Pentland Hills Regional Park, Midlothian, Scotland
The Pentlands rise from Edinburgh's southwestern edge — a chain of moorland summits with outstanding views of the city, the Forth and the Highlands. RambleMetric tells you when the conditions are right for Edinburgh's finest hill walk.
About Pentland Hills
RambleMetric is a real-time conditions app for the Pentland Hills — Edinburgh's green upland playground, just 20 minutes from the city centre. The highest summit (Scald Law, 579 m) provides outstanding views of the Forth Estuary, Fife and the Highlands on clear days.
The Pentland Hills are close to Edinburgh but they are real hills — conditions on the summit ridge can be significantly worse than in the city. Haar from the Firth of Forth can arrive within minutes, reducing visibility to near zero. The hills are boggy year-round off the main paths.
Walking Routes
Check the live Visit Score before you set out — conditions here change fast.
Edinburgh's finest day walk — the main Pentland ridge from Flotterstone. Outstanding city and estuary views in clear conditions. Haar can arrive from the Forth with little warning.
Plan Your Visit
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Key Features
On a clear day the Pentland ridge offers outstanding views of the Edinburgh skyline, the Forth Bridges, Fife and the Highland mountains from Ben Lomond to Ben Nevis.
A Victorian drinking water reservoir in a secluded valley — the area has a long association with Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived nearby at Swanston Cottage.
Live Data
All data is fetched from authoritative UK sources and recalculated every few minutes.
Safety Information
The most popular paths from Flotterstone car park are well-made. Off the main paths, the Pentlands are boggy year-round — waterproof boots are essential. Scald Law (579 m) is best avoided in cloud without map and compass skills. The Pentland Hills is a Regional Park — dogs must be on leads near livestock (sheep and cattle graze the hills). Good public transport from central Edinburgh to Flotterstone and Hillend.
All data, scores and recommendations are for informational purposes only. The Visit Score is an algorithmic estimate — not a substitute for your own judgement, local knowledge or official guidance.
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