Country diary: A wildlife haven on the fringe of the city | Lev Parikian

Edinburgh: Otters upstream, a tern colony down ? I'm happy to be somewhere in-between watching dippers and wagtailsYou remember your first. Mine was in 1978 - a turquoise flash zipping low over a murky Oxfordshire river. A moment in the eyes, a lifetime in the memory.I've seen plenty more kingfishers since then, but you never spurn an opportunity, and the Water of Leith - a tranquil haven minutes from Edinburgh's centre - fits the bill. Just over 20 miles from source in the Pentlands to outflow into the Firth of Forth, it has earned its reputation as Edinburgh's hidden jewel. You could spend a month here and never suspect its existence, yet for the initiated it offers respite from the relentlessness of fringe season. Continue reading...