I love walking in the Pentland Hills near where I live. It’s not that I’m really a hillwalking type, but being so close and accessible, they are something I’ve been to a lot. That said, not been that much of late so when we had what could be the last sunny day of the year, I was happy to get the chance to go for a wander. It’s very good exercise too, walked 11km with camera bag and tripod. The route I took is in the map below, starting at the car park at Harlaw. For the most part, it’s a fairly easy walk but the descent down from Black Hill in Green Cleuch is a little bit tricky as the path is thin with loose stones. This is the trace from the phone as we walked.

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As you descend towards Black Springs you go down the middle of a line of trees.

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You emerge at the very tail end of Threipmuir reservoir, which offers this view of the little red stone hut at Black Springs.

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The little red hut gurgles with the waterworks inside. This is one of my favourite spots. I prefer it in the winter when it looks a little more desolate and the heather is more obvious when all the other plants have died back. The wall behind that runs alongside the side of Black Hill is where I headed next.

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Looking back past the stone hut down to Threipmuir Reservoir.

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The look back as you start to ascend along the side of Black Hill.

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Black Hill isn’t really black but from a distance it is very dark.

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Looking back down at Threipmuir from the side of Black Hill. This is where you’re end up in a while as you complete the loop. The line of trees you can see in the centre of the picture is a great little avenue, this is an old photo taken down there.

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After you have tiptoed down the side of Black Hill, you get this view back from from Green Cleuch ( I think that’s what it’s called ).

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The ever-spectacular Bavelaw Avenue. And if you do the loop this way round you only have to walk down the big hill, which is a bonus!

And then you start to loop back round towards Harlaw. If you poke your head in the Ranger Station you will see this picture I took ages ago in the wall, I checked it’s still there.

As get to Harlaw you can look back across Threipmuir reservoir, this photo was taken on a very icy New Year’s Day.  This was the photo that started my photo-love of the Pentlands, any excuse to repost it!

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