Lothian-90 Walk
A 90 mile walk (in nine sections) across West, Mid and East Lothian. The full traverse has been designed as a quiet, scenic route along quiet footpaths and lanes, with a minimal amount of roadside walking. All sections are easily reached by public transport.
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 124.90 km -
Calculated time: 9 days -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Return to departure point: No -
Vertical gain: + 696 m -
Vertical drop: - 874 m -
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Highest point: 350 m -
Lowest point: 1 m
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District: North Lanarkshire -
Start: N 55.8627° / W 3.76045° -
End: N 55.997563° / W 2.540939° -
Step by step walk
This walk needs several days, find the details below:
Useful Information
Find more information about this walk on Roy's Edimburg Walks website here.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
Lothian is the region of the Scottish Lowlands lying between the Firth of Forth and the Southern Uplands. It encompasses the old, historic counties of West Lothian, Edinburghshire (Midlothian), and East Lothian. The complete ‘Lothian Transect Route' crosses the whole of the Lothians, from its far western edge (Harthill) to its most easterly point (Dunglass), in nine 10-mile long sections. All nine legs have been designed to begin and end at places well served by public transport.
West Lothian sits astride the main routes between Edinburgh and the west. Originally a pleasant, fertile and well-wooded county, West Lothian became industrialised from the 1840s onwards. First ironstone, then coal and shale mining dotted the landscape with bings. Today the remaining bings are treasured as industrial monuments - the pink ones are shale, the grey ones coal. Since WWII the heavy industry has gone and been replaced by electronics and service industries. Thousands of houses came with the development of Livingstone New Town. Such overspill towns were an ambitious post-WWII attempt to meet Scotland’s housing challenge, caused by the shortage in the big cities. Despite all these C19th and C20th developments it is possible to walk across West Lothian along quiet footpaths, through pleasant community woodlands, over reclaimed bings, along riversides and though old country parks.
Midlothian provides more space and solitude. The transect route crosses through the Pentland Hills, ever popular with hill walkers or outdoor enthusiasts, and then onward through more old mining and manufacturing areas into a rich agricultural landscape. Old railway lines nowadays provide handy walking and cycling paths.
East Lothian is one of the most picturesque areas of Scotland. It also had an extremely important agricultural and industrial past. Officially the sunniest and driest area in Scotland, it has a gentle, open aspect and is home to a rich variety of wildlife. It is bounded on the south by the Lammermuir Hills and stretches eastwards to the boundary with Scottish Borders at Dunglass.
Other walks in the area
Harthill to Addiewell, Lothian
Walker 18.72 km
+124 m
-109 m
5h 40
Easy
Departure from North Lanarkshire
First leg of a 90-mile walk (in 9 stages) across the whole of the Lothians, using quiet footpaths, country parks, disused railway lines, river banks, tracks and the occasional minor road.
Shotts to Redmill Cottages - Blackburn, River Almond
Walker 16.95 km
+97 m
-150 m
5h 05
Moderate
Departure from North Lanarkshire
First leg of a 4-part walk down the full length of the valley of the River Almond. This walks is part of the Edinburgh’s five rivers: Source to Sea collection.
River Almond, source to Sea
Walker 58.79 km
+264 m
-448 m
4 days
Moderate
Departure from North Lanarkshire
This walk is composed of 4 stages from Scotts to Cramond and is part of the Edinburgh’s five rivers: Source to Sea project.
Blackburn to Mid Calder, River Almond
Walker 15.28 km
+64 m
-109 m
4h 35
Moderate
Departure from West Lothian
This walks is part of the Edinburgh’s five rivers: Source to Sea collection. This is the second leg of a 4-part route down the full length of the valley of the River Almond. It is a varied walk visiting former mill-site, reshaped shale-bing, miners’ rows, river-side woodlands, two huge shopping malls, eight public works of art.
Addiewell to Mid-Calder, Lothian
Walker 14.97 km
+24 m
-115 m
4h 20
Easy
Departure from West Lothian
Second leg of a 90-mile walk across the whole of the Lothians, using quiet footpaths, country parks, disused railway lines, river banks, tracks and the occasional minor road.
River Clyde walkway from Cardies Bridge
Walker 
15.66 km
+212 m
-210 m
5h 05
Moderate
Departure from South Lanarkshire
Walk part of River Clyde walkway from Cardies Bridge.
Falls of Clyde Circular Walk
Professional from the tourism industry 
11.27 km
+218 m
-224 m
3h 50
Moderate
Departure from South Lanarkshire
Starting in the historic village of New Lanark, follow the Clyde Walkway through the woods, stopping at several viewpoints to see the spectacular waterfalls along the river. The return route brings you down the opposite bank of the river and into Kirkfieldbank, then through Castlebank Park.
The Falls of Clyde, New Lanark
Professional from the tourism industry 
5.92 km
+119 m
-125 m
2h 00
Moderate
Departure from South Lanarkshire
Best experienced after a period of sustained rainfall, this section of the River Clyde is pretty spectacular. Starting in the historical village of New Lanark, the track forms the last section of the Clyde Walkway and is basically a woodland walk with viewpoints to the waterfalls along the river, the most photographed of these being Corra Linn which plunges down 26m over the rocks!
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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.