The North British Railway opened an extension to the line entering Peebles from the north on 10th October 1864. It provided a link eastwards to Innerleithen and pushed on to Kilnknowe Junction (Galashiels) two years later.

At Eshiels it passed beneath the A72 (Innerleithen Road) through a curved, single-track tunnel which comprises vertical sidewalls and a masonry arch. Its length is 66 yards.

Closure came on 5th February 1962. In the years that followed, the approach cutting to the north-west portal was filled-in.

2009 saw an agreement reached for the structure to be used as part of a foot and cycle path, a project costed at £220,000 and jointly funded by Sustrans and the Scottish Borders Council. This work was concluded over the Spring of 2010.

(Jim Barton’s photos, taken from Geograph, are used under this
Creative Commons licence.)