Peebles - Crookston Burn - Cademuir Forest - Peebles

Morley Sewell

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From the bus stops in the centre of Peebles, the route crosses the Tweed by a footbridge and meets the path along the river from the main car park. It then crosses the open grass of Victoria Park, turns along a footpath leading to the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and goes for a short way along the footpath by the side of an urban road. Turning off into woodland, it then follows a clearly defined path over and along the Crookston Burn and through a series of gates for about three-quarters of a mile. The latter part of this path runs through a narrow belt of trees, with grazing land on each side. Joining a farm road, the route gently climbs up to meet and go for a short distance along a minor rural road, before turning into Cademuir Forest and climbing up the entrance road and into a small car park at Waymark 8.

There are a number of alternative routes through Cademuir Forest. Several of these are delineated by colour-coded waymark poles and are indicated on notice-boards by the car park. Others are described in the Information below and / or in the texts for the appropriate listed waymarks.

The described route continues through the gate the top side of the car park to join a track or forest road that climbs slowly up through an area of clear-felled forest before again entering the wood and running round the periphery of the Park for almost two miles. There is a short but relatively steep uphill stretch just before the route meets the boundary wall along the edge of the moor, where there is an attractive view up the Manor Valley. A further short, relatively steep climb brings the walker out above the trees to meet the waymarked red route and Waymark 11.

From Waymark 11, the route runs for about 600 metres along the crest of the hill, with occasional views through the trees up and down the Tweed Valley and up Eddleston Water to the Pentland Hills, in the distance near Edinburgh. It then drops down back through the trees and rejoins the red route before leaving the forest by a small path that leads down into and through a modern housing estate. From there the route joins the well-marked John Buchan Way back to the car park and so on back over the footbridge and up to the bus station.

Scotland - South Scotland - Scottish Borders - Tweed Valley

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Good for Kids, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Public Transport, River, Wildlife, Woodland
6/3/2017 - Arthur Homan-Elsy

Now that the walk goes over the summit of Cademuir, the total ascent is 270m and I would suggest that this puts it into the moderate walk category, rather than easy. Total distance is now 6 miles.

6/3/2017 - Arthur Homan-Elsy

A great little walk in a lovely part of the country. And since it was submitted, it has got better, as the forestry covering the summit has been clear felled, and they have now put in a new footpath going right over the summit. Other changes; The buses from Edinburgh and Galashiels are now operated by Borders Buses route X62. In Cademuir Forest, there are now only red and blue marked routes.

6/3/2017 - Arthur Homan-Elsy

At waypoint 5 it should read Kingsmuir Crescent NOT road. At waypoint 6 there is a choice of 2 paths, the wrong one to the right having a footbridge over a burn, which might tempt people the wrong way. The mention of several gates should apply after the crossing of the road between the housing estates. At waypoint 7 there is no colourful sign anymore for Tweed Valley Forest Park. At waypoint 8 you still follow the red marker posts but it follows a completely different route and this changes this walk right up to waypoint 13.