River Almond Walkway

Today, the deep gorge carved by the River Almond, stretching from Grotto Bridge at Craigiehall past Cramond Brig to the village of Cramond at its mouth, offers a serene and leafy country walk, hidden from the encroaching suburbs of Edinburgh. However, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this tranquil area was a bustling industrial hub. The clanging of machinery and plumes of smoke from factories created a stark contrast to the surrounding parklands, which were being carefully landscaped by the local gentry during the same period.

By the mid-18th century, the riverside had become an ideal location for small-scale heavy industry. Its proximity to Edinburgh and Leith, combined with the fast-flowing River Almond—already used for centuries to power grain mills—and the small fishing port at its mouth, made it a promising site for industrial development.