Dean Village and the Water of Leith

Edinburgh #6

Someone had recommended Dean Village and the Water of Leith (the main river that flows through Edinburgh) as good for photos. I'd never been before and it's not far from the west end of the city centre so I walked there. With hindsight it would have been better to walk from Stockbridge along the river to Dean Village, but I did it the other way. With limited time to spare, I think I perhaps missed some of the interesting bits of Dean Village. It was, however, overrun with groups of lively young foreigners, which slightly dented its charm for me photographically. 

The narrow valley was once home to many of the city's grain mills, using the water power of the river to grind flour for its populace. Now it's an attractive residential area, the old buildings having been converted into dwellings. Some of the millstones have been preserved as a memorial. 

The valley is now straddled by Dean Bridge, built in 1831 to carry traffic from Edinburgh towards Queensferry. It was one of the last major works of the famed bridge engineer Thomas Telford. Before that, the only route was across the narrow stone bridge (left of my second photo) at the bottom of the valley. 

Below the four-arched bridge, as traffic rattles overhead, it's surprisingly tranquil (apart from the tourists!) with a nice leafy walk along the Water of Leith to Stockbridge. 

Along the riverside is St Bernard's Well, designed by painter Alexander Nasmyth in 1789. The figurine inside the cupola is apparently the Greek goddess of health, Hygeia. Discovered in 1760, this natural spring was rumoured to have healing powers.