[4] The river travels through Harperrig Reservoir, past the ruins of Cairns Castle, on to Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Colinton, Slateford, Longstone, Saughton, Balgreen, Roseburn and West Coates.

[5] The river flows on past Stockbridge, Inverleith, Canonmills and Warriston where it passes through shallows at a place known as Puddocky which is commonly thought to refer to "puddocks", the Scots language term for frogs,[6] but actually took its name from the former Paddock Hall sited nearby.

[10] The Trust runs educational programs and operates a visitor centre close to where the Union Canal passes over the Water of Leith via the Slateford Aqueduct in south-west Edinburgh.

The river contains 15 different types of fish including brown trout, wild grayling, eels, stone loach, minnow, three-spined stickleback and flounder.

[8] The river and its environs are the haunt of a wide variety of woodland and water birds, including kingfisher, grey heron, pied wagtail, great spotted woodpecker and white-throated dipper.