Colinton, Edinburgh: a literary walk

"An open outlook is to be desired from a churchyard, and a sight of the sky and some of the world's beauty relieves a mind from morbid thoughts." 

- Robert Louis Stevenson, Edinburgh: Picturesque Thoughts

We can't say our visit to Colinton in Edinburgh was haunted exactly, but the spirits of our favourite childhood books definitely saturated the atmosphere. Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson played here as a child, and his statue welcomes visitors to Colinton Parish Church.

Of course we had to stop by the churchyard, or kirkyard as the Scottish prefer to call it. Colinton has 9 Commonwealth graves from the First World War, including one for a Norwegian soldier.

It was a grey, heavy day and the air was damp with recent rain - perfect for Anglophiles who grew up reading Tolkien and Stevenson. Our friends called us down the Water of Leith walkway to wander along the river that powered Scottish industry and inspired many poets.

Walking carefully on the muddy banks, gazing up at the ivy-covered shapes that draggled and loomed over the river, we recognised the mossy greenery of our favourite Alan Lee illustrations.

If not for other walkers on the path, we could have seen ourselves travelling back to Stevenson's time,  on the way to a Gothic adventure.

Photogenic wildlife abounded even in winter: our favourite subject, a wading heron, appeared on the far bank, strutting and camera-ready. We were happy to oblige!

A modern feature soon broke up the storybook quality of the scenery: a dam. The Leith is prone to flooding and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust has helped add several features to manage the flow of the river.

The Leith used to power several watermills and also was crossed with several tunnels, bridges and railways in Edinburgh's industrial past. Now it runs mostly unimpeded, controlled only by the occasional lock and reservoir which only make it look more picturesque.

We wandered back up to the church, full of memories from old favourites: Kidnapped, Jekyll and Hyde, The Hobbit and Mythago Wood. Finally we were able to explore landscapes that we had only walked in our imagination - a true wonder | wander | women's delight. We look forward to discovering more fantastic landscapes.