Penicuik, Midlothian

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Penicuik is located on the River Esk, in the Scottish county of Midlothian, approximately 395 miles north of London and 10 miles south of Edinburgh.The town has a population of around 25,000. Administratively it is within the unitary council region of Midlothian which covers an area of approximately 354 sq kms and which has a population of around 81,000.

It is an attractive town set amongst the Pentland Hills. At it's heart is the High Street, a busy wide tree-lined thoroughfare which is dominated by the Town Hall, Penicuik's most impressive architectural landmark. The pedestrianised John Street is the main shopping focus. There are some notable historic sites in the area, including several Iron Age forts on the Pentland Hills, the most interesting of which is Castlelaw which was occupied from Roman times, and the old Parish Church of St Mungo. Penicuik is home to the renowned Edinburgh Crystal works, and it is a good base from which to explore the surrounding area and its numerous visitor attractions.

The town's modern history dates from around 1770, when Sir John Clark planned and began building on the town's present site, and to the east of the original hamlet which had existed here. This development included High Street and John Street. The town grew as a result of its paper making industry which only finally ceased during the 1970s.

The nearby Pentland Hills saw the Battle of Rullion Green in 1666 when the Covenanters were defeated by the army of Charles II. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, around 1815, the paper mill was converted for use as a prison camp for captured French soldiers. The French Prisoners' Monument, built in 1830, commemorates this.

Historically the town's economy was based upon paper-making, but with this industry's decline the town has undergone a process of regeneration. Industries remaining include the Edinburgh Crystal works and Dalmore Paper mill, some eight miles outside the town. Midlothian Council is the area's largest employer, with many residents also commuting to work in Edinburgh.

The name Penicuik derives from the Cymric 'pen-y-cog' which means 'hill of the cuckcoo'.