Revision took a back seat today so I could go and explore Colinton in the sun. I headed out on my bike after a chat with mum, and took the canal and old railway to the village. I'd been inspired by an article I'd seen in the local paper describing the suburb as a place the rich go to buy houses, so I was keen to see what the fuss was about.

The village itself wasn't much to shout about, but it lies on the water of Leith, a beautiful winding water that feeds the city with green trees and fresh air. Further down it's passage to Leith it passes though many other a wealthy suburb, but this one I was yet to visit.

I checked the map, and was drawn towards a place called Merchiston Castle School. I cycled down the long drive, passing gardeners and schoolboys dressed in fine tailored blue blazers. This place smelt of money. The building itself was something out of an American Harvard graduate film.

I tried my best to blend in - my mental cover story if I was stopped would be that I had been helping the geography class (though thinking about this now, as simple "which teacher are you working with?" would have scuppered my plans) - you'll notice that I didn't stop to take a photo. I did, however, pay special attention to the large indoor swimming pool. Scotland's only all boys boarding school, £9,115 a term.

Passing through, onwards and across the other side, I dropped back down to the water of leith, passing by the nicest houses I may have seen in Edinburgh - old mills, with waterwheel still intact on the side. Out of repair - what a great project; the mill race was still running - fix the wheel and you've got free energy for life.

I decided to follow the water all the way home, or rather, as far as was practical. This took me and my bike on some tricky paths - I almost went over the handlebars while trying to navigate it down a flight of steps. The river winds, calm and clear, an artery though the tarmac of the suburb.

I ended up following it all the way to Murryfield. So interesting the other neighbourhoods that you end up in - such a change from the nine grand a year upstream. It would be an interesting transect to take of the city, to study how people in different areas use it...