Edinburgh's Secret Tunnel

After meeting a few guys in a local pub - JFRsteve, Scattergun, Eggbox and Fake Snowman in the one of the busiest nightlife scenes in Edinburgh we went on the hunt for a hard too find and my first explore of a tunnel.

Of course as always with Scottish weather the rain started to hammer down, but undeterred we set of on the hunt for the tunnel.

After receiving a few clues on its rough location we found our way to the gardens we thought contained the entrance, after searching around a garden just off a main street for about 30 minutes it was obvious we were in the wrong place. If anyone is familiar with Edinburgh old town the difference between street levels can be quite daunting.

After hopefully locating a promising location we clambered a wall to be presented with a shear drop of approx 30 feet, not for the faint hearted! but it again lead to a dead end and no easily passable route to the promised tunnel!

Again we searched around and located a secondary entrance right on the one of the busiest areas in Edinburgh we, so god knows how it looked for 5 guys in the pouring rain clambering over walls and security gates, thankfully hardly anyone batted an eyelid!

We were in!

I only took photos after walking as far as I was willing to go without clambering over and under valves and and pipe junctions. I must have walked along the tunnel for a good mile before deciding that was far enough, so not sure how long it actually goes, but i can confirm that the tunnel does go right under Edinburgh Castle and where we stopped was under Princes Street.

With the traffic thundering overhead I started to shoot away, not many came out good, but here is my efforts. The only really wet section of the tunnel was here where the valve was broken and water was pouring out, crudely blocked up with a sandbag!


There weren't many crossing in the tunnel, it was almost a one way tour!


I have no idea what the yellow stuff is, but it was fairly solid, so presuming it was minerals forming from the brickwork, someone will quickly correct me!


In a few sections the tunnel was blaste through the red bed, it was quite impressive!


Many of the sections of the pipe have been replaced, but did see dates stamped on the from 1821, so some have been here quite a while!


I made my way out but to be confronted by a big dog, but luckily it was pretty old and didn't care or notice I was there, quickly making my exit!