Midlothian walkers get three routes for Walk The Line

Midlothian’s annual Walk The Line returns on Saturday 26 September, offering a £3 day out for walkers of all ages and abilities along the Penicuik to Eskbank walkway. The entry fee includes a picnic lunch, and the event is designed as a shared community walk rather than a race.

Organised by volunteers from Midlothian’s Wellbeing team, the event gives participants a choice of three, five or eight miles. Children are welcome when accompanied by an adult if under 12, while dogs can join if kept on a lead.

Three distances across the Penicuik to Eskbank walkway

The eight-mile option covers the full Penicuik to Eskbank walkway, beginning at Valleyfield Pond car park in Penicuik and finishing at Edinburgh College’s Midlothian Campus.

The five-mile walk also starts at Valleyfield Pond car park, finishing at Hawthornden Cemetery Road End in Rosewell. The three-mile route begins in Rosewell, giving those who prefer a shorter distance a direct way to take part.

Rosewell will serve as a picnic stop for walkers arriving on the longer routes before they continue, and for people joining the three-mile walk. The shared stop is one of the points where the different route choices meet during the day.

Picnic stop and finish-line stalls

Every participant receives a picnic lunch as part of the £3 entry fee. After the routes converge towards Edinburgh College’s Midlothian Campus, teas, coffees and stalls will be available at the finish line.

The event’s format leaves the pace to participants. It is intended for people looking for a leisurely countryside walk, a longer personal challenge or time outdoors with friends and family, without pressure to complete a route quickly.

How to register for Walk The Line

Registration forms are available from libraries and leisure centres across Midlothian, or can be downloaded from the council’s Walk The Line notice. Completed forms and the £3 fee can be handed in at the counter or posted to Sport & Leisure, Walk The Line, Fairfield House, 8 Lothian Road, Dalkeith, EH22 3AA.

The council notice does not give a start time. Questions can be sent to [email protected].

Source: Midlothian Council