Start : Morton Hall Crematorium : Lothian 37,47, 67 bus stop and accross to The Toby Carvery. , Kaimes
(S) From Morton Hall Crematorium, enter the grounds of the Toby Carvery. At the far right-hand side of the Carvery (beyond the picnic tables) an ancient stone structure (The Balm Well) is encountered. Our route exits the Carvery grounds by continuing East.
(1) With your back to the Balm Well bear half right. Negotiate car-parking spaces and unkempt tress/shrubs, to cross an abandoned track, and to find a rough path. (To the left it runs to the back of the Howden Hall Police Station) but we follow it to the right to a gap in an old green security fence. Go through the fence and emerge onto Rae’s Cres. Follow it to the left to soon turn right along St Katherine’s Cres.
(2) On reaching a small patch of grass take the path on the left. Follow on, directly ahead. Cross Captain’s Dr. into St. Katherine’s Loan. Take it to the red post-box. Here head half-right across grass. Continue ahead to reach, on the left, Gracemount Leisure Centre with its cafe and toilets.
Exit the Leisure Centre; follow around left through its car-park. Cross the busy Captain’s Rd., at a pedestrian island, to proceed ahead along Southhouse Terrace.
(3) At the Park take the path, left (“Leading to Lasswade Bank”), and then go half-right to zigzag down to a play area beside Burdiehouse Burn. Keep left. A path almost immediately rises right, up to a gate in the railings beside Lasswade Rd.
Cross. Proceed right for 100m between houses and a thin grassy strip. A broader patch of grass with sparse tree plantings leads left, beside Gilmerton Dykes Dr., to a 3-way junction. Once across the junction turn right, at railings, up Kilngate Brae.
(4) Ignore the combined cycle and footpath, to take the snicket to its left, alongside more railings. At its end keep straight-on and up to reach Gilmerton Dykes Rd. Here, turn left, cross, and pass pleasant new housing
schemes on your right.
At the roundabout, keep on ahead to encounter a secluded, narrow, old alleyway at Ravenscroft Place. Follow the alley along the backs of houses of old Gilmerton, and the Bowling Green, to reach a cross snicket which we take to the right. We pop out on Ravenscroft St.
(5) Turn left past delightful old cottages, the old Post Office, and church to reach the main road. Here our route goes right along Drum St. (the main road).
''But a short detour left can be made to see the unassuming, traditional, mining cottage (16 Drum St.) that forms the entrance to Gilmerton Cove, where an underground warren of passageways and hand-carved chambers is located beneath the streets of Gilmerton.
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Follow the busy main road towards Dalkeith.
(6) Pass the Abbey Lodge Hotel to reach the entrance gates of the Drum Estate. Pass through the gates and follow the drive which stretches straight ahead. Our route now proceeds, more or less dead-straight, for some 2 km, all the way to Danderhall bing.
We pass the Adam designed house, overgrown curling pond, and numerous fields of the Drum Estate to reach, in about 1km, the estate gatehouses. Bearing slightly left, a green door allows us to leave the estate.
(7) Cross over the Old Dalkeith Rd at a traffic island, to keep straight ahead, into Danderhall and Newton Church Rd. A further 1⁄2 km brings us to a roundabout. We continue straight over and along a path. Beyond houses and the 1st field, we take a path up onto the old bing.
Head up, through trees, to its grassland summit plateau, marked by an old coal wagon. Follow along the summit by heading towards the hills of distant Fyfe. Soon descend right towards a gap in the fringing trees, and a gateway. With extreme care cross Millerhill Rd.
(8) Go left, past cottages, along the dirty pavement to escape (right) down a quiet country lane. Pass various pleasant farm cottages and under electricity pylons to eventually reach a marked left-turn. Our next bing lies directly in front.
(9) Reach it by leaving the road, half-right, to immediately turn left, beside old farm buildings, and sharp left again to clamber up a short slope onto the bing. Ignore any access notices. Navigate your way over the levelled, rubbly top. Head towards the bings far left-hand end. Keep left of new fencing. A rough track leads to the far exit of the bing amongst scrubby trees, by a telegraph pole.
(10) On gaining the tarmacked road turn right. We see two minor roads. Follow the left-hand road (with views towards the chimneys of Cockenzie power station). Keep ahead, over the railway bridge. Don’t be put off by the dour ambience of the municipal dump, keep going until a lane swings left, and down, in woodland beneath the A1 dual-carriageway.
(11) Beyond the concrete underpass, follow a tarmac path right to Queen Margaret University. To enter the campus go slightly to the right and then amble through the grounds – passing Halls of residence – to the main entrance (toilets within) and bus stance (Lothian 30,45). (E)
