This walk is described from Haymarket Station in the west end of the city centre. Turn left upon exit and head along the main road (West Coates). You soon pass a spectacularly crenellated building on your right, set inside lovely grounds. This is the former Donaldson's school for the deaf, now being redeveloped as a suite of luxury apartments. Pick up the railway path at Balbirnie Place where the old steel bridge spans the main thoroughfare. Take the uphill gradient and walk over the bridge, following this path until it splits, whereupon we branch left on to Blackhall Path. Quite a bit of railway structure remains and we even encounter an old station platform.
Keep following signs for Davidson's Mains. Blackhall Path ends at a Tesco supermarket - the last quarter of a mile being a slightly rougher surface than the smooth tarmac beforehand. There is also a Costa coffee outlet next to Tesco. Ye Olde Inn is just around the corner.
Turn right up Cramond Road South and the entrance gate to Lauriston Castle appears after 300 yards. Follow the obvious route into the compound. The castle is now owned by Edinburgh Council and tours are available. It's free to stroll around in the grounds and they are open until late evening during the summer months. Lovely views of Cramond Island can be enjoyed, as well as Inchmickery further out in the firth. The pleasant Japanese garden can also be visited.
It's roughly four miles back to the city. An alternative to hitting the railway trail in reverse is to continue down Quality Street which quickly intersects with Queensferry Road (A90). A number of Stagecoach buses stop here and will whisk you back to the west end in no time.
