📌 Penicuik, Midlothian
★★
Set within the rolling grounds of Penicuik Estate, this vast ashlar shell dates to 1761 and is (according to the estate website) considered Scotland’s finest Palladian mansion. Gutted by fire in 1899, the building has undergone recent restoration work and the (admittedly bare) interior is accessible during the summer months. The theoretical opening hours detailed below seem to be a little unreliable, but you can always peer through some of the windows to get a feel for the inside, regardless of whether the doors are locked. The estate does have a car park but can also be accessed by this very worthwhile walk from Penicuik town – recommended.
🌍 Location
📌 Penicuik Estate, off the A766 1 mi west of Penicuik
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 217592
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.819734,-3.250868
🚌 Bus stops on Carlops Road (A766) near Rullion Road junction, Penicuik (1 mi)
🚗 Car park at 🧭 NT 212599 / 🛰️ 55.826088,-3.246676 (0.5 mi)
📝 Key info
⌚ Exterior always viewable. Interior: theoretically daily, April to October
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 10-min walk (each way) to the house on a surfaced track.
