Walks you can reach from Hartwood by train

Recommended: A very green, quiet and largely traffic-free route, gently downhill towards Edinburgh for most of the way, with a good surface throughout. It follows the Water of Leith Walkway and then the Union Canal towpath and ending through the city's parks and streets. A few steepish slopes but no stairs; the river path can be muddy in places. Follows National Cycle Route 75 for most of its length and is part of the John Muir Way; the Colinton Tunnel is a highlight. Princes Street Gardens open at 7am and close at dusk.

Waterway: three quarters beside rivers and canals.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 3h–6h

Lunch: Cafes near the route at Juniper Green, though most open around 10am.

Warnings: The Slateford Aqueduct has only a narrow, cobbled towpath with a drop, so take care and be patient when passing others.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 3h–5h30

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a fifth of the walk.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A combination of paths and roads and off-road tracks with few climbs.

Time: 2h–4h30

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Tarmac and compacted-earth riverside footpaths (sometimes narrow) with good views over the river and plus longer stretches of pavement through Bothwell and a retail park. A varied route with an uphill finish. Follows the Clyde Walkway / National Cycle Route 75 along the riverside. Bothwell Castle was undergoing extensive restoration and closed to visitors (Sept 2022).

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. The riverside sections can feel isolated and may become muddy after rain.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A mix of quiet roads and good field paths past Kaimes Hill and finishing along the Water of Leith. Paths can be indistinct in places.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: The Glenbrook road has no pavement and tight bends, and a short section on the A70 (Lang Whang) has fast traffic on a long straight; take care. The path is indistinct near Kaimes Wood.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 4h–8h

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Time: 3h–6h

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 4h30–9h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Largely on very quiet country lanes and paths through Black Law Wind Farm and with some short sections on busy roads without a pavement. Avoids the area around Levenseat waste incinerator, which can be smelly in warmer weather.

Time: 6h30–13h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. Some short sections on busy roads without a pavement.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Residential streets and a well-surfaced cycle track give way to rough, potentially muddy unsurfaced paths, then the attractive North Calder Heritage Trail beside an abandoned canal, before busy roads into Holytown. Urban at both ends and attractive in the middle. Follows the North Calder Heritage Trail for about 2km, with the abandoned canal on one side and the North Calder river on the other.

Time: 2h30–4h30

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a fifth of the walk. A middle section over rough ground via unsurfaced, potentially muddy and isolated paths needs care (boots advised; cyclists may struggle). The section along the B802 and Bo'ness Road through roundabouts into Holytown is very busy and noisy (though with a good wide pavement). The mapped route was closed by a temporary barrier at Holytown, requiring a short diversion via Melrose Avenue.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 2h–3h30

Warnings: A fifth urban.

Walk details: Slow Ways.