Penicuik

Penicuik (pronounced "Penny-cook") is in a town in The Lothians 10 miles south of Edinburgh. It's mostly commuterland for the city, with a population of 16,200 in 2016. It has an army base and is close to the scenic Pentland Hills.

Understand
"The village of Penicuik, with its neighbouring spinning mills, is most lovely to see, and the Pentland Hills; and though of a barren appearance and some parts steep, they are covered in fine pasture and sustain flocks of sheep."

- William McGonagall, who else

Penicuik is midway along the road from Edinburgh to Peebles, just before this starts ascending the hills. It was created as a planned town in 1770 to accommodate workers at the paper mills and powered by the streams rushing out of those hills.

In the early 19th century, the town had a large camp for French prisoners taken in the Peninsular and Napoleonic Wars. From 1875, this was rebuilt as Glencorse army barracks, which now houses the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. There have been contradictory announcements on whether this presence will grow or shrink. Edinburgh Castle is just a ceremonial headquarters and Redford Barracks has closed. Still, it's unclear whether future bases will be at Dreghorn in the city, Kirknewton to the west, or Glencorse in Penicuik.

More recently the neighbouring village of Roslin has been notable for the Roslin Institute which successfully cloned Dolly the sheep in 1997. Dolly was taxidermied (stuffed) and put on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh's Old Town.

Get in
Lothian Bus 37 runs every 20 min from Silverknowes and Edinburgh's west end via Loanhead, Bilston, Roslin and Bush to Penicuik, taking an hour from the city centre. Nightbus N37 runs hourly from midnight to 4AM. Alight at Roslin Hotel for a short walk to the Roslynn Chapel.

Borders Bus X62 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh via Bilston and Glencorse Barracks to Penicuik, 50 min. It continues south to Peebles then turns east to Innerleithen and Galashiels, the Borders transport hub.

Stagecoach Bus 101 runs hourly from Edinburgh via Flotterstone Inn (for Glencorse) to Penicuik (45 min), and continues to West Linton and Biggar. Three or four daily buses continue to Coulter, Abington, Moffat and Dumfries.

A taxi from Edinburgh Airport or the city centre might cost £35.

Get around
Buses run along the main commuter corridor from Penicuik through Loanhead to Edinburgh. You need your own wheels to go further afield.

Some hiking trails in the Pentlands pass near or through military firing ranges, pay heed to warning signs.

Do

 * Penicuik Leisure Centre has a swimming pool and fitness classes. It's on Carlops Rd A766.
 * Golf: Glencorse GC is at Auchendinny two miles north of town. White tees 5217 yards, par 64, visitor round £30.
 * Football: head into Edinburgh for a decent game. The town rugby union and soccer teams languish in the lower reaches of the amateur leagues.
 * Hunter and Lass is a town festival held in the last week of May.

Buy

 * Tesco on Edinburgh Road is open M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 8AM-8PM.
 * Loanhead is a retail park at the junction of A701 and Edinburgh ring road A720, with Sainsburys and Ikea.

Eat

 * Along High St are Spice House, Food Lodge, Mother's Kitchen, Giovanni Bistro and Gurkhas.

Drink

 * Old Crown Inn is on High St.
 * Stewart Brewing makes ale on Bilston Industrial Estate and offers tours.
 * Distilleries are north around Roslin: Rutland Square Gin, King's Hill Gin and Secret Garden.

Connect
As of July 2023, Penicuik and its approach roads have 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2.

Go next

 * Edinburgh ten miles north needs several days to explore.
 * Dalkeith northeast has a country park around its palace, and the Scottish Mining Museum.
 * Peebles to the south is a tranquil Borders town. Its main sights are several miles out: Traquair House and Dawyck Botanic Gardens.
 * Biggar southwest is the small market town where you enter the Clyde valley. Its old gasworks is now a museum.