Wallyford - Inveresk - Whitecraig - Carberry - Wallyford
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The route starts along a footpath on the northern side of the east coast main line and crosses the line by the footbridge at Wallyford Station. It then continues in the same direction across a playing-field and along the other side of the line, with a view of the Pentland Hills straight ahead and the gaunt framework for a grandstand ahead and to the left. The route then goes under the railway and along a track to reach a housing estate at Pinkie. After a short distance on pavements along quiet estate roads and past the entrance to Edenhall Hospital, the walk follows footpaths between the houses and through Lewisvale Park to reach the outskirts of Musselburgh. About 220 yards along a roadside pavement brings the route to a traffic-free road down to the banks of the Esk.
The walk then follows the west bank of the river and a further stretch of pavement by the wall of Dalkeith Estate. This quiet road, that rejoices in the name of Cowpits Road, leads to the erstwhile mining village of Whitecraig.
After about another 200 yards, across a main road and through a housing estate, the route goes along the edge of another playing-field to join the Musselburgh - Dalkeith walkway on the embankment of an old railway line. Climbing up to a bridge across the walkway, the route next goes up a rural minor road for about 250 yards before turning onto a footpath between fields that leads to the gates of Carberry Towers. Halfway along the driveway to the house, the walk turns off into the woods and continues along woodland paths, tracks and forest drives, eventually climbing up to an excellent viewpoint looking across Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth to the hills of Fife.
The route continues to climb beyond the viewpoint, another view opening up to the south, across to the Lammermuir Hills. At the top of the hill it reaches the monument commemorating the spot where Mary, Queen of Scots surrendered to the Protestant Lords in 1567. Leaving the woods down a narrow path, the walk next goes along another stretch of minor road before turning off through a farm entrance and onto a long, open track across elevated farmland to join a core path. From the end of this track, the route runs for about a mile downhill on a minor road and along a hard-core farm track to reach a narrow path near the farm's entrance gates. This path then leads down to a modern bridge over the A1 and so back into Wallyford through the overgrown site of an old pit bing, alongside which a new housing estate is about to be built (2016).
Scotland - Central Scotland - East Lothian - Countryside
Features
Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Castle, Flowers, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Industrial Archaeology, National Trust, Public Transport, Restaurant, Stately Home, Wildlife, Woodland