What surface is it from The Shore to Stockbridge? Wife’s bike has worryingly
thin roadie tyres that cry as soon as they see gravel and a I cannot be doing with fixing multiple punctures just to nip for some new shoes for the small folk.

Second question is about access to the path, namely will I be able to get the kids trailer on there(ie are narrow gates or steps etc going likely to impede us getting back out at Stockbridge?

Any other suggestions on traffic light routes from Musselburgh to Stockbridge are welcome…

The surface is good but it’s interrupted a fair bit down at the leith end, you’re on and off the path a few times and a lot of it is up and down stairs, it’d be a total pain in the arse with a trailer (its a total pain in the arse without a trailer) Still, it’s very nice

That’s that settled then!

If you stay on the path it’s tarmac all the way, best route is through George V park then it’s easy cruising. to the Shore. Used to do it daily on a roady but be best with bonty hardcases or something similar.

There’s some thin strips of cobbles at the Leith end the WoL path and there’s a hardpack/muddy/little bit gravelly section from Canonmills. If you follow cycle route 10 from Musselburgh the toughest bit will probably be the cobbled streets leading up to the Shore. Trailer accessibility – there’s steps at the bridge in Stockbridge but you can go around this.

I’m never quite sure where the actual path goes at Canomills.

do you mean the actual water of leith path, or the bit of cycle path that runs from canonmills to leith?
the latter is easy baw on a road bike, being tarmac.
from stocky b, you can find your way round the botanics via inverleith park, depending on where you are, then there are a couple of ways onto it from inverleith row.

Aim for Heriots rugby ground at Goldenacre using the Trinity path, then a quiet road from there to the top of Inverleith Park, through the park and down through the exit at Raeburn place.

*dur.. reverse all that nonsense i typed, Get on it at Coburg Street, off at Eildon Terrace/Warriston Cres/George V Park as said up there.

do you mean the actual water of leith path, or the bit of cycle path that runs from canonmills to leith?

I dunno really, I’m always happy to stick to roads around town but with precious cargo x2 in the trailer the other half is keen to keep contact with traffic to a minimum…thanks for suggestions!

As an alternative route, what about the innocence railway path running from fisherow to Arthur’s seat? Then Arthur’s seat / abbeyhill / broughton St /cannonmills. Overall could be much less traffic.

Its absolutely fine, get on the water of leith walkway opposite the water of leith bistro, then carry on up to the tesco at canonmills, through the tunnel, past the park then join eyre place and onto henderson row. Good surface all the way and would be fine with a trailer

+1 for DougD. Can’t think of any reason his route isn’t trailer friendly, best traffic free route from the shore i can think of.