A favourite walk in Edinburgh is along the former Innocent Railway track starting off on the edge of Holyrood Park.  It was one of the first railways ever built and opened in 1831 to bring coal into Edinburgh from the mines to the southeast.  Coal was in very high demand for industry as well as homes and had to be transported by horse and cart along roads which were not good.  At first the train consisted of horse drawn wagons running on rails and initially the early steam engines were viewed with mistrust and too fast and dangerous so it became known as The Innocent Railway.  From St Leonards the track went through a 518m long tunnel (the first tunnel to be built in Scotland) to emerge below Samson’s Ribs in Holyrood Park then it skirted Duddingston Loch on its nine mile route to the coal mines.  Although it was to carry coal and agricultural produce it became very popular with passengers until 1849.   The line was later extended to Fisherrow and Dalkeith and steam locomotives replaced horses in 1845.  Eventually the railway was closed in 1968 and since 1981 is now a cycle/walkway and an attractive route seemingly in a rural setting.
Looking up from near the tunnel exit are tall, hexagonal columns of dark grey basalt rock called Samson’s Ribs. Just visible near the top are catchfences which were placed there last year after there had been further rock falls.  The remains of a large rock fall can be seen beside the old railway track but it happened before the railway was built.  Further along near Duddingston is a cast iron beam 18ft (5.4m) bridge and an impressive timber beam viaduct over the Braid Burn.  The tiny illustration taken from a graffiti covered board, shows an impression of the train in the early days.