Edinburgh · Linear (one way)

Union Canal: Lochrin Basin to Slateford

A level towpath section from the canal's Edinburgh terminus, part of the Forth & Clyde/Union route.

Official trail pageScotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath

Distance 3.5 km · 2.2 miles Route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry
Typical time Not stated The official page gives no time, so we show none.
Ascent Not stated No official ascent figure
Grade Easy Our rule, see below
Route typeLinear (one way) Lochrin Basin, Union Canal terminus to Union Canal towpath near Slateford (end of this section)

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Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Lochrin Basin, Haymarket & Murrayfield — Near the start: Lochrin Basin (under 1 km away)Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0

Murrayfield Stadium, Haymarket & Murrayfield — Near the finish: Murrayfield Stadium (about 2.1 km away)Photo: Iain Lees, CC BY-SA 2.0

Leamington Lift Bridge, Haymarket & Murrayfield — Leamington Lift Bridge (under 1 km from the start)Photo: Ostrichyearning, CC BY-SA 4.0

Barclay Viewforth Church, Bruntsfield & Morningside — Barclay Viewforth Church (under 1 km from the start)Photo: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photos of named places from our guides closest to each point of the walk, with the straight-line distance. They show the area, not the path itself: follow the waymarks and the official page.

The route

This is the Edinburgh end of the Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath, starting at Lochrin Basin where the canal reaches the city centre. Scotland's Great Trails describes the whole 106 km route as mostly level on well-made surfaces. The section here is a short walk of about 3.5 km measured on the map, finishing near Slateford.

The interactive map needs JavaScript. The start and finish are listed below.

Along the way

Start: Lochrin Basin, Union Canal terminus
Finish: Union Canal towpath near Slateford (end of this section)

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 257 points. It can differ from what is on the ground: waymarks and the official page take priority.

Route and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), saved 2026-10-25. Spotted a mistake? Fix the map.

Download GPX Official trail page

The GPX file holds the route as a track and the start, finish and waypoints, for use in a walking or hiking app. It is a planning aid, not a navigation guarantee.

Before you go

Safety and access notes come from official pages. Conditions change, so read the linked page for the day you walk.

Getting there

Nearest station or stop to the start in our dataWest End (tram, Edinburgh Trams Ltd.), about 0.6 km in a straight line.
Nearest to the finishSlateford (rail, ScotRail), about 0.4 km in a straight line.

Straight-line distances from our station list, not walking distances. Check timetables and the route to the start before you travel. Getting between regions

Step-free and pushchair access

The official page does not say whether this route is step-free or suitable for pushchairs, so we do not either. Check the official page (opens in new tab) or ask the site.

Safety

Cyclists must slow or dismount on narrow sections and under bridges, and some stretches can be very busy with commuters, walkers, cyclists and others, so keep to one side and expect to share the path. Scotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath (opens in new tab)
Scottish Canals says maintenance work can affect canals, bridges or towpaths and asks you to check its works and updates page before you travel. Dogs are welcome if kept under control. Scottish Canals: Forth & Clyde and Union Canals walk (opens in new tab)

How these figures were worked out

Distance: route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry. The official page gives no distance. It is a straight-segment sum along mapped paths, so it can differ from a waymarked figure.
Grade: our rule, because the official page gives no grade. Easy: up to 8 km and up to 150 m of ascent. Hard: over 16 km or over 600 m of ascent. Moderate: everything else. No ascent figure is available for this walk, so the rule used distance only and the real grade may be higher.
Time: only shown when an official page states it.

Sources

Scotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath (opens in new tab). whole route 106 km, 158 m ascent, 4 to 6 days, Lochrin Basin finish, mostly level, cyclists and busy sections (whole-route figures not used for this section). Checked on 2026-10-25.
Scottish Canals: Forth & Clyde and Union Canals walk (opens in new tab). towpaths open all year, dogs under control, check works before travel; page gives no distances. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Scottish Canals: Visit the Union Canal (opens in new tab). canal runs from the Falkirk Wheel to Edinburgh; stoppages notice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap relation 1756398 (Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath), clipped (opens in new tab). route geometry (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; measured 3.54 km, used as the distance because no official figure exists for this section. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab) (ODbL). Route geometry. Saved 2026-10-25.

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