Artist's vision for tunnel on Water of Leith at Colinton

Chris Rutterford plans for the 140-metre mural to cover the walls and ceiling of the tunnel

The tunnel, near Spylaw Park, is 140 metres long and 5.4 metres high and the plan is to create a massive new mural covering the walls and ceiling from end to end.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “From a Railway Carriage” will be reproduced and graphically illustrated on one wall of the tunnel, linking across the roof other visuals on the opposite side representing the rich heritage of authors, poets, painters and other individuals and organisations who have had links with Colinton.

Mr Rutterford said the tunnel was a key piece of Victorian architecture on the Balerno branch line from Edinburgh’s old Caledonian station, opening in 1874 and closing to passenger services in 1943.

Preparation work is under way on the year-long project

He said: “Robert Louis Stevenson rode the railway line as a child and was inspired to write his famous children’s verse ‘From a Railway Carriage’ as a direct result of the journey.

“The mural is to reflect and Illustrate the heritage and history of the railway, much of which is mentioned in its content.

“RLS, of course, has a family connection to Colinton – his grandfather was minister at the local kirk and the young Stevenson would spend his summers in the village.”

The mural - which Mr Rutterford hopes will become a destination venue in itself - will show how the Water of Leith villages grew, thanks mainly to the “Balerno Pug” that puffed along the rail line, and will also celebrate Colinton’s 920-year history.

Pupils from four local schools - Colinton Primary, Bonaly Primary, Firhill and Merchiston - will be involved in key elements of the production along with hundreds of members of the community.

A hardworking team of young adults with special needs and autism from Camphill community Tipereth have been helping Mr Rutterford to prepare the lower sections of the wall.

He is working with pupils at Colinton Primary School this week. And at the start of July he will be painting the first sections of mural alongside a team of street artists from Spectrum arts who will be writing the words of the poem on the wall.

Mr Rutterford will start work on an abutment wall at the east end of the tunnel, creating a station scene filled with a myriad characters before moving inside.

He said: “The story will develop over the next year, our aim being to have it complete by this time next year.”

Initial funding includes grants from cycling charity Sustrans and the city council as well as smaller sums from local donors. “The tunnel committee are still fund raising for future sections of the murals, it’s causing a big stir in the local community though and excitement is building now that positive change is afoot.”

Project chairman Mike Scott said: “Chris Rutterford’s design, using RLS’s short poem, gives a wonderful visual description of how a rail trip from the city centre to the country might have felt to a child. It connects amazingly well to our community’s history”.