Pentland Hills Walks
Turnhouse Hill in the Pentland Hills
taking in the views of the Pentland Hills
walking in the Pentland Hills
walking route in the Pentland Hills
Experience easy routes and serious hillwalking amongst impressive upland scenery in the Pentland Hills Regional Park, just a few miles from Edinburgh.
The Pentland Hills Regional Park is a wild and scenic area of upland landscapes that stretches away into Midlothian from the southwest of Edinburgh.
If you are taking a city break in Edinburgh, but would like to get a taste of the big country, this is the ideal place. Walkers from the Scottish capital use this as their practice ground for bigger hills in the Scottish Highlands. If you don’t fancy a serious walking challenge however, there are also plenty of lower level and easily accessible routes in the Pentlands. You can walk along by the reservoirs in a loop, taking in the beautiful scenery.
A number of walks start from points just beyond the city limits, like Balerno and Flotterstone, from where you can strike out into the hills with relative ease. Don’t be fooled by their accessibility, however, for the Pentlands are proper hills, reaching 1,700 ft at Scald Law - the highest point in the Lothians.
Conditions can get pretty tough, so make sure you are properly equipped with a good pair of walking shoes and pack an extra layer for when you up on the windy heights.
The classic Pentlands walk is to conquer the ridge comprising the peaks of Turnhouse and Carnethy Hills, Scald Law and East and West Kips. Once you start gaining height, the views open up, taking in the city of Edinburgh below, the East Lothian coast, the Kingdom of Fife and on clear days, mountains such as Ben Lomond, and Ben Vorlich in the Trossachs.
Whether you’ve had a strenuous day’s walk or enjoyed a gentle stroll in the fresh air, finish with a well-earned drink at the Flotterstone Inn, from where it’s just a short journey by car or bus back to Edinburgh.
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Edinburgh and the Lothians sits on the eastern side of Scotland's central belt, in the heart of the country.
