Читать книгу Walking in the Pentland Hills. 30 walks in Edinburgh's local hills онлайн

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The Pentland Hills run southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar, covering an area of 210 sq km, and their generally rounded appearance is the result of sculpting by glaciers and meltwater, They reach a maximum height of 579m at Scald Law, although most lie between 400m and 550m in height.

Approximately 90 sq km in the northern sector of the Pentlands was designated a regional park (the Pentland Hills Regional Park) in 1986, with the aim of acknowledging and safeguarding the landscape, wildlife and recreational value of this important location. The regional park benefits from a ranger service (now called the Natural Heritage Service), which assists land managers and visitors by maintaining the path infrastructure, providing waymarking and interpretation, and giving advice on responsible access. The path network is well signposted, and a diverse range of cultural and natural heritage adds interest to the scenery.

The Pentlands offer good variety for the walker, with the excellent path system, interesting but not too rugged terrain, and proximity to civilisation adding up to a superb introduction to hill walking in Scotland. These hills are especially suitable for beginners (Walks 1 to 7), although the longer and more remote routes (Walks 11, 13, 14 and 15) in the southern end, which is a more open, exposed and remote landscape, with less obvious waymarking and more challenging navigation on some routes, should satisfy the more seasoned hiker. Walks 19, 20, 24 and 25 should also appeal to more experienced walkers. A basic level of navigational skills is required, but none of the routes should cause any wayfinding difficulties.