City of Edinburgh | Colinton | Half day walk | ★★★
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[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.
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[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
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
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[Colinton Village] |
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[Leaving Edinburgh] |
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[Bonaly Burn] |
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[Hungry] |
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[Dean Burn] |
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[Torduff Hill] |
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[Looking towards Edinburgh from Torduff Hill] |
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[Torduff Reservoir] |
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[Optional scramble on descent from Torduff Hill]
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[Torduff Reservoir] |
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[Torduff Reservoir] |
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[Old road between the reservoirs] |
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[Clubbiedean Reservoir] |
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[Clubbiedean Reservoir] |
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[Fort earthworks next to Clubbiedean Reservoir] |
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[Grey heron] |
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[Clubbiedean Reservoir] |
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[Fields beyond Clubbiedean Reservoir] |
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[Poet's Glen] |
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[Poet's Glen] |
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[Water of Leith at Currie] |
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[Water of Leith] |
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[Passing back under the City Bypass] |
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[Return to Colinton] |
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