Discover Penicuik: Paper History, Landscapes and Trails

Penicuik combines impressive landscapes with an unusually tangible history of paper and place. Those looking for a holiday apartment for their stay can choose between active trails, historic places of remembrance and insights into traditional production. What is particularly appealing is the alternation between outdoor activity and small cultural discoveries, each of which can be combined into a day plan of its own.

Trails for different day plans

The Penicuik-Dalkeith Walkway has a tarmac path with a whin surface that is suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. This provides a practical way to adapt travel planning to individual requirements. The walkway also follows an 11.5-mile section of the former railway line from Edinburgh to Peebles. Its former use as a railway line gives the route a distinct historical character and makes it an interesting choice for anyone wishing to combine exercise with local history.

The Penicuik Paper Trail offers a different perspective. This easy walking route connects the town of Penicuik with the Penicuik House estate. Anyone looking for an easy walking idea can include this route in their day plan; those with a stronger interest in the industrial past will find further points of connection along the paper-history trail.

Penicuik House and the Landscape Along the Esk

Penicuik House lies on the eastern edge of the Pentland Hills. The River North Esk flows through the grounds of Penicuik House and thus forms an important landscape feature of the estate. The Penicuik Designed Landscape is an outstanding example of the landscape design created by Sir John Clerk of Penicuick in the early 18th century. Its established woodland areas and bodies of water are of high conservation value.

This combination of designed landscape, water and proximity to the Pentland Hills appeals to travellers who, on holiday, want not only to visit individual attractions but also to experience the character of a historic estate and its surroundings. When choosing a holiday apartment in Penicuik, it may therefore be decisive whether walks and landscape experiences are to be the focus, or whether paper and cultural history should take centre stage.

Paper, Printing and Local History

The Penicuik Papermaking Heritage Museum brings the local industrial history to life: visitors can make a sheet of paper themselves. Papermaking in Penicuik dates back to 1709; the first mill was founded by Agnes Campbell on the Esk. The Penicuik Papermaking Museum is regarded as the only papermaking museum in Scotland. Pen-y-Coe Press is located next to the museum. There, visitors can gain insights into printing technology from the pre-digital era.

The Hearse House is also dedicated to Penicuik's heritage. Nine exhibition panels present the history and heritage of the area; the building also contains a model of the Clerk Mausoleum. Together, these offer insights into production, printing and local history.

Putting Places of Remembrance into Context

The French Prisoners of War Memorial commemorates 309 prisoners of war who died in this neighbourhood between 21 March 1811 and 26 July 1814. The memorial forms the centre of a new housing development built in place of the former Valleyfield Mills on Bellerophon Drive in Penicuik. The site thus links remembrance of a specific historical event with the later development of this part of the town.

Penicuik is therefore suitable for a trip in which you can switch between walking experiences, landscapes, papermaking and history according to your interests. When looking for accommodation or a holiday home, it is worth using your preferred travel rhythm as a guide: the Penicuik-Dalkeith Walkway and the Paper Trail stand for active days, while the museum, Hearse House and memorial place a stronger emphasis on culture and the past.

More Places for Your Travel Planning

You can also include Rosewell, Loanhead, Dalkeith, North Middleton, Roslin, Bonnyrigg, Gorebridge and Polton in your further planning.

For the overarching travel overview: Midlothian.