A short walk from the LRT number 10 bus terminus leads to this bridge over the A720. On the 19th of July 2012 a notice warned of flooding but better weather meant this had cleared.
Bonaly Road crosses the Bonaly Burn here and runs parallel to it before ending at a small carpark. Torduff reservoir is uphill to the right (west) and it feeds the Bonaly Burn at this point, then 1.25KM away to the WNW, Bonaly Burn joins the Howden Burn and becomes the Braid Burn.
At the top of the first steep climb up from Bonaly car park.
Photographed on 28th February 2001 on the footpath up to Bonaly Reservoir. The wind has sculpted the drifted snow into stepped contours. The exposed heather plants give an indication of scale.
5th of May 2010 and the reservoir is full to the brim.
Looking across the overflow to the trees bordering the south bank.
The snow has been blown into the water as the water was freezing, giving this fascinating creamy / cloudy consistency.
Another view of the snow in the previous picture. The wind has swept the overflow channel in the foreground clear of snow. You can see paw-prints where some small creature, perhaps a rabbit, has scampered across the west side of the dam.
From the same point but facing southwest towards Harbour Hill. The shore is covered in snow right up to the reservoir's frozen surface.
Halfway along the dam. The hills in the background are Capelaw and Harbour Hill.
An atmospheric view of the reservoir from the east.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita is a poisonous and psychoactive fungus. It'll either kill you or blow your mind. This little specimen, found in the woods overlooking Bonaly, had only recently popped out of the ground and still has soil sticking to it.
Sunlight was streaming through the trees on this frosty February morning. From here there's a steep path up the trees to the top of White Hill. This is actually a tributary to the Bonaly Burn called Dean Burn. It joins the former near Bonaly Tower
There are two rather rough paths from here. A fairly short climb up the right hand side leads up to the top of the broad (and steep) tree-lined track up from the Bonaly car park. The left route leads up a steep climb through the woods to White Hill.
After a steep climb there's a small plateau before the path gets steep again. You might possibly see roe deer here.
Bonaly Reservoir as seen through the trees near the outflow.
Whitehill Trees 13 was taken on a path up through the woods overlooking Bonaly. Photographed November 8th 2014
If walking from the former Polo Field and following the burn through the trees you'll reach this steep path a little further on. We met a party of horse riders descending these steps on horseback.
The concrete, box-shaped buildings of Sighthill are obscured by the mist which lingered lower down on this day in April 2011.
The view to Whitehill from the cobbled track leading straight up from Bonaly car park.
Glassy calm on Bonaly Reservoir in this view from Harbour Hill. Calton Hill and the Nelson Monument are in the far distance 9.5 kilometres away.
An alternative way up to the lower slopes of Capelaw from the Dreghorn direction is via these woods on the east side of Whitehill, the hill overlooking Bonaly and the Polo Field.
Bonaly Country Park, just above the car park. Two people are on top of the hill overlooking Torduff Reservoir.
The end of August 2009. Some pictures of the path from Hillend to Boghall. This view shows the city bypass on the left and Straiton Retail Park to its right.
There are a few quite steep climbs but none as long or as steep as the path up the end of the hill above Hillend Ski Slope.
A later photograph of the same trees as Hillend-Boghall 10 taken in March 2011.
The upmarket housing project built on the grounds of the former Princess Margaret Rose Hospital. A fence separates the houses from the trees on the ridge. Only 55M of trees separates these Margaret Rose streets from Galachlawside and other streets at Buckstone.
A rest from climbing as the path south follows the contour.
A stile and a sign pointing uphill to Swanston via the top of the ski slope or along to Boghall.
A later photo taken in March 2011 shows the same signpost.
The path joins the other, lower path. The same location as Hillend-Boghall 17 and Hillend-
Caerketton 2 pictured above.
The path continues along the contour as it emerges from the trees.
Boghall Farm can now be seen through a gap in the trees.
The route to Boghall from the top of the ski slope with views over the Esk Valley.
Frosty February morning. The Braid Burn passes under the A720 bypass here.
Stunted, windswept trees defy the elements where Braid Law meets Cap Law, north of Quarrel Burn Reservoir.
Those trees again - from close up.
December sunshine accentuates the surface textures and reveals sheep dotted about a bare field, possibly dining on turnips.
Shearie Knowe is the lower hill on the left. Further along there is a stile where you can cross the fence and take a path down to the bridle path. Left for stables, right (up the hill) for Swanston. The hill on the right is Byerside Hill. From this point the fence turns left and continues on a dyke, south, up to Allermuir's summit.
Wild flowers galore in this meadow between Dreghorn and Bonaly.
The path from Phantom's Cleuch heads north then reaches the fench running south east of Bonaly Reservoir. Dragonflies were mating on the fence wire.
The male arches his abdomen. Both cling to the wire. Although they have six legs each (like other insects), they can't walk.
I zoomed in a bit closer.
The female is green, yellow, brown and black. Her wings are still folded.
She's attempted to take off it seems - but the male has got a firm hold. His wings show up well in this shot. Each of his larger pair of wings has one opaque section near the tip.
They wiggle about but the male is holding on tight to the wire.
This lasts a few seconds...
And then they're both stationary again.
Sheltering from the wind, 25th January 2017. Also a 360º image (scroll down).
From Bonaly looking up at Whitehill
Snapshot of part of the 360º image of Dean Burn
Snapshot of part of the 360º image of Dean Burn
The Dean Burn which flows past the car park at Bonaly
Snaphot of part of the 360º spherical view near the top of Whitehill
Bonaly houses as seen from Whitehill
Long lens photo from Capelaw
Approaching Bonaly from the Torduff area. Whitehill overlooks the area.
I've photographed these trees since film SLR days.
Alpacas seen from the path from Torduff dam to Bonaly.
The woodland walk from Torduff to the steep part of the main Bonaly track.
A shelter made from found materials
Inside the shelter you can see the living tree in the centre.
A path leading from Torduff direction to the foot of the steep, cobbled avenue just up from Bonaly car park.
Going straight across the main steep slope leads over the burn.
A corner of the path from Bonaly to the former Polo Fields or further on to Dreghorn
from the road leading to Bonaly carpark
You can click the Theta icons at bottom left of an image for many more options, full-screen, alternative views etc. (Ricoh’s promotions have become intrusive in April 2021 and I may remove all images.)
360º Spherical panorama at Bonaly Reservoir in the
Pentland Hills Wednesday 24 August 2016 #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Spherical panorama at Bonaly Reservoir in the Pentland Hills Wednesday 24 August 2016
360º view at the water’s edge, Bonaly Reservoir #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
360º view at the water’s edge, Bonaly Reservoir
360º View beside the trees at Bonaly Reservoir #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
360º View beside the trees at Bonaly Reservoir
Sheltered from the wind at Bonaly Reservoir today. 360º spherical image. A few conventional photos later,,, #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Sheltered from the wind at Bonaly Reservoir today. 360º spherical image. Click the Theta logo for other options. Try Planet View!
Climbed Whitehill through the woods today. 360º of Dean Burn at Bonaly. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Climbed Whitehill through the woods today. 360º of Dean Burn at Bonaly.
Same 360º view of Dean Burn but HDR enabled. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Same 360º view of Dean Burn but HDR enabled.
Almost at the top of Whitehill above Bonaly. 360º interactive image. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Almost at the top of Whitehill above Bonaly.
Back to Pentlands Index
