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The Pentland Hills
Penicuik is the home town of the Pentland hills. Although five of them are Marilyns, they don't appear in any other tables. However, they are much loved by many local people and are well worth visiting if you are in Edinburgh and have a day to spare. They have the distinct advantage that it is possible to use regular buses to reach various points where walks start or finish. IntroductionThe area containing the Pentland Hills is conveniently defined by that enclosed by the A70, the Edinburgh City Bypass, the A702, the road from Dolphinton to Newbigging and the A721. This area of about 250 square kilometers is not crossed completely by any road.
Click on the map below to open a full-screen interactive map. Within this area, the hills are conveniently divided up into three sections: the northeastern hills, bounded to the west by a line running north from the village of Carlops, along the outflow from the North Esk Reservoir, the Gutterford Burn and the drove road to Threipmuir Reservoir. The central hills are then bounded to the West by the Medwin Water (which flows through Garvald), leaving the small area of southwestern hills. The northeastern hills, being the most easily accessible, immediately attractive and closest to Edinburgh are by far the most popular. They are characterised by long, steep-sided and grassy ridges, offering relatively easy ascents on generally good paths and excellent views both near and distant. The individual summits that are particularly (and deservedly) popular are Allermuir, Caerketton and the line of hills from Turnhouse to West Kip. This means that many paths are very busy on good days in both summer and winter. One consequence of this is that, despite conservation efforts, erosion is a serious problem. The central hills are much less frequented due to the longer approaches and terrain that is rougher and less immediately attractive. However, there are some fine hills and ridges, notably Mount Maw, The Mount, Byrehope Mount, East Cairn Hill, West Cairn Hill and Mendick Hill, Although they are not natural lakes, views of the North Esk, Baddinsgill and West Water Reservoirs add to the pleasure of walking in this area. Walking the tops of the centralhills offers a greater physical challenge due to their relatively rough and trackless terrain. Consequently they are probably better avoided by the inexperienced walker. However, the area is crossed by a number of excellent drove roads allowing rapid low-level walking in fine surroundings. Since this area is relatively unpopular, it offers the pleasure of wild and remote walking within relatively easy travelling from Edinburgh and neighbouring towns. The southwestern hills are lower and flatter than those in the other areas and even less frequently visited since the terrain is generally very rough. Much the most attractive summit in the area is the distinctive rocky cap of Dunsyre Hill. There are several (private) driveable tracks giving access to the heart of the area and, with caution regarding the need for navigation skills and experience, there is some good walking to be had in a remote setting. The Pentland Hills and TopsTo define a list of the summits in the Pentlands requires the definition of what constitutes a distinct hill. The criterion used in many lists is a drop of at least 150 metres on all sides. Within the Pentlands, this yields (by definition) just the five Marilyns. Reducing this to 100 metres introduces very few further hills so a figure of 50 metres has been used do define a Pentland Hill in the table below. Some notable summits still do not qualify, so the concept of a Pentland Top has been introduced. What constitutes a Pentland Top is, in the spirit of Sir Hugh Munro, entirely a matter of personal opinion. If there are other summits that it is felt should be added, feel free to email suggestions to Webmaster@PenicuikCDT.org.uk. With the ascent of Muckle Knock on 12th November 2006, the author of these pages completed his round of the summits below. Complete rounds can undoubtedly be claimed by others who have explored the Pentlands in a similarly systematic manner. Information regarding any such completions would be gratefully received by Webmaster@PenicuikCDT.org.uk.
Further informationThis site contains brief descriptions of each hill and top, together with suggestions of how routes incorporating that summit might be devised. These are not proper route descriptions. They are designed for those with some hillwalking experience and must be combined with use of an appropriate map. More detailed advice on walking routes, together with information on other activities within the area is provided by The Pentland Hills Regional Park. The Friends of the Pentlands is a formal charity whose aim is to act as a catalyst to promote the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the Pentland Hills, with particular emphasis upon recreational quality, public access, cultural heritage, landscape and biodiversity. Many fine photographs of the Pentlands have been taken by Dave Henniker, a couple of which have found their way onto the pages of this site. I trust that the use of them here is acceptable.
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