Curfai two

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This route deviates from CURFAI 1 in several places. It has better views than it and is less shaded. At the start there is a memorial stone to the climber, Dougal Haston who was born in Currie and practiced his rock climbing on the rock beside the old railway line.
Start by following CURFAI1 down Kirkgate before following the Water of Leith Trail. Where a bridge passes over the trail, go up a flight of steps onto Blinkbonny Road. Either follow it up the hill (there is no pavement) or take the flight of steps to the upper part of the road which does have a pavement. In either case take the path that heads east from the apex of the hairpin bend in the road. Follow the path past Woodhall House till you join a surfaced road and follow it till an obvious path on the right is reached after the farm buildings. The path should be taken up a steep hill to Torphin. When the road is reached turn left then right onto what was an old golf course. The gate has 'no parking at any time' written on it. Continue past a pylon and a pond then take either path up the next hill, which eventually takes you to Torduff Road. There is a gap in the wall to your left that gives access to the road. Turn right and then cross the dam that holds back Torduff reservoir. Continue on the obvious path past the alpaca farm to near the Bonaly car park. Cross the main track onto a path that crosses the Dean Burn on a bridge then continue uphill on the path. At a fork in the path take the upper branch and continue to the top. After admiring the view from the top climb over the stile and take an indistinct and often boggy path close to the planation on your left. This quickly brings you onto a more substantial path that goes down through the centenary forest planted in memory of the losses in WW I. Keep right when the path forks aiming for the right side of a plantation. Green Craig cistern, part of Edinburgh's early water supply, is soon reached. Continue heading east, crossing the Howden Burn at a shallow ford, go through a gate and keep right where the track forks following the side of a plantation to your right. Keep going till another gate is reached with a stone stile at one side. This part of the route can be boggy after rain. Turn right after the gate heading uphill through another gate. Where the track bends left either continue along it or take a narrow and steep path alongside the drystane dyke that soon bends left. Both soon join up and the track drops down towards the Hare Burn. Here you take the left fork that crosses over the burn. After about 60 m there is a gate to the left that gives access to the golf course. Follow the path then track to its end, remembering not to distract golfers on the tee there. The track eventually drops down to the Swanston Burn and joins the track from Swanston to the hills. If you have never visited Swanston it is worthwhile turning left to see the whitewashed thatched cottages. If you are hungry or thirsty the Swanston Brasserie is nearby. If not, turn right for a short distance before picking up a path on the south side of the golf course beside a number of horse paddocks. When you reach the track that goes directly from Swanston to the Biggar Road, go across it and through a gate just before two mobile phone masts. This takes you down behind a row of cottages before turning right through a gate and emerging at Lothianburn Junction. Carefully cross the slip roads leading to and from the A 720 and continue up the Biggar Road past the Craigdon Mountain Sports building that includes a café. The last part of the walk follows the main road to Fairmilehead choosing the side which is sunnier or has less traffic. Alternatively, there is a bus stop outside Craigdon Sports.
The surface is mainly good but rocky with a few damp patches. Virtually all the gates have pedestrian gates beside them. Parts of the route are well used by walkers, runners and horse riders. Parts might be wheelchair accessible but many parts are not. There are several places where there are other possible routes. One alternative from Currie would be up the Poet's Glen to Easter Kinleith and then following the track to Clubbiedean and then Torduff reservoirs

This route deviates from CURFAI 1 in several places. It has better views than it and is less shaded. At the start there is a memorial stone to the climber, Dougal Haston who was born in Currie and practiced his rock climbing on the rock beside the old railway line.
Start by following CURFAI1 down Kirkgate before following the Water of Leith Trail. Where a bridge passes over the trail, go up a flight of steps onto Blinkbonny Road. Either follow it up the hill (there is no pavement) or take the flight of steps to the upper part of the road which does have a pavement. In either case take the path that heads east from the apex of the hairpin bend in the road. Follow the path past Woodhall House till you join a surfaced road and follow it till an obvious path on the right is reached after the farm buildings. The path should be taken up a steep hill to Torphin. When the road is reached turn left then right onto what was an old golf course. The gate has 'no parking at any time' written on it. Continue past a pylon and a pond then take either path up the next hill, which eventually takes you to Torduff Road. There is a gap in the wall to your left that gives access to the road. Turn right and then cross the dam that holds back Torduff reservoir. Continue on the obvious path past the alpaca farm to near the Bonaly car park. Cross the main track onto a path that crosses the Dean Burn on a bridge then continue uphill on the path. At a fork in the path take the upper branch and continue to the top. After admiring the view from the top climb over the stile and take an indistinct and often boggy path close to the planation on your left. This quickly brings you onto a more substantial path that goes down through the centenary forest planted in memory of the losses in WW I. Keep right when the path forks aiming for the right side of a plantation. Green Craig cistern, part of Edinburgh's early water supply, is soon reached. Continue heading east, crossing the Howden Burn at a shallow ford, go through a gate and keep right where the track forks following the side of a plantation to your right. Keep going till another gate is reached with a stone stile at one side. This part of the route can be boggy after rain. Turn right after the gate heading uphill through another gate. Where the track bends left either continue along it or take a narrow and steep path alongside the drystane dyke that soon bends left. Both soon join up and the track drops down towards the Hare Burn. Here you take the left fork that crosses over the burn. After about 60 m there is a gate to the left that gives access to the golf course. Follow the path then track to its end, remembering not to distract golfers on the tee there. The track eventually drops down to the Swanston Burn and joins the track from Swanston to the hills. If you have never visited Swanston it is worthwhile turning left to see the whitewashed thatched cottages. If you are hungry or thirsty the Swanston Brasserie is nearby. If not, turn right for a short distance before picking up a path on the south side of the golf course beside a number of horse paddocks. When you reach the track that goes directly from Swanston to the Biggar Road, go across it and through a gate just before two mobile phone masts. This takes you down behind a row of cottages before turning right through a gate and emerging at Lothianburn Junction. Carefully cross the slip roads leading to and from the A 720 and continue up the Biggar Road past the Craigdon Mountain Sports building that includes a café. The last part of the walk follows the main road to Fairmilehead choosing the side which is sunnier or has less traffic. Alternatively, there is a bus stop outside Craigdon Sports.
The surface is mainly good but rocky with a few damp patches. Virtually all the gates have pedestrian gates beside them. Parts of the route are well used by walkers, runners and horse riders. Parts might be wheelchair accessible but many parts are not. There are several places where there are other possible routes. One alternative from Currie would be up the Poet's Glen to Easter Kinleith and then following the track to Clubbiedean and then Torduff reservoirs