Pentland Hills
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar
Biggar, South Lanarkshire
Biggar is a town and former burgh in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated in the Southern Uplands, near the River Clyde, around 30 miles from Edinburgh along the A702. The closest towns are Lanark and Peebles, and as such Biggar serves a wide rural area...
and the upper Clydesdale
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
.
Some of the peaks include:
- Scald LawScald LawScald Law, the highest of the Pentland Hills, is a hill 1.5 km north-west of Penicuik, Scotland. The hill is composed of Devonian volcanic rock....
(579 m) - Carnethy Hill (573 m)
- East Cairn Hill (567 m)
- West Cairn Hill (562 m)
- Byrehope Mount (536 m)
- Allermuir Hill (493 m)
The hills span a number of council regions: from City of Edinburgh and Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
in the north, south-west through West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
to Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
and South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
.
Usage
Pentland Hills Regional Park was designated in 1984, it covers an area of 90 km² at the northern end of the hills. The park, together with the rest of the hills, are used for a variety of recreations including hillwalkingHillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, horse riding, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and skiing at the artificial ski slope at the Hillend Ski Centre.
Today most of the land is upland pasture, along with a few forestry plantations. The Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
have a rifle range at Castlelaw. Much of Edinburgh's water supply is from reservoirs in the hills, including Threipmuir
Threipmuir Reservoir
Threipmuir Reservoir is a reservoir in the City of Edinburgh Council area, Scotland, UK. It is situated to the south of Edinburgh in the Pentland Hills, two miles south of Balerno, near Harlaw Reservoir....
, Harlaw
Harlaw Reservoir
Harlaw Reservoir is a small reservoir in the City of Edinburgh Council area, Scotland, UK, situated in the Pentland Hills near Malleny Mills, Balerno and Edinburgh....
, Clubbiedean, Torduff, Glencorse
Glencorse Reservoir
Glencorse Reservoir is a reservoir in Midlothian, Scotland, UK, two miles west of Glencorse, in the Pentland Hills.It is retained by an earth dam, and it was built between 1820 and 1824 by James Jardine to provide water for the mills of Auchendinny, Milton Bridge and Glencorse, and to supply...
and Loganlea
Loganlea Reservoir
Loganlea Reservoir is a small reservoir in the Pentland Hills, Midlothian, Scotland, UK.The Logan Burn connects the reservoir with Glencorse Reservoir.-External links:*...
. A number of rivers begin in the hills, including the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
and the North Esk
River Esk, Lothian
The River Esk is a river which flows through Midlothian and East Lothian, Scotland.It initially runs as two separate rivers, the North Esk and the South Esk....
.
In the southern part of the hills is Little Sparta
Little Sparta
Little Sparta is a garden at Dunsyre in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, created by artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife Sue Finlay....
, the garden of the late artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay, CBE, was a Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener.-Biography:Finlay was born in Nassau, Bahamas of Scottish parents. He was educated in Scotland at Dollar Academy. At the age of 13, with the outbreak of World War II, he was evacuated to family in the countryside...
.
Settlements in or near the Pentlands include:
- EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
suburbs - BalernoBalernoBalerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
(with Malleny Mills), Juniper GreenJuniper GreenJuniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 9 kilometres south west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east and Currie to the south-west. Administratively, Juniper Green...
, ColintonColintonColinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
, Currie, OxgangsOxgangsOxgangs is a suburb in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is named for an oxgang, an ancient Scottish land measure.Surrounding districts include Caiystane, Dreghorn, Redford, Fairmilehead, Colinton and Swanston and Colinton Mains...
, FairmileheadFairmileheadFairmilehead is a district of South Edinburgh. It lies approximately 3 miles due south of the city centre and borders Midlothian. The area comprises the districts of Buckstone, Caiystane, Swanston, Frogston and Winton....
, SwanstonSwanston, EdinburghSwanston is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a small village lying to the south of the larger suburban area of Fairmilehead, on the south side of the Edinburgh City Bypass off Oxgangs Road, and five miles from the city centre. The name is also used to encompass some of the more modern housing... - Midlothian - Glencorse, HillendHillendHillend is a small hamlet in Midlothian, just outside the Scottish capital Edinburgh, best known for the Hillend Ski Centre, an artificial ski slope...
, Nine Mile Burn, PenicuikPenicuikPenicuik is a burgh and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. The town was developed as a planned village in 1770 by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik. It became a burgh in 1867. The town was well known for its paper mills, the last of which closed in 2005....
, Silverburn, - West Lothian - KirknewtonKirknewton-Places:England*Kirknewton, NorthumberlandScotland*Kirknewton, West Lothian*RAF Kirknewton, a Royal Air Force station in West Lothian...
, Livingston is also near. - Scottish Borders (traditional Peebleshire) - CarlopsCarlopsCarlops is a small village in the Pentland Hills, within the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, close to the boundary with Midlothian.The village was founded in 1784 and developed cotton weaving, coalmining and limestone mining....
, West LintonWest LintonWest Linton is a village and civil parish in southern Scotland, on the A702. It was formerly in the county of Peeblesshire, but since local government re-organisation in the mid-1990s it is now part of the Tweeddale committee area of the Scottish Borders. Many residents are commuters due to the... - South LanarkshireSouth LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
- AuchengrayAuchengrayAuchengray is a small village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.It has a small church whose architect was Frederick Thomas Pilkington , the ground given by George Robertson Chaplin of Colliston House, Arbroath, the uncle of David Souter Robertson of Lawhead House nearby. The church has two stained...
, CarnwathCarnwathCarnwath is a moorland village on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies about south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow...
, DolphintonDolphintonDolphinton is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located northeast of Biggar, 11 miles northest of Carstairs and 10 miles southwest of Leadburn and 27 miles southwest of Edinburgh, on the A702 road....
, DunsyreDunsyreDunsyre is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is 6 miles from Carnwath . Dunsyre is associated with an ancient barony and parish church...
, GarvaldGarvaldGarvald can refer to:* Garvald, East Lothian* Garvald, Scottish Borders* Garvald, South Lanarkshire...
, TarbraxTarbraxTarbrax is a small village in the Parish of Carnwath, County of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is at the end of a dead end road off the A70 road between Edinburgh and Carnwath....
History
There is ample evidence of prehistoric settlement in the area, e.g. the hillfort at Castlelaw, and another at Caerketton.The hills were the scene of an incident in 1666 following the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
when an outbreak of armed rebellion amongst Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s led to a small force of badly armed conventiclers being defeated at the battle of Rullion Green
Battle of Rullion Green
The Battle of Rullion Green in the Pentland Hills, Scotland on 28 November 1666 was the culmination of the brief Pentland Rising . At least 3000 men of the Scottish Royal Army led by Tam Dalyell of the Binns opposed about 900 Covenanter rebels.The Pentland Rising was in the context of the...
, after which the whole tragic episode was (incorrectly) named the Pentland Rising. The incident is commemorated by the "Covenanter's Grave", a cairn after which one of the drove roads across the hills is known (OS Grid reference NT078521).
About 20m into Glencorse Reservoir lies the submerged ruins of the chapel of St Katherine's in the Hope. The founding of the chapel is connected with the story of a royal deer hunt. According to the story, King Robert the Bruce staked the Pentland Estate against the life of Sir William St Clair with the outcome of the hunt of a white deer by the knight and his two hounds, 'Help' and 'Hold', being the deciding factor. The dogs managed to bring down the deer, and in gratitude, and to mark the spot, Sir William had a chapel built in the glen (valley).
See also
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in South Lanarkshire
- List of places in Edinburgh
- List of places in Midlothian
- List of places in West Lothian