http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Missed opportunity - Slateford to Harrison Park en Tue, 19 May 2026 14:23:23 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-249097 Fri, 05 May 2017 17:56:43 +0000 Klaxon 249097@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Despite ending in a dead end the west end path will be significantly more appealing as a local green corridor now that <em>most</em> Network Rail staff and vehicles have moved to South Gyle Crescent. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-249095 Fri, 05 May 2017 17:45:45 +0000 lorlane 249095@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think quite a few of the adjacent flower colonies residents have installed a garden gate to allow access onto the west/tarmac path and it can be busy with kids playing, dog walkers and bramble pickers. There is also a bit of "guerrilla gardening" going on at a few spots.</p> <p>The east side is no longer the "muddy path." Part of this was, as far as I'm aware, due to the developers of the new student flats having an obligation to resurface and provide a link onto the path (so you can exit onto slateford road approximately half way along). They did the bare minimum though.</p> <p>GC also led a group who cleared up the whole path who did a grand job. It looks lovely now and is actually quite a nice walk/cycle route and fairly quiet. Changed days! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248870 Fri, 05 May 2017 09:39:44 +0000 piosad 248870@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes it's [the path, no clue about the Slateford end] quite well used by local kids and others. The eastern half has, as SRD says, been notably cleaned up thanks to Corbett-led volunteers. Notably there is, IIRC, a gate for access from the flower colonies that lots of people use for the Craiglockhart school run. Some kind of access from Shandon Place would be nice... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248840 Thu, 04 May 2017 22:54:31 +0000 chdot 248840@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Looks like it isn't of any practical use at the moment"</p> <p>I assume it's still there, and in daily use by people allowed to be there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248837 Thu, 04 May 2017 22:42:53 +0000 chrisfl 248837@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>ahh there - I will investigate and see if I can add it to OSM. Looks like it isn't of any practical use at the moment. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248835 Thu, 04 May 2017 22:39:51 +0000 Fountainbridge 248835@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There's another thread somewhere discussing the path. Think it was in reference to the new Lidls being built at the old texas / Matalan place on slateford road. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248832 Thu, 04 May 2017 22:23:32 +0000 Snowy 248832@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@chrisfl It's on the google maps satellite view <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.9280857,-3.2385307,150m/data=!3m1!1e3">here</a>. </p> <p>Whether it still exists in reality is another question. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248821 Thu, 04 May 2017 21:45:46 +0000 chrisfl 248821@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@chdot "OSM hasn't mapped the footbridge at the Slateford end (as seen on aerial views) - I assume it does still exist."</p> <p>Where?</p> <p>@nedd1e_h very true. One of my colleagues has stories from when he was growing up, using the pipes crossing the railway lines as a shortcut to Meggetland, rather than walking around. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248819 Thu, 04 May 2017 21:37:26 +0000 neddie 248819@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A foot/cycle bridge and some fencing is mere chicken feed compared to the M8 link and it would create a useful bypass to the canal towpath. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248818 Thu, 04 May 2017 21:32:48 +0000 Klaxon 248818@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anything through the 'railway triangle' is entirely at the whim of the landowner (Network Rail) and will require a lot of fencing work as the triangle boundary currently acts to secure the yards within. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248817 Thu, 04 May 2017 21:30:45 +0000 neddie 248817@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a feeling the council had marked the western end of that path for a future path to either Meggetland or Slateford Rd (a new foot/cycle bridge would be required).</p> <p>But I couldn't see anything about it on the council map:</p> <p><a href="http://edinburghcouncilmaps.info/LocalViewExt/Sites/Atlas/?x=324330.858408655&amp;y=669137.1851175125&amp;sr=27700&amp;lod=1&amp;scale=96000&amp;width=30403.86080772162&amp;layers=layer1:143,144,145&amp;bmid=a78cd0de-6238-4f60-8de2-fca4e41204f9" rel="nofollow">http://edinburghcouncilmaps.info/LocalViewExt/Sites/Atlas/?x=324330.858408655&amp;y=669137.1851175125&amp;sr=27700&amp;lod=1&amp;scale=96000&amp;width=30403.86080772162&amp;layers=layer1:143,144,145&amp;bmid=a78cd0de-6238-4f60-8de2-fca4e41204f9</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248809 Thu, 04 May 2017 20:48:28 +0000 gembo 248809@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I cycled right along there once and the gates were open so I kept going but ended at a fence very close to the main line.</p> <p>There is a continuation of what might have been a spur? That ends in the muddy path running from Dundee Street end but the Tarmac under shandon bridge is smooth and wide and is a road to access the railway tracks I figure. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248807 Thu, 04 May 2017 20:40:47 +0000 Rosie 248807@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Last year I was staying in Shandon Colonies for a few weeks and working in Fountainbridge. It was a useful link, also a pretty ride in the spring. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248771 Thu, 04 May 2017 17:10:05 +0000 SRD 248771@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It used to be very mucky but a local group - possibly organised by Gavin Corbett - has done clean-ups along there recently and it is much improved. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248769 Thu, 04 May 2017 16:56:39 +0000 chdot 248769@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"as well as getting across the tracks"</p> <p>OSM hasn't mapped the footbridge at the Slateford end (as seen on aerial views) - I assume it does still exist. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248768 Thu, 04 May 2017 16:50:46 +0000 I were right about that saddle 248768@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That's the thing you see from the bridge on Shandon Place just past the colonies. I always wondered what that was.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248767 Thu, 04 May 2017 16:47:29 +0000 chrisfl 248767@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I remember discovering this many years ago. Checks OpenStreetMap - looks like I mapped it 9 years ago! <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/5049177">http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/5049177</a></p> <p>Biggest issue I suspect is Network Rail - the depot at the end is their track maintenance depot covering most of Scotland. (as well as getting across the tracks).</p> <p>Some of the houses along the way have made themselves access. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248766 Thu, 04 May 2017 16:31:00 +0000 Arellcat 248766@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Don't know what happens at the Slateford Station end now.</em></p> <p>The west gate is normally shut by 5pm or thereabouts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248760 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:36:32 +0000 Morningsider 248760@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The is part of the former Caledonian Railway between Princes Street station and Slateford (mostly now the Western Approach Road). Harrison Park to Slateford is the road access to Slateford Yard, an active Netowrk Rail site. From Harrison Park to Dundee Terrace is a fairly muddy path which anyone is free to use. Not great for cycling in its current state, but great for brambles in the autumn. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248755 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:10:54 +0000 chdot 248755@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I <em>have</em> been all the way through (long time ago weekend) think there is a gate at east end that gets closed.</p> <p>Don't know what happens at the Slateford Station end now. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248754 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:07:21 +0000 qwerty 248754@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah, if it's used by Network Rail that does make sense then - it looked so flat/such a good surface then that explains it!</p> <p>I'm not sure how the "crossing the train track" problem could be resolved practically though (setting aside the issue of ownership and existing use for now). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248753 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:07:05 +0000 chdot 248753@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Check Harrison Place on StreetView.</p> <p>There is a <em>path</em> that goes the other way to Dundee Terrace the rest of the former rail line is now the WAR to Lothian Road (another 'lost' opportunity).</p> <p>Heading west is the road to the rail yards.</p> <p>Would be great to be a through route, but really LOTS of problems.</p> <p>Worth mentioning 'for the future'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248752 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:01:35 +0000 Frenchy 248752@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Thoughts?</em><br /> Tomorrow you're going to have a some fresh, eager new councillors. Many of them promised to remove barriers to active travel - why not take one of them up on that?</p> <p>The train tracks are an issue, though. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248751 Thu, 04 May 2017 15:00:55 +0000 gibbo 248751@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I walked along that path about 8 years ago (when I was living in Gorgie). If I remember correctly, it takes you to the railway yards and was still in use by Railway vehicles. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248750 Thu, 04 May 2017 14:58:24 +0000 Roibeard 248750@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It seems to be Network Rail's access route to the sidings, so it's an active carriageway, but possibly privately owned - it's not just a footpath.</p> <p>Robert </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17696#post-248749 Thu, 04 May 2017 14:46:08 +0000 qwerty 248749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The other half and I were locking our bikes up at Ashley Terrace a few weeks ago when we spotted what looked like a lovely wide, flat, well-maintained cycle path neither of us knew about (it crossed &amp; went underneath Ashley Terrace opposite the hair &amp; beauty shops).</p> <p>Surprised that neither of us knew about it, I've checked it out on Google Maps and it's not a cycle path at all.. probably a disused railway track.</p> <p>It's the bit that runs from Slateford (it seems to start at the back of The Van Man near Meggetgate at the back of the Slateford train station) all the way up to to Harrison Gardens/Park.</p> <p>Seems like a bit of a missed cycling infra opportunity - does anyone know if anyone's ever tried to link it up/do something with it?</p> <p>All it would take is a way onto the path at Slateford station and you'd have a clear cycling/ped path from there, cutting out all the main roads, into the city centre until Fountainpark! I know that's easier said than done because there's the small matter of the train tracks needing to be crossed... but it seems like such a wasted opportunity to have a closed path which is so direct/flat/well surfaced!</p> <p>Thoughts? </p>