost Railways, Robin Howie and John McGregor uncover this forgotten world, guiding readers along the routes of former railway lines that have been transformed into some of the city’s most attractive walking and cycling trails.

Combining railway history, industrial archaeology and urban exploration, the book traces more than 40 miles of disused railway trackbeds that once formed a vital part of Edinburgh’s transport system. Today, these abandoned routes provide peaceful green corridors through the city, offering a unique perspective on Edinburgh’s past and present. Along the way, readers discover hidden bridges, tunnels, cuttings, embankments, viaducts and disused stations—surviving reminders of an era when railways shaped the city’s expansion and connected its communities.

The book explores the remarkable story of how many of these routes were preserved and repurposed through Lothian Regional Council’s pioneering redevelopment programme during the 1980s. By converting former railway corridors into accessible paths for walkers and cyclists, the scheme safeguarded an important part of Edinburgh’s industrial heritage while creating valuable recreational spaces for future generations. It also reflects on routes that were lost to post-war redevelopment, particularly in areas such as Leith, and considers how these changes altered the city’s urban fabric.

Featuring 14 interconnected walks beginning at Waverley Station in the heart of Edinburgh, the book offers a fascinating journey through two centuries of railway development, urban growth and community transformation. Richly researched and engagingly written, Walking Edinburgh’s Lost Railways reveals how the legacy of the railway age continues to shape the capital today.

Perfect for walkers, cyclists, railway enthusiasts and anyone interested in Edinburgh’s history, this unique guide brings Scotland’s lost railways vividly back to life.