A new walking, wheeling and cycling route, part of Edinburgh Council’s £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront in the north of the Capital, has officially opened.
North Edinburgh Arts cycle group, some of the local people using the 860m route linking Pennywell Roundabout and The Promenade at Gypsy Brae, joined Cllr Stephen Jenkinson Transport and Environment Convener and Mark Shields Head of Policy and Communications for Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans), to mark the occasion.
The route includes a segregated cycle track, new and improved footways and crossing points, and resting points along the route. Trees have been planted to improve biodiversity, with more to be done in the next planting season. The section which joins Forthquarter Park has also been improved.
The design of the route was planned to link in with another major walking, wheeling and cycling project, North Edinburgh Active Travel (NEAT) Connections, which seeks to deliver improvements at Pennywell Road Roundabout and connecting routes. Further improvements to West Shore Road, east of Gypsy Brae, will be delivered as part of future phases of Granton Waterfront regeneration. The route has also been designed to make sure it allows for bus routes to be extended in the future, where necessary, to accommodate housing and population growth in the area.
The North Edinburgh Response and Recovery Group (R2), a network of over 30 local organisations collaborating to meet community needs, has worked in partnership with the council on the project. They arranged for North Edinburgh Arts – Arts for Grown Ups to transform the wooden planters at the north end of the route on West Shore Road at Gypsy Brae. R2 is also supporting and promoting active travel in the Granton Waterfront area with activities such as led walks and rides, a community bike library (including cargo and adapted bikes), bike training and Dr Bike maintenance sessions.
The project was made possible through more than £1m funding from the Scottish Government, via the Places for Everyone programme managed by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans).
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s important that our £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront is designed to make it easy for local people to get around and visitors to access the area.
“Making sure this new section joins up with future active travel routes is essential in ensuring pedestrian and cyclist priority where we can. This allows people to choose clean, sustainable modes of transport while supporting our net zero 2030 goals, improving air quality and reducing congestion. I’d like to thank local people for their patience while we carried out the work and have no doubt that the route’s completion will be of great benefit to everyone using it.”
Mark Shields, head of Policy and Communications for Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, said: “This new active travel link in Granton opens up more choices for local people to get around in healthier, greener and cheaper ways. Linking in with the wider regeneration of Granton Waterfront, the new route is an example of how we can work together across different areas of planning and design to integrate walking, wheeling and cycling right from the outset.
“By making active travel options safe, convenient and appealing, we can give our communities their best shot at a sustainable, thriving future.”
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m pleased that over £1m from the Scottish Government’s Places for Everyone programme has helped deliver this new active travel route in North Edinburgh. This link between Pennywell Roundabout and Gypsy Brae Promenade will make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more attractive for local people, while supporting the regeneration of Granton Waterfront.
“By creating high-quality, accessible routes that connect communities and green spaces, we’re giving people more choices to travel sustainably. This project is a great example of how investment in active travel can improve health, reduce emissions and enhance quality of life. In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will invest over £188m in active and sustainable transport – helping people save money, improve health, and protect the climate.”
