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The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
. 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 road....
 and the upper Clyde Valley
River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the eighth 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:

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 of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland. 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 authority council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk ....
 to Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders , often referred to simply as the Borders, is one of 32 local government Council areas of Scotland 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 Metropolitan and non-metropolit...
 and South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire is one of 32 council area of Scotland, covering the southern part of the Counties of Scotland 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 kmē at the northern end of the hills.






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The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
. 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 road....
 and the upper Clyde Valley
River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the eighth 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 Law
    Scald Law

    Scald Law, the highest of the Pentland Hills, is a hill 1.5km north-west of Penicuik, Scotland. The hill is composed of Devonian volcanic rock....
     (579 m)
  • Carnethy Hill (573 m)
  • West Cairn Hill (562 m)
  • East Cairn Hill (561 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 of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland. 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 authority council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk ....
 to Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders , often referred to simply as the Borders, is one of 32 local government Council areas of Scotland 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 Metropolitan and non-metropolit...
 and South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire is one of 32 council area of Scotland, covering the southern part of the Counties of Scotland 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 kmē at the northern end of the hills. The park, together with the rest of the hills, are used for a variety of recreations including hillwalking
Hillwalking

In United Kingdom, the term hillwalking or fellwalking is normally used to describe the recreational practice of walking in hilly or mountainous terrain, generally with the intention of visiting the summit of hills and mountains....
, mountain biking
Mountain biking

Mountain biking entails the sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, whether riding specially equipped mountain bikes or hybrid road bikes....
, horse riding, golf
Golf

Golf is a sport in which players using many types of Golf club including wood , iron , and putter , attempt to hit golf ball into each hole on a golf course in the lowest possible 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 Departments of the United Kingdom Government 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, Harlaw, Clubbiedean, Torduff, Glencorse and Loganlea. 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....
 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....
.

The recording studio of the band Boards of Canada
Boards of Canada

Boards of Canada are a Scotland electronic music duo consisting of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin Sandison . They are signed with Warp Records and have released several works on that label with little advertising and few interviews, while also having an elusive and obscure back-catalogue of releases on their self-run Music70 labe...
, known as Hexagon Sun
Hexagon Sun

Hexagon Sun is an artistic collective based in the Pentland Hills, Scotland. The confirmed members are Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin Sandison, the front-men of the band Boards of Canada, photographer Peter Iain Campbell, Simon Goderich, Mark Garrett, Rachel Stewart, Alan Mackenzie, and Andrew Wilson....
 is said to be located somewhere in the Pentland Hills, although its existence has not been proven.

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.The five-acre Arcadia garden includes concrete poetry in sculptural form, polemic, philosophical aphorisms, together with conventional sculptures and temple-like buildings as well as mature plantings....
, the garden of the late artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay

Ian Hamilton Finlay, Order of the British Empire, was a Scotland poet, writer, artist and gardener....
.

Settlements in or near the Pentlands include:
  • Edinburgh
    Edinburgh

    Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
     suburbs - Balerno
    Balerno

    Balerno 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 Politics of Edinburgh....
     (with Malleny Mills), Juniper Green
    Juniper Green

    Juniper Green is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 9 kilometres south west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentland Hills....
    , Colinton
    Colinton

    Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Juniper Green to the west....
    , Currie, Oxgangs
    Oxgangs

    Oxgangs 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, Edinburgh, Fairmilehead, Colinton and Swanston, Edinburgh and Colinton Mains....
    , Fairmilehead
    Fairmilehead

    Fairmilehead 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....
    , Swanston
    Swanston, Edinburgh

    Swanston is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a small village and residential district, lying in the larger area of Fairmilehead, just south of the Edinburgh City Bypass and five miles from the city centre....
  • Midlothian - Glencorse, Hillend
    Hillend

    Hillend is a small hamlet in Midlothian, just outside the Scotland capital Edinburgh, best known for the Hillend Ski Centre, an artificial ski slope....
    , Nine Mile Burn, Penicuik
    Penicuik

    Penicuik is a Police burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian. The town was developed as a New town in 1770 by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik....
    , Silverburn,
  • West Lothian - Kirknewton
    Kirknewton

    Kirknewton is the name of two villages in the United Kingdom:*Kirknewton, Northumberland*Kirknewton, West Lothian...
    , Livingston is also near.
  • Scottish Borders (traditional Peebleshire) - Carlops, West Linton
    West Linton

    West Linton is a village in the Scottish Borders. It was formerly in Peeblesshire but since local government re-organisation in 1975 now in Tweeddale ...
  • South Lanarkshire
    South Lanarkshire

    South Lanarkshire is one of 32 council area of Scotland, covering the southern part of the Counties of Scotland of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
     - Auchengray
    Auchengray

    Auchengray is a small village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.It has a small church whose architect was Frederick Thomas Pilkington , and paid for by David Souter Robertson of Lawhead House....
    , Carnwath
    Carnwath

    Carnwath is a moorland village on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies about thirty miles south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow....
    , Dolphinton, Dunsyre
    Dunsyre

    Dunsyre is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is 6 miles from Carnwath . Dunsyre is associated with an ancient barony and parish church....
    , Garvald
    Garvald

    Garvald can refer to:* Garvald, East Lothian* Garvald, Scottish Borders* Garvald, South Lanarkshire...
    , Tarbrax
    Tarbrax

    Tarbrax 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 English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored under Charles II of England after the Interregnum that followed the English Civil War....
 of King Charles II
Charles II of England

Charles II was the Monarchy of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland.His father Charles I of England Regicide#The regicide of Charles I of England at Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War....
 when an outbreak of armed rebellion amongst Covenanter
Covenanter

The Covenanters formed an important movement in the Religion in Scotland and Politics of Scotland of Scotland in the 17th century. In religion the movement is most associated with the promotion and development of Presbyterianism as a form of church government favoured by the people, as opposed to Scottish Episcopal Church, favoured by Mon...
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 was fought on 28 November 1666 on the southern lip of the Pentland Hills to the south-west of Edinburgh. A small army of Covenanter rebels was intercepted by government forces commanded by Tam Dalyell of the Binns and routed....
, 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).

External links