Home Report Penicuik

Penicuik, Midlothian, is a commuter town of around 16,000 residents. The town was originally developed as a planned village in the 1770s and then became a burgh in 1867. The town retains a village, countryside feel, despite being less than 10 miles from Edinburgh. Penicuik is quite picturesque with its geographic location along the northern bank of the River Esk, and beneath the southeastern slopes of the Pentland Hills, easily visible from the town. It is well-placed as a gateway to the attractions of the area, those in Edinburgh, the Lothians, and the Borders too. You can see the appeal!

Historically, Penicuik is thought to be where paper making was started 300 years or so ago, and indeed the town was well known for its numerous paper mills for many years until the final paper mill closed in 2004. The town was also home to the Edinburgh Crystal works up until 2006, which produced well-known crystal glass decanters, drinking glasses, bowls, baskets and more.

Today, Penicuik is predominantly a commuter town for residents working in and around Edinburgh. The town has no dedicated train station, but there are several regular bus services, taking roughly 20-25 minutes to reach the city, and by car, there are easy connections to the A702 which allows for travel into central Edinburgh from the south. Residents enjoy the feeling of being tucked away, but still close enough to things.

In terms of amenities and things to do, the town boasts the historic Penicuik House, the shell of an impressive 18th century Palladian mansion. The estate has excellent walks, as does the town in general, and a café open seven days. Penicuik was the site of a prison camp for French prisoners during the Napoleonic wars and are commemorated at the memorial in Valleyfield. There are also sites of ancient forts and castles within easy range of the town. Other attractions in nearby Midlothian are the butterfly farm, Scottish Mining Museum and Rosslyn Chapel which are all worth a visit and within easy reach by car. Beyond sightseeing, a brand-new swimming pool and leisure centre along with a library opened in the last few years. While not in Penicuik proper, Midlothian has the largest dry ski facility in Europe and is situated at Hillend a mere 10 minutes from the town. For walkers and cyclists, the 11.5-mile Penicuik–Dalkeith Walkway passes close by and is an excellent scenic walk along the former Edinburgh to Peebles railway line. Penicuik has a good local restaurant scene, offering a mixture of cuisines from French, Indian, Chinese, Italian, and traditional Scottish cuisine all located within the town centre. There are also the usual variety of local pubs to enjoy.

In terms of education, there are six primary schools in Penicuik, Cuiken Primary, Cornbank St James Primary, Sacred Heart Primary, Strathesk Primary, Glencorse Primary and Mauricewood Primary. There are also two high schools, Penicuik High School and Beeslack High School.