When in Edinburgh, you may notice some hills in the background. Those hills are called Pentland Hills and are an ideal place to unwind from the bustle and noisiness of the city. Like my previous blog post, this one was also organised for the Photographic Society of The University of Edinburgh.
During our trip, we followed this walking route.
Getting there from Edinburgh
You can reach Pentlands by bus from Edinburgh. To follow the above route you need to take bus 101 or bus 102 and get off at Nine Mile Burn (about an hour later). There is a bus every hour (Monday to Saturday; less frequent on Sundays) and you can take it from various locations around Edinburgh.
Pentland Hills cover a large area, so if you want to follow a different walking route, then you may prefer to get off at a different stop. For example, you can get off at Silverburn (bus 101), Easter Howgate (bus 101) or Snowsports Centre (bus 4, X15 or101).
Hint: Make sure to let the bus driver know when you want to get off so that they stop. The same is true for the return leg: you need to signal the driver to stop, otherwise, they will keep going. Lastly, as the drivers don’t stop on every stop the bus may arrive earlier than planned, so ensure that you leave plenty of time to return to the bus stop and wait for the bus. Don’t forget that they are not that frequent.
Things to do
Pentland Hills are great for outdoor activities, such as walking, cycling and running. The area website talks about horse riding, fishing and camping as well. You can also visit the Midlothian Snowsports Centre for practising your winter sports skills (but don’t expect real snow).
Day Trip to Pentland Hills – Photo Diary
P.S. Make sure that you have an offline map on your phone (or a hard copy one) because the phone signal is not great in there. Also, make sure that you always follow the signs of the route because it is very easy to lose track of the path.
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