"If you did not have Jackie as a guide to go round with you,, you would have missed the whole point - you would have taken lots of pictures of pretty things and that would be about it The carvings are a physical manifestation of spiritual mysteries and also reveal the connection to the earth” Bruce Cain Prof Engineering, Mississippi

These two new trails are close to Rosslyn' Chapel but cover parts the tourists do not reach! The trails follow the river courses of the North Esk and Tyne respectively, both offering spectacular views and opportunities to view nature and wildlife (birds of prey and river birds, deer, rabbits, hares, foxes, butterflies etc).

The trails are designed to comfortably fill a morning or afternoon, and both can be in the same day with lunch taken in a nearby town or village.

Hawthornden / Rosslyn Castle Trail

The morning trail begins in Roslin Glen and passes by Hawthornden Castle on the far bank of the river North Esk. The route is circular and traverses a surprisingly wide variety of terrains within its short distance. Most of the walking is fairly flat but there are steeper parts when descending to the river bank is necessary. The North Esk is a most beautiful river and a wide variety of trees and plants grow profusely by its clear waters.

You can hear of the history surrounding both Rosslyn Castle and Hawthornden Castle en route.

For those interested in ley lines, there is a very significant ley line that the trail follows quite closely.  (The Rose Line as mentioned in the Dan Brown's The  Da Vinci Code is erroneous. The real Rose Line is local to the region and connects within a local matrix of leys including the ley line on this trail). Jackie can explain in detail about these ley lines on the morning or afternoon trail, since both trails encompass parts of this ley line. 

Borthwick / Crichton walk (includes entrance fee to Crichton Castle )

In the afternoon trail we start at Borthwick, where the Cup Bearers to the Sinclairs resided during the times of the Crusades.  

The history of Borthwick is intrinsically linked with the Sinclairs, and the trail to Crichton is very beautiful, climbing high above the river valley affording wonderful views of totally unspoilt and serene countryside.

Crichton too is of interest in terms of ley lines, and so either tour will invigorate you in many senses of the word. There are two collegiate churches of great architectural interest that we pass by, and these are well worth looking at.

TIMES

9:30am - 1:00pm Rosslyn and Hawthornden Castles

2:00pm - 6:00pm Borthwick and Crichton Castles

Alternatively you can book a morning tour of Rosslyn Chapel in readiness for the afternoon trail, and some of the morning trail will have been covered in this way.

Jackie Queally +44 (0)131 667 8510