ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
Another area I fancied visiting in Edinburgh was the West Breakwater... Leith Harbour...Dockside...Ocean Terminal District. Buses for that, the number 10 or 11 will both take you to Newhaven/ Ocean Terminal districts which are within 15 minutes walk of each other. Also a handy five minutes walk from Edinburgh's main Glasgow to Edinburgh Bus Station with this local bus stop situated nearby on York Place. Public toilets in bus stations in both cities and also on the city to city buses.
I got off the local bus 20 minutes later at Newhaven Harbour. I've not been here since pre-covid days. Winter of 2017 with Anne and Belinda. Almost 10 years ago now. Time races by very fast in blogland.
A lovely sunny morning. This is the same day I walked the previous post, including the flour mill, Leith itself, and The Water of Leith walkway. That was the afternoon section of this same walk. Had to bag this small lighthouse as it was on the way to the West Breakwater. Edinburgh has a few mega structures and West Breakwater is one of them. It starts here on the right of this photo, above.
Looking across at Granton from Newhaven. Edinburgh, in the days of ocean barges and sailing ships used to have several busy large harbours, each filled with ships of all sizes trading with the Low Countries, North and South America and Europe but now Leith is the main dock area for modern shipping.
The West Breakwater starts at Newhaven and runs for almost a mile out to sea. It protects Leith Harbour from winter storms and high tides and is a favourite place of mine. Impressive for its sheer size and scale with one side facing Firth of Forth views.... as seen here below....
A view of the Forth Bridges from West Breakwater.
And on the other side you have the skyscrapers of Platinum Point. Like King Kong's defensive wall. I first arrived here decades ago ( 2008/ 2009 I think) on a cycle tour of the city and they had just finished building this housing complex. I raced along the breakwater on my touring bike at top speed that time, which thinking back on it now, was fairly hazardous, as this breakwater has many holes and large cracks where a wheel could easily get stuck in. Back then I had the confidence of youth on my side and fast reflexes. ( And well before half a dozen pain-filled bike crashes over the years tempered my enthusiasm somewhat and snapped a few bones, teeth, nose etc.)
I remember thinking then, racing along it, that these stone blocks, if reconstructed vertically instead of laid flat, might well produce a pyramid as a rival to ancient Egypt's trio of famous monoliths in the desert. There was a strong wind and big sea swell on that occasion so forward progress on the bike was fast but erratic, unpredictable violent gusts of wind pushing me several feet off course, either into the waves and spray or up the ramp/ into deeper wider cracks than these. I must have been mad! Yet it was totally thrilling and completely addictive as well. A huge natural rush... of adrenalin.
On another occasion, during another epic bike tour around this city, it was a summer heatwave, so I had the idea to sleep here overnight. It was 8:00pm. June, still roasting hot at 24c so I decided to just lie down at the far end of here. No wind, no rain, one lightweight sleeping bag and carry mat to keep me off the cold ground and I did get a few hours sleep and a rest. Being June only a few hours of real darkness occurred anyway between sunset and sun rise.
So I've invested enough memories and time in this area to feel a friendly connection to it now.
The end is in sight. This is where I slept all those years ago. The far end... and the secluded remote entrance to Leith's Western Harbour and Port of Leith Docks. (And I dreamed of a mighty pyramid rising slowly here ..... from the desert sands..... a brick by brick sheep dream jumping a fence then lifting upwards further in stacked layers to soar effortlessly into the sky. Totally pointless of course but a tasty vision I still cherish today.)
The other side of Platinum Point, ( which is basically a few squares of housing occupying a semi remote/ detached area) but it has a very welcome bus terminus from here back to the city centre. No 10 or 11. Another favourite route.
On my Edinburgh Collins street map, since 2008, this adjoining district seen above has been marked Under Development. But since 2008 nothing building wise has happened here. It's a series of fenced off ponds and plots with an intact road system grid installed but no houses. I did see 'Save our ponds' signage up even though the locals have no real access to the waste ground here. I 'd imagine good for wildlife though as it is undisturbed.
After a long dry summer ( This was taken Oct 2025) this main pond was the only one with some water left in it. But a week of rain would see them all filled again. And still all completely fenced off.
Newhaven buildings. Other new building projects are occurring here.
The other district I wanted to see the changes in was around the Ocean Terminal district and the Royal Yacht Britannia, The Queen's old ship. During the last visits, in 2017, these buildings did not exist on this side of the road. Instead a spacious plot of flat open ground sat here used as an informal car park for the nearby shopping centre. I enjoyed parking here. It was so easy and simple to find free street places to park in Edinburgh back then. Try parking informally anywhere in Edinburgh now. Like anywhere.
The tram line didn't reach here either back then and google street maps, last time I looked, show the amount of upheaval it cost in dug up roads and traffic delays. ( Glasgow is currently getting it's fair share of dug up city centre streets going on 2 years now.)
With the trams arrival comes business opportunities... as here at the new Dockside project.
Four brand new sets of flats called Dockside in Leith. Rooftop terrace views apparently....link here.
Yet on the other side of this always empty and desolate looking Victoria Dock sits the Scottish Executive Building HQ. Not only is this huge complex only 30 to 40 percent occupied at any given time in the current work from home era....but this dock is always empty. You would think they could use this liquid asset much better. A water adventure park possibly although it is a deep and dangerous spot.... but something surely. A learn to sail school perhaps for youngsters and adults? Model boats? Even just a cheap floating jazzy sculpture as a focus of interest ( tied securely down to prevent wind damage or lift off. ) Hell, I could do it myself in a kayak.
An artists view of Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre and Ocean Drive. Artist views are always rose tinted however.
The reality. For now anyway. I visited the shopping centre here briefly but only for the toilets.
The dining hall. Lunch and tea with a view over the Firth of Forth.
A lone Tower block at Ocean Terminal.
The new tramlines and the Dockside project.
And lastly Edinburgh's vertical distillery at the Port of Leith. From here I did the Water of Leith Walkway in the afternoon... and then the Glasgow bus back home.
Just recently Yahoo mail and news, after working perfectly for over 10 years acquired a new broom. (owners) Security was upgraded for e mails to the extent that I can no longer access my emails properly. Jumping higher and harder fences daily just to see my emails. This has scunnered me and may effect the blog. Post may be fewer in number as a result. Hopefully they will change it back to what it was before. Fingers crossed.
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