Walk: Bonnie Bonaly & Torduff Reservoir

City of Edinburgh | Colinton | Half day walk | ★★★

[Torduff Reservoir]

Bonaly Country Park is perhaps the closest area of true countryside to Edinburgh, and certainly one of the most accessible. Just a 10-minute walk from the southern housing estates (or an even quicker drive) takes you under the thundering City Bypass and into a peaceful wildlife haven with extensive views from its several summits. A chain of reservoirs cut through the foothills allowing for a scenic link to Currie and the Water of Leith, along which old railway beds take you back into the heart of the capital. Our circuit starts from Colinton - itself a surprisingly pretty suburb - and can be easily extended northwards to take in Colinton Dell.

[The return is along the Water of Leith]

Location & info

📌 Walk: Bonnie Bonaly & Torduff Reservoir ★★★
Start / finish at street parking on Spylaw Street, Colinton Village, 4 mi southwest of Edinburgh Waverley station, G.R.: NT 214690 ///caves.bill.props
🚆🚌 Bus to Colinton. Kingsknowe railway station is 1 mi away.

▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 210 m | ⌚ Half a day | ⬤ Moderate
Features: Colinton Village; △ Torduff Hill (252 m); Torduff Reservoir; Clubbiedean Reservoir; Water of Leith
Terrain: Varied - residential streets, tarmac / dirt / stony paths and tracks, old railway bed for return. Short sections are steep, with a very easy (and avoidable) scramble on descent from Turduff Hill.

Route: Start & Colinton Village - top of Dreghorn Loan - Bonaly Burn - Bonaly Country Park & Torduff Hill - northwest bank of Torduff Reservoir - south bank of Clubbiedean Reservoir - Poet's Glen (Kinleith Burn) - start by Water of Leith

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On our visit

Wildlife: Alpacas, sheep, lambs, horses, cows and squirrels on the rural section. Varied bird life including goosander, grey heron, swallows, pheasants and other small woodland birds.
Weather: Dry and often sunny, about 10°C with fairly light winds.

Chronological photo guide

[Colinton Village]

[Leaving Edinburgh]

[Bonaly Burn]

[Hungry]

[Dean Burn]

[Torduff Hill]

[Looking towards Edinburgh from Torduff Hill]

[Torduff Reservoir]

[Optional scramble on descent from Torduff Hill]

[Torduff Reservoir]

[Torduff Reservoir]

[Old road between the reservoirs]

[Clubbiedean Reservoir]

[Clubbiedean Reservoir]

[Fort earthworks next to Clubbiedean Reservoir]

[Grey heron]

[Clubbiedean Reservoir]

[Fields beyond Clubbiedean Reservoir]

[Poet's Glen]

[Poet's Glen]

[Water of Leith at Currie]

[Water of Leith]

[Passing back under the City Bypass]

[Return to Colinton]

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