12 West Linton and Siller Holes
Walk 13 Roman road
Walk 14 Covenanters and cairns
Walk 15 Walking with wolves
Walk 16 Poets and witches
Walk 17 North Esk Valley
Walk 18 The Monks’ Road
Walk 19 The four tops
Walk 20 The Carnethy 5
Walk 21 Carnethy canter
Walk 22 History in the hills
Walk 23 Flotterstone and Fala Knowe
Walk 24 Two cleuchs
Walk 25 Pentland tops
Walk 26 Historical hike
Walk 27 Exploring Caerketton
Walk 28 Find your way
Walk 29 Reservoir round
Walk 30 Robin’s round
Appendix A Route summary table
Overflow at Glencorse Reservoir (Walk 24) (PHRS)
INTRODUCTION
‘The Pentland Hills are homely and friendly hills; they lie near the bounds of our city habitation, and frequent visiting begets an intimacy and friendship that is real and lasting. The most outlying parts may be reached in the course of a day’s walk, and places of silence, where none will intrude, are easily accessible.’ Will Grant’s words from his 1927 book The Call of the Pentlands are as relevant today as when they were first written. The Pentland Hills comprise a rich tapestry of landscapes and landforms, all neatly packaged within an area easily accessible from Scotland’s majestic capital city. Although principally a grass-and heather-clad, softly rounded hill range, the hills reward further exploration by revealing stunning summit vistas, quiet waterside strolls, deeply incised rocky valleys and wooded walks, as well as a fascinating natural and cultural heritage.
The Pentlands are well known to the people of Edinburgh; even for those who have not actually visited them, they form a familiar backdrop to city life. This hill range – Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘hills of home’ – arouses strong feelings, and on their return to Edinburgh, either by road, rail or air, many people regard their first glimpse of the Pentlands as confirmation of finally arriving home.
The Pentland Hills run southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar, covering an area of 210 sq km, and their generally rounded appearance is the result of sculpting by glaciers and meltwater, They reach a maximum height of 579m at Scald Law, although most lie between 400m and 550m in height.
Approximately 90 sq km in the northern sector of the Pentlands was designated a regional park (the Pentland Hills Regional Park) in 1986, with the aim of acknowledging and safeguarding the landscape, wildlife and recreational value of this important location. The regional park benefits from a ranger service (now called the Natural Heritage Service), which assists land managers and visitors by maintaining the path infrastructure, providing waymarking and interpretation, and giving advice on responsible access. The path network is well signposted, and a diverse range of cultural and natural heritage adds interest to the scenery.
The Pentlands offer good variety for the walker, with the excellent path system, interesting but not too rugged terrain, and proximity to civilisation adding up to a superb introduction to hill walking in Scotland. These hills are especially suitable for beginners (Walks 1 to 7), although the longer and more remote routes (Walks 11, 13, 14 and 15) in the southern end, which is a more open, exposed and remote landscape, with less obvious waymarking and more challenging navigation on some routes, should satisfy the more seasoned hiker. Walks 19, 20, 24 and 25 should also appeal to more experienced walkers. A basic level of navigational skills is required, but none of the routes should cause any wayfinding difficulties.
My approach to writing this guidebook is to imagine that I, as a countryside ranger, am taking the reader on a walk. It reflects what I would point out and note as a ranger on patrol, with the addition of snippets of research that I have found interesting along the way.
The Pentlands are included in many walking guides about the Lothians and Scotland, but to my knowledge there has, so far, been no walking guide dedicated solely to the Pentland Hills. This shortage of comprehensive walking guides led to the writing of this book.
Approaches and accommodation
The Pentlands is one of the most accessible hill ranges in Scotland, well served by roads on all sides: the A720 Edinburgh city bypass to the north; the A70 Lanark road to the west; the A721 to the south; the A702 (T) Biggar road to the east. This network of roads means that the hills are readily accessible by car or bicycle, although bus services are variable. The northern end is well served by public transport from Edinburgh, eg Lothian Buses number 4 to Hillend (Walks 1, 2, 30), number 10 to Torphin and Bonaly (Walks 4, 5, 29), and number 44 to Balerno (Walks 9 and 10), all leaving from Princes Street in the city centre. A regular service from central Edinburgh to Dumfries, via MacEwen’s Coach Services number 100, uses the A702 (Walks 12, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 and 25).
Approaching Scald Law from the Kirk Road end (Walk 21)
Loganlee dam and carnethy (Walk 29)
A comprehensive leaflet entitled How to Get to the Pentland Hills by Bus, with a map and route suggestions, is available from the Pentland Hills Ranger Service. It can be downloaded from www.pentlandhills.org, or is available from the visitor centres at Flotterstone or Harlaw. Check with local operators for the latest service information, or phone Traveline 0871 200 2233.
For those who need accommodation, Edinburgh offers a great choice – campsites, hostels, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and hotels are all within easy reach. Penicuik, West Linton and Lanark are alternatives, and www.visitscotland.com has details of accommodation for all these locations.
Choosing a walk
The walks described are a personal selection, chosen to
