Colinton Tunnel To Get a Lovely New Mural

The best thing about the long Colinton Tunnel is reaching the end of it and finding yourself back in the beautiful wooded surroundings of Colinton Dell




















From the 1870s to the 1940s, passenger trains ran along here from Balerno through Colinton and into Edinburgh. Between the 1940s and 1967 the line was only used for freight trains and then closed. Since then it has become a cycle path and is part of the Water of Leith Walkway.

There are traces of an old mural showing a train engine and plenty of graffitti. The tunnel is lit most of the time but can feel spooky to say the least (specially on the occasions when the lighting is lost). Now though there are plans to repaint the old train engine mural and add to it with lots more artwork. The tunnel mural aims to celebrate local history and make the tunnel a much more pleasant, welcoming place.

You can find out more about this project here.