Three Reservoirs Walk: Pentland Hills

The three reservoirs walk is an easy-moderate car-free walk that goes past three reservoirs in the Pentland Hills namely Bonaly, Torduff, and Clubbidean reservoirs. In summer, the hillside is covered in purple blooming heather. which add to the beauty of this walk.

Edinburgh | Scotland

The original plan was to do the Bonaly Reservoir and Capelaw Walk but having stepped outside the house for almost a month, thanks to the husband’s dissertation, we quickly realized that our barely fit bodies had gone further down the scale of fitness as we huffed and puffed up the slope from Bonaly Bus Terminus, past the Bobcat Alpaca Farm where a herd of alpacas was grazing nonchalantly in the sun. At the Upper Car Park, there is a map of the trails and a signpost marking the ways to Bonaly Reservoir (straight ahead) and Torduff Reservoir (right). We walked uphill towards Bonaly Country Park. We chose the Bonaly entrance to the Pentland Hills because it is easily accessible by public transport from Edinburgh.

Soon we were greeted by hills blanketed with the last of the season’s heather, the purple blooms bright beneath a blazing sun. If you want to see heather, the three reservoirs walk is one of the best walks in the Pentland Hills! Past a stile that seemed to lead somewhere down the steep slope, into the valley of the Dean Burn, we walked, the clean, sweet air an elixir we had missed for weeks. Behind us, the skyline of Edinburgh glittered in the sun. We could soon see folks walking up the slopes of Capelaw to our left. We continue walking, down and then up again and soon we could see the high embankments of Bonaly Reservoir. The sun was hot and we settled down in the shade of trees. Totally out of breath though the trail was anything but difficult, we decided to abandon our original plan and find a way towards Clubbidean Reservoir. Why? Because Clubiddean has a cafe and as much as we love a good walk, be it a walk in the hills or a coastal walk, we love a cafe with a view!

After what seemed like a very long time, we pulled out our phones to see if Google Maps showed a path to Clubbidean. It didn’t, so we decided to follow this Pentland route map which covers some of the most accessible car-free walks in the Pentland Hills. Before we began our walk towards Clubbidean, we ventured behind the Whiteside Plantations and were rewarded with scenic views of purple heather-covered hills dotted with sheep. Lots and lots of wooly sheep that reminded us of our trip to Borrowdale in the Lake District! A waymarker by the gate signed the routes to Allermuir Hill and Glencorse Reservoir.

We retraced our steps towards the entrance of the Bonaly Country Park, stopping to admire the views of Edinburgh, but stopped short to take a left through the heather along a very faint track at approximately the point where the purple line begins on the map. We walk downhill and soon we reach a locked gate. The actual path marked by the broken purple line on the map was further down, on the other side of the gate! We scrambled over it and continued downhill, the trail more prominent now. We could see the still waters of Clubbidean Reservoir floating ahead of us, like an illusion, while the path that led to it disappeared downhill, into the dark belly of shrubs. Groups of twos and threes were coming from that way, so we assumed we were on the right track. Near here, on a rounded rock top, we spotted a man sitting in the heather. He was doing nothing, just sitting on what seemed to be a low chair in the heather. Absolute nirvana! Exploring the Pentland Hills is truly one of best free things to do in Edinburgh.

Through another gate and into a gully strewn with loose rock and hemmed with prickly shrubs, we proceeded downhill, occasionally stopping to let people pass. It seemed like a dry channel, that would be anywhere between too muddy and impossible to pass on rainy days or right after the rain, so proceed with caution if you are walking this route on a rainy day. Soon we are above the Torduff Bridge, the jade waters of Torduff Reservoir on our right. A short flight of flights and we are on the road again.

We take the left and walk uphill towards Clubbidean Reservoir. But first, refreshments! We buy a can of ginger beer, a slice of banana bread, and a brownie from Cluddidean Cafe and settle down on the embankment to cool ourselves. The brownie is amazing and the ginger beer is refreshing and we watch the fishing boats in the water. A dog leaps and jumps with excitement as it runs into the water to fetch a stick. Soon another dog joins the game and together they swim and run around the bank. Edinburgh has the loveliest and friendliest dogs! We linger awhile trying to photograph the playing dogs, then the horses on the farm behind the cafe, before making our way downhill towards Torduff. If you want to walk further and cover more reservoirs, continue westwards towards Threipmuir and Harlaw reservoirs.

Note: There are no toilet facilities at the cafe or anywhere nearby.

Torduff is brilliantly still, the surface without a single crease or a ripple. Unlike the other two reservoirs, its water is a deep jade, reflecting the wooded hillside that surrounds it. The heather is in full bloom and we spot a couple perched on a clearing amidst the heather, on the high slopes above the reservoir. The perfect spot! We walk down Torduff Road, and through the gate, almost at the end of the day’s walk. From here, it is a short walk to the bus terminus at Torphin.

We leave Torduff Road and slide through an iron gate tucked into the stone wall on our left and continue downhill along the path towards the pylon. Past a wee bog and slightly uphill, then down the slope, and we are on Torphin Road. A few metres from the gate is the Torphin Terminus from where we take Lothian Bus 16 back to the city.

And that’s another beautiful day, another beautiful car-free walk in Edinburgh!

Note: If you want to return to Bonaly, continue along Torduff Road for half a mile, then turn left on Bonaly Road, and continue over the overpass and towards the Bonaly Terminus.

DISTANCE: 8.1 km / 5.0 miles
TIME TAKEN: 2-2.5 hours (including stops at Bonaly and Clubbidean Reservoirs)
ROUTE: Linear route from Bonaly Terminus to Torphin Terminus
NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO START: Lothian Bus 10 at Bonaly Terminus
NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO FINISH: Lothian Bus 16 at Torphin Terminus

Have you done the three reservoirs walk in the Pentland Hills?