The Pentland Hills - A Walker's Guidebook

A guidebook to walking Scotland's Pentland Hills – a popular, easily accessible range to the south-west of Edinburgh – offer a diversity of landscape as well as a rich natural and cultural heritage. The area's excellent path system, interesting but not too rugged terrain, and proximity to civilisation offer a superb introduction to hill walking in Scotland.

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Walk 10: Pentland Classic

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Distance     17km
Ascent     457m
Time     5 hours
Maps     Ordnance Survey Landranger 66 or Ordnance Survey Explorer 344
Start/Finish     Threipmuir car park NT166638

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I have described this as a classic walk because it contains all the essential ingredients of a good hill day: hills with different characters, a lovely ridge, superb views, great in all seasons, and plenty of natural and cultural heritage interest. It also has the advantage of offering an option to  stop for refreshment about halfway through (at Flotterstone), and walking with your back to the prevailing wind.

1 Begin the walk at Threipmuir car park (NT166638). Leave the car park at the western side (there is a signpost indicating Nine Mile Burn 4M and Glencorse 5M at the junction of the road and the car park) and head along the road towards Redford Bridge. Cross the bridge and walk up the road, lined by beech trees (known locally as Beech Avenue, although not named as such on maps).

At the top of the avenue of beeches turn right (again signposted for Nine Mile Burn), and then after 60m turn left on a rough track and go through a self-closing gate (next to a field gate). The path on the other side of the gate is known as the Red Road.

To the west of the Red Road and beyond is the extensive grouse moorland of Hare Hill. This patchwork of heather is maintained for the benefit of red grouse, but is also favoured by many other birds, mammals and insects. The red grouse is the iconic game bird of the hills. Its sudden volatile appearance, accompanied by a staccato ‘go back, go back, go back’ call, is an experience every walker will associate with heather moors. The piles of white grit along the path are to aid the birds’ digestion of heather shoots, and to administer a medicine to combat a threadworm that parasitises the birds.

2 Go along the Red Road, initially alongside a conifer plantation, then through another gate by some sheep fanks (pens), and gradually ascend to the crest of the path, before going through a gate. There is a signpost here indicating Nine Mile Burn 2.5M. Keep on this track, crossing a well-constructed stone bridge over Logan Burn before climbing again to the foot of West Kip.

3 The path here is well worn and quite stepped. Ascend West Kip by the stepped, grassy slope and enjoy the ridge.

4 Continue straight ahead on the path along the ridge in the direction of East Kip. There is a small dip before the path rises again over East Kip, then descend again, and at Cross Sward (marked on OS 344) go right on a path.

5 Cross peaty ground on this path, and if you want to visit South Black Hill, a short climb brings you to the summit cairn.

6 Return to the path and follow it as it veers to the right the top of Scald Law, marked by an Ordnance Survey trig pillar at 579m. Drink in the air and the views. From the summit the descent requires care, as the path has many loose stones. It zigzags down to the bealach at the Old Kirk Road.

The people of Logan valley would walk over this Old Kirk Road pass to church in Penicuik every Sabbath, and coffins would be borne over the same route – quite a last journey. Ten kilometres, with an ascent and descent of 670m, is a good walk every week. The parish of Penicuik swelled in numbers when the populations of Bavelaw and Logan valley were added. When a census was conducted, the surveyor was granted the use of a pony to enable him to travel throughout the parish.

7 From the bealach cross the stile and go straight ahead on the wide path to make the easy ascent of Carnethy Hill, with its large summit cairn.

8 Continue straight ahead on the path from the cairn, and descend again to a shallow dip before climbing to the cairn on Turnhouse Hill. From Turnhouse Hill walk down the well-worn path, past wind-sculpted trees, and cross two stiles. The slopes fall away sharply down to the valley of Glencorse Burn, and two grassy knolls with bracken-cloaked sides signal the end of the ridge.

At the foot of the last knoll there is a wooden footbridge to your left. Cross this bridge (over Glencorse Burn) and here you have a choice. You can either go right to Flotterstone, where there are facilities and refreshments at the Flotterstone Inn (500m), or continue left along the main route of the walk.

The main route is along the track leading to some old filter beds (as signposted). It goes through two self-closing gates and passes a circular stone building and a stone bothy by the three former filter beds. Walk past the filter beds and take the track uphill, leading to a white wooden gate with a small self-closing gate next to it.
Go through the gate and turn left onto Flotterstone Glen road. Walk by lovely Glen Cottage, once the water-keeper’s house, and along the road for approximately 1km until you reach a gate on the right, just after crossing Kirk Bridge at a bend in the road.

9 Go through the gate and along the path, signposted to Balerno by Harlaw, through Maiden’s Cleuch. Keep on this path as it climbs up to the bealach between Bell’s Hill and Harbour Hill. Follow the well-made path to the shelter belt and car park at Harlaw.

The name Bell’s Hill is first recorded on Knox’s map of 1812. It may be early Scots bellit hill, meaning ‘hill with a bald or bare patch’ or possibly Old Norse bjalli, meaning ‘bell-shaped or rounded hill’.

10 From the car park take the metalled road leading to the left, signposted Harlaw, and walk along to Harlaw House.

Harlaw House and its wildlife garden are a good place for a well-earned breather. The garden offers a grand view of West Kip, which you probably left about three hours ago.

To complete the walk, take the track that goes across the top of Harlaw Reservoir dam, then over the spillway and onto the track before skirting the trees to the north of the reservoir. After 500m or so you will reach Threipmuir Reservoir spillway. A signpost here indicates Threipmuir car park. Go in this direction, keeping to the track that goes along the north shore and past a fishing hut.

Go through two gates as the track climbs gently, passing a track to your left. Remain on the track, and in the trees ahead, to your right, return to your starting point.