Edinburgh: Circular Bike Tour, Union Canal & Dean Village

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1/46

Duration4h 30m

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Cycle Edinburgh’s hidden corners from Craigmillar Castle to Portobello Beach with stops at Dean Village and Leith Harbour

You’ll cycle from Craigmillar Castle past canal boats on Union Canal, through historic Dean Village and lively Leith Harbour, all with a local guide who keeps things relaxed and real. Expect small group warmth, plenty of stories, and sensory moments—from coffee by the sea to echoes in an old railway tunnel—that’ll stick with you long after you’re back in town.

4h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

20-mile circular cycle tour of Edinburgh

Start at Craigmillar Castle grounds
Cycle along The Union Canal
Pass canal boats and 19th Century bridges
Drop onto cycle ramp at Water of Leith
Cycle under aqueducts and past allotments
Pass Saughton Park and original Bandstand
Pass Murrayfield Rugby Stadium
Visit Dean Village World Heritage site
See Thomas Telfer's bridge and School Board house
Stop for refreshment at Leith harbour
Cycle towards Portobello Beach
View Fife across Firth of Forth Estuary
End at 1860 built Innocent Tunnel railway path

The Experience

“You’ll want gloves,” our guide said, handing me a pair that smelled faintly of fresh laundry and Scottish rain. I fumbled with my helmet strap while the rest of the group laughed about last night’s pub quiz. We started right in the grounds of Craigmillar Castle—no buses or cars needed, just straight onto the path. It felt good to be moving, wheels humming quietly as we threaded out of the city center. I noticed how quickly the sounds shifted: city chatter fading into birdsong and that soft scrape of tires on gravel. Didn’t expect to feel so far from traffic this fast.

The Union Canal was still waking up—rowers slicing through water, canal boats with little puffs of chimney smoke, old bridges arched like someone’s tired back. Our guide (I’m terrible with names but he had a kind smile) pointed out allotments overflowing with rhubarb and mint. We coasted under aqueducts and through Saughton Park where a bandstand stood empty except for a lone crow. Passing Murrayfield Stadium was surreal; I’ve only ever seen it on TV. Then suddenly we were rolling into Dean Village—cobblestones under our tires, stone houses stacked along the river like something from an old postcard.

I think my favorite bit was stopping by Leith Harbour for coffee—seagulls arguing overhead, salt in the air. Someone tried to order in Scots and got gently corrected by a woman behind the counter who grinned at our attempts. After that it was Portobello Beach, cold wind off the Firth of Forth making my eyes water but wow, you could see all the way across to Fife when the clouds broke for half a minute. The Innocent Tunnel came last—a long echoing ride through old railway darkness that made us all shout just to hear our voices bounce back. Twenty miles didn’t feel like twenty miles somehow.

What’s included

Your day includes use of manual bikes and helmets plus guidance from a qualified local guide throughout your 20-mile journey; gloves are provided during winter months to keep your hands warm as you ride between historic neighborhoods and scenic stops.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by A wee pedal