Bonnyrigg can be explored through clearly distinct themes: local and architectural history, places of remembrance, and trails and club sports. This mix is useful for planning a trip because it raises different questions. Would you like to learn about historic buildings and monuments, include an outdoor route in your plans, or incorporate a particular sporting interest into your itinerary? For history, names and dates are helpful; for trails, their routes and access points; and for mini rugby, the age groups and seasonal arrangements.
Church, architectural history and places of remembrance
Bonnyrigg Parish Church was the first church built in Bonnyrigg. Its church building opened in 1845 as Cockpen United Free Church. Taken together, these details convey the church’s early place in the town and the name it had when it opened. The year 1845 provides a specific point of reference in the church’s history.
At 17 and 19 Dundas Street stands a neoclassical house dating from the mid-19th century. This approximate date falls in the same period as the church’s opening in 1845. The comparison brings together a precise year and a broader historical period, adding neoclassical architecture to the church’s history.
The places of remembrance also each have their own focus. The town’s war memorial is in King George V Park. Bonnyrigg also has a monument to the miners’ leader Mick McGahey. The town’s history thus encompasses both civic remembrance of war and commemoration of a named figure from the miners’ movement.
Walking trails, cycling and club sports
When planning outdoor activities, it is helpful to distinguish between walking and cycling. The Penicuik–Dalkeith Walkway passes near Bonnyrigg. National Cycle Route 196 runs from Penicuik to Dalkeith and can be accessed at various points in Bonnyrigg. The routes differ in their geographical relationship to the town: the Walkway passes close by, while Route 196 has both named endpoints and access points in Bonnyrigg. Check route conditions and access points before setting out so you can plan your cycling route accordingly.
Sport is also represented in different ways in Bonnyrigg. Broomieknowe Golf Club was founded in 1905; its founding year provides a clear historical point of reference for golf. Lasswade Rugby Football Club in Bonnyrigg offers mini rugby for boys and girls from Primary P1 (from the age of five) to Primary P7. The age groups make clear who the offer is for. Seasonal arrangements may change, so if mini rugby is important to your plans, check the club’s latest information in advance.
To decide whether Bonnyrigg suits your stay, you can weigh up the themes according to your interests: its local history combines specific periods of construction with different forms of remembrance, while the trails differ in their geographical setting and routes. For sporting interests, the golf club’s historical founding year or the age groups and seasonal arrangements of the rugby programme may be more relevant. This gives you a clear starting point for further planning without suggesting that the different themes form a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: North Middleton, Polton, Rosewell, Gorebridge, Roslin, Penicuik, Dalkeith, Loanhead.
For the broader travel overview: Midlothian.
