Water of Leith, Upper
Kayak spot · UK
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
57Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 6 kn gusting 15, Air 10 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sun 8 · 54 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 357, fair
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 658, fair
- Sat 756, fair
- Sun 854, fair
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1055, fair
- Wed 1155, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- Best in Jul7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 57, fair | 4 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 1.5 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 6 kn | 15kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 7 kn | 19kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 58, fair | 7 kn | 15kn | 10°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 56, fair | 3 kn | 8kn | 8°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 54, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 55, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 5 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Jul
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Water of Leith, Upper on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Water of Leith, Upper
More kayaking near here
4 places
- Water of Leith, Lower 3.8 km away
- Forth Canoe Club 5.6 km away
- Almond 7.5 km away
- Roslin Park 9.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Water of Leith, Upper
A river section on the Water of Leith, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.0 km away. For grade III paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Edinburgh. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots and 1 mountain bike area.
- River Water of Leith
- Grade Grade III, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.0 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,270–US$2,400 each
about US$1,270–US$2,400 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$422–US$884 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$322–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$188–US$348 |
| Total | about US$1,270–US$2,400 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Edinburgh
about 15 min by car · 520 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Edinburgh its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 12h 25m
About 12h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EDI, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → EDI on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Edinburgh · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Edinburgh · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Bridge 8 Hub 2.0 km
Forth Canoe Club 5.6 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits