The Water of Leith

Before becoming an Edinburgh resident, I didn’t know the city had a river running through it. Through the COVID-19 lockdowns, my route for local daily exercise often followed the walkway that runs along the banks of the river. It ranges from picturesque to post-industrial, running through some of the wealthiest areas of the city, between more deprived communities and industrial sites. It creates a continuous natural corridor for wildlife, running from the edge of the Pentland Hills in the south-west to the Firth of Forth in Leith, north of the city centre. I photographed these scenes on walks by the Water of Leith between 2020 and 2024. A time of change in my life, and an uncertain time for society as a whole. The river changes with the seasons and with the weather, but its flow is constant, reliable, to some extent predictable and dependable. During the early days of the pandemic, I found it comforting to see spring unfolding by the Water of Leith; nature had not stopped. In 2024 I found myself working more, exploring new projects and ideas, and spending less time by the river. It felt like a natural point to reflect and gather these images together. Life moves on, and the river continues to flow.