Date: Monday 18th May 2014
Start Time: 11:00
Distance: 6km
Start / Finish: At Penicuik Town Centre (pedestrianised area)
Summary of the walk:
Standing in Penicuik shopping precinct sheltering
from the rain and trying to be optimistic about the forecast when the sky
looked as if it was going to stay grey and bleak forever. Suddenly a patch of
blue sky appeared and it was decided to brave the last of the rain and walk
down to the start of the walk beside South Kirk.
Passing Park
End houses which were originally built in the 19th century by the Cowan family,
who owned one of the paper mills, for single female employees. Hence it’s nickname
of the ‘the nunnery’. The houses were designed by the same architect as for the
South Kirk, T.F. Pilkington. By then it had got a lot brighter and so the 18
brave, or foolhardy, souls who had ventured out for the walk decided to carry
on. Passing the Penicuik South Kirk built in the 1860’s, though a much scaled
down version of the original designs it is still a very interesting building
with the ornate carvings and stonework. From here we made our way up the slope,
or small stream as it was by then, past the site of the landslip and on to the
ruins of Ravensneuk
Castle. A 16th Century
fortified laird’s house it was mostly picked to bits in the 18th century to
provide stone for a new park wall. From here we had wonderful views of the
Pentland Hills and our first glimpse of Penicuik House. Walking on a bit, or
skipping over the puddles and mud, we then stopped to look down to the ‘Roman Bridge’
currently under reconstruction. This was built in the 18th Century so not
really that old! Above the bridge we had a view of the house with a ‘Chinese
Gate’ framing the avenue whilst behind us was the monument built to honour Alan
Ramsay the painter. Continuing on down the hill we came to ‘Low Pond’, which
depending on where you read was the site of the first curling match between
North and South in 1847 and still used today when there is a good freeze. (Some
site’s quote the ‘High Pond’ which is beside the house as the venue for the
first match.)
Passing the walled garden which is now a community garden with
hens and pigs roaming around on up the hill to the house where we stopped for
lunch. We were able to shelter under the main entrance to the house as it began
to drizzle just as we arrived. We then had time to take in the renovations made
to the balustrade, arches and alcoves within the house itself. Nearby were the
stables which were converted to house the family after the fire of 1895
destroyed the house. The sun then came back out and we continued the walk
taking an alternative route back through the woods and over a field to
Penicuik. Given the rain the path by the river would have been very wet and not
much fun.
Many thanks to Ron for coming up with that route and the other information he
passed on about Penicuik while we went along.
Here’s to next walk in June.
