📌 Roslin, Midlothian
★★★★
50 metres below Rosslyn Chapel is a hidden world that mightn’t seem out of place in its own Dan Brown novel. The River North Esk meanders through a rugged gorge bursting with caves, cliffs, rapids and wildlife within ancient woodland. The west (upstream) half of the gorge has easier underfoot conditions, but the scenery is less dramatic – see here for our separate walk. This page describes the tougher eastern circuit, snaking downstream along narrower paths. Decent footwear is essential, and care required where there are steep drops next to the path.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Rosslyn Chapel 
Roslin Castle (private) 
Descent from Roslin Castle 
River North Esk 
Below Roslin Castle 
River North Esk 
Cave on the opposite bank 
Cave by the riverside path 
Section along the water’s edge 
Wild garlic 
River North Esk detour 
Mansion across the gorge, seen from the east end of the circuit 
Upper return path 
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Rosslyn Chapel, Chapel Loan, southeast side of Roslin village
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 274632
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.855900,-3.162002
🚌 Bus to Roslin
🚗 Rosslyn Chapel car park
▶ 4 km / 2 mi | ▲ 120 m | ⌛ 2 hr
Features: ⛪ Rosslyn Chapel ★★★★; 🏰 Roslin Castle; 🌊 Roslin Glen
⬤⬤ Moderate to Tough | Rough & narrow paths with mud, many unprotected drops & some fallen trees – a little scrambling ability required to negotiate these! Section below Roslin Castle is officially closed. Middle section features potentially slippery rocks, submerged when river level is very high.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with extension: start & Rosslyn Chapel – Roslin Castle entrance – descend steps to west – follow River Esk downstream (below Roslin Castle) to path junction at 🧭 NT 280632 – continue east on lower path to 🧭 NT 285638 – return west by upper path
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Roe deer, sheep, grey squirrels, a heron, mallard ducks, grey wagtails, dippers, butterflies. Wild garlic & bluebells starting to appear. On previous visits: woodpeckers, fish.
Weather: 10°C, sunshine with scudding clouds & a few spots of rain. Breezy.
April 2024 (some photos less recent)
