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Major city · United Kingdom

Penicuik

Skip as a base: use Penicuik as a half-day from Edinburgh for Rosslyn Chapel and a Pentlands walk, or one night if you want the hills at dawn.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short, wet days); avoid live-firing dates on the Pentland ranges
Airport
EDI
Nights
0–1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Penicuik is a paper-mill town of about 16,000 people 10 miles south of Edinburgh, on the A701 road to Peebles and at the foot of the Pentland Hills. It is commuter country with a small museum, a ruined tower house and quick access to Glencorse and the Roslin sites. Most travellers see it as a half-day trip from Edinburgh, not a base.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Penicuik, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)
  • Budget bedHostel or bunkhouse bed, a night, per person£25 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedSmall hotel or guesthouse double, a night, per room£100 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedSmall hotel or guesthouse double, a night, per room£160 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £45 (≈ US$60) · Mid £80 (≈ US$110) · High £130 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Pentland Hills walkingPapermaking heritageRosslyn Chapel at nearby RoslinGlencorse and Castlelaw
Airports
EDI Edinburgh Airport (About 10 miles north; taxi £35–45, or bus into Edinburgh then Lothian 37 or Borders X62)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Penicuik: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

0°C

18 rd

Feb

7°C

0°C

14 rd

Mar

9°C

2°C

16 rd

Apr

11°C

3°C

14 rd

May

14°C

6°C

14 rd

Jun

17°C

9°C

14 rd

Jul

19°C

11°C

15 rd

Aug

19°C

11°C

16 rd

Sep

16°C

9°C

15 rd

Oct

13°C

6°C

17 rd

Nov

9°C

3°C

17 rd

Dec

7°C

1°C

17 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Lothian Bus 37 runs every 20 min from Edinburgh's west end via Loanhead, Roslin and Bush, about an hour; Nightbus N37 runs hourly from midnight to 4AM. Borders X62 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh via Glencorse Barracks, about 50 min, and continues to Peebles, Innerleithen and Galashiels. Stagecoach 101 runs hourly via Flotterstone to West Linton and Biggar, with a few daily buses on to Moffat and Dumfries. Inside town everything is walkable; you need a car or a taxi for the hills and the outlying ruins.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Rosslyn Chapel and Roslingo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min from Penicuik

Lothian Bus 37 to Roslin village, then a short walk

Chapel open M–Sa 9AM–5PM, Su noon–5PM; adult £9.50, conc £7.50, child free.

Edinburghgo

Door to door: 45–60 min

Lothian 37 or Borders X62 from the town centre

Castle, Old Town and museums; the obvious base for this area.

Glencorse and Castlelaw

caution

Door to door: About 30 min by bus, then on foot

Stagecoach 101 to Flotterstone, then walk

Good glen and Iron Age hill fort, but check firing-range flags before you go.

Peeblesgo

Door to door: About 45 min

Borders X62 south

Borders town with Traquair House and Dawyck Botanic Gardens a few miles out.

Biggar

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Stagecoach 101 southwest

Small market town with a gasworks museum; buses are hourly.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre (High St and Bog Rd)

Small hotels and guesthouses, walkable to buses, shops and the museum.

Roslin and Loanhead

Closer to Rosslyn Chapel and the retail park; more beds, still on the Edinburgh bus corridor.

Edinburgh

Best base for most trips: 45–60 min by bus, far more choice and later food.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–70 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
£70–110 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
£110 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Small hotel or guesthouse double1 × 1 night × £100£100
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £80£160
Lothian 37 or Borders X62, day return from Edinburgh2 × £7£14
Rosslyn Chapel adult ticket2 × £10£19
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £8£16
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£31
Trip total≈ £170 per person per day, bed included£340≈ US$500

2026 estimate in pounds; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
Restaurant main (Royal Hotel)£15–30 (≈ US$20–40)
Taxi Edinburgh Airport → Penicuik£35–45 (≈ US$50–60)
Glencorse Golf Club visitor round£30 (≈ US$40)
Penicuik Athletic match ticket£8 (≈ US$11) adults, £5 (≈ US$7) concessions, free U16s
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet commuter town and one of the safer places in the Lothians. The real risks are hill weather, unmarked firing ranges and dark rural roads with no pavement.
  • Parts of the Pentland Hills are military firing ranges: heed red flags and warning signs, and do not enter closed ground.
  • Penicuik House is a stabilised shell closed to the public; do not plan a visit around it.
  • Rosslyn Castle is self-catering accommodation: view the exterior only.
  • Rural buses thin out in the evening; check the last return before you set out.
  • Weather on the hills turns fast: carry a waterproof and a charged phone.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
999
Police non-urgent
101
NHS non-urgent
111

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

PenicuikPenicuik

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • Police non-urgent101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No embassies in Penicuik; the US consulate-general and most others are in Edinburgh.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Edinburgh city centre → Penicuik, Lothian 37: about 1 h, day return around £7 (≈ US$10)
  • Edinburgh Airport → Penicuik, taxi: £35–45 (≈ US$50–60)
  • Rosslyn Chapel adult: £9.50 (≈ US$13)

Say or show

  • Single / return to Penicuik, please — Single / return to Penicuik, please
  • Does this bus stop at Roslin? — Does this bus stop at Roslin?
  • Where is the nearest bus stop? — Where is the nearest bus stop?
  • Is the hill path open today? — Is the hill path open today?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?

Buses in this area are exact-change or contactless; check the operator before boarding.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Penicuik. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short, wet days); avoid live-firing dates on the Pentland ranges · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for EDI: last Lothian 37 and X62 departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: High St and the papermaking museum, Glencorse and Flotterstone, Roslin village and chapel.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Papermaking Museum, Rosslyn Chapel, Glencorse GC) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Firing-range and weather fixtures so Pentland walk days can go green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources