Walk: Allermuir Hill – prow of the Pentlands

📌 Pentland Hills, Midlothian
★★★★

The spine of the rolling Pentland Hills comes abruptly to an end with Allermuir Hill and Caerketton Craigs, with only the Edinburgh City Bypass separating the moorland of Muilieputchie from Oxgangs cul-de-sacs. This half day walk therefore offers big contrasts: the curious dichotomy of a spacious, underpopulated southern vista accompanied by the rumble of road traffic 300 metres below – no doubt a strange world for the resident red grouse! The beginning of the route climbs around the chairlift and ski runs of Midlothian Snowsports Centre, eventually leading to easy ridge walking across the tops. The descent has a further surprise in store however: the exquisitely pretty, conservation hamlet of Swanston, where 18th century thatched cottages enjoy a rural idyll barely half a mile from the city limits.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish by A702 at Midlothian Snowsports Centre turnoff, Lothianburn

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 250670

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.889967,-3.201418

🚌 Bus stops on A702

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 390 m | ⌚ 2.5 hr

Features: △ Allermuir Hill (493 m, sub-2000′ Marilyn); 🏠 Swanston

⬤ Moderate | Clear hill paths, steep in places particularly at the start. A little mud, track and pavement section at end.

➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – Hillend Hill fort – Caerketton Hill – Allermuir Hill – Muilieputchie – Swanston – start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Several red grouse higher up. Exmoor ponies, chickens, grasshoppers.

Weather: Sunny, temperature in low teens, breezy on the tops.

September 2019