Ford Vogrie Crichton Walking Path

Key Points of Interest Walk

Pretty hamlets of Ford and Dewartown Ford to Crichton Castle via Vogrie Country Park Vogrie Country Park, Award win- ning Country Park. Distance: 7 miles /11.3 km Crichton Collegiate Church Vogrie footbridge Ascent: 800 ft / 245 m Crichton Castle (part ruined) Pathhead Summer opening Introduction (Historic Scotland) Time: 3 hours Walk from the small hamlet of Ford, to Vogrie Country Park and on to Crichton Collegiate church and Crichton castle. Start on good tracks and paths. The Terrain: Mixture of well surfaced second half is on informal country paths. paths • Grassy and beaten earth Crichton paths • one short Steep ascent / Castle Route details descent • Muddy in places after Start in the middle of Ford (hamlet). Walk up rain the pavement (away from Pathhead) onto a track left signed Dewartown then right past Woodhead Farm and ending in Dewartown. At public road turn left and in 200 metres turn informal path down the left river bank until you OS Map: No 66 Edinburgh left through iron gates into Vogrie Country reach the end of the park at a pair of bridges. Park. In 50m turn right. Follow this path to the Here there is a choice. For the easier but main car park. Walk along left side of the car longer route, turn left (away from the river) Start point: Ford park to path signed Vogrie House. Walk past then right across a small stone bridge and on near Pathhead, Midlothian the right side of Vogrie House to a path. Now uphill. At the top of the hill turn right, signed follow signs for Alderdean until it reaches the North Woods. This path skirts the edge of the NT 388 644 Tyne Water. Here turn upstream signed park until exiting beside Dewartown and your Crichton Castle. In 200m, turn left over a outward route. Remember to turn right in small bridge and up the steps ahead. This Dewartown signed Ford. For Sat Nav users: path climbs through woodland to a mown

grass path. Turn right then keep left at a Y- Alternative route from Vogrie to Ford: Lat: N 55.86891 fork. Cross a gate and onto the public road. Where the Vogrie path ends beside the river Long: W 02.97808 Turn downhill. and its two bridges, there is a stile straight Just as it levels out and before the river, turn ahead into a grazed field. This is an old right Public transport: Yes left onto a small path on the left side of a of way to Ford. This follows the edge of two fence. In 100m it turns steeply uphill to a fields which have been used for sheep and stile. Cross this, turn right down a beech ave- cows. Pass through a gate following the left Car Parking: Yes nue, then round and up to Crichton Collegiate river bank. There is now a vague path into the Church. Crichton castle is along the track to trees. In places there can be deep water filled Refreshments: Pathhead your right (Historic Scotland). vehicle ruts. Finally after a gate, the track ends in Ford, between two houses. In later Route: Ian Brown Return by the same route until across the summer this route can be overgrown with small footbridge in Vogrie. Now follow the nettles. Photos: Ian Brown