East Lomond – The Short, Steep Way Up Falkland Hill
About 2.4 miles on foot.
East Lomond is the steep green cone that stands over Falkland, and local people call it Falkland Hill.
From the car park high on the hill road it's 1.9 km to the top, where an Iron Age fort once stood, and the view takes in most of Fife and the Forth. It's a short climb but a stiff one, and lunch is at Pillars of Hercules at the foot of the hill.
- Time
- About two hours: 1.9 km (1.2 miles) each way, short but steep, to the top at 448 metres.
- The path
- A short steep slope, a wide uneven grassy path and a steep climb to the summit, with kissing gates. Not for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
- Where to start
- East Lomond car park, on the hill road between Falkland and Leslie. Free for under two hours, £2 for the day, paid into an honesty box. Open 7am to 8pm from October to March.
- When to go
- All year in daylight, on a clear day for the view. The car park shuts at 8pm from October to March. From November to January set off by 12.30pm.
- Dogs
- On a lead: sheep and cattle graze the slopes.
- Children
- A steep climb that a fit child of eight or so will manage; open and windy on top.
- Before you set out
- The car park shuts at 8pm from October to March. The path is wet and slippery after rain and the top is exposed.
The walk
Park at the East Lomond car park, high on the hill road between Falkland and Leslie. It's free for under two hours and £2 for the day, paid into an honesty box, and from October to March it's open from 7am to 8pm. There are toilets at the car park. From here it's 1.9 km to the top of East Lomond, and the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, which looks after the path, allows an hour each way. It begins with a short steep slope, eases onto a wide, uneven grassy path, and ends with a steep climb to the summit at 448 metres.
It's wet and slippery after rain, so wear boots. The hill is the remains of a volcano that died over 400 million years ago. Its top was the chief fortress of the Venicones, a Celtic tribe whose name means the hunting hounds. After the Romans left, around 410, it became a seat of the Pictish kings of Fib, the kingdom that gave Fife its name. The grassy banks of the fort are still there, and a view indicator on the summit names what you can see, which on a clear day is most of Fife, the Forth and the hills to the north.
East Lomond is also the only place in Fife with red grouse. Sheep and cattle graze the slopes, so keep dogs on a lead and stay on the path. The top is open and windy, so take a warm layer even on a mild day. From November to January, set off by 12.30pm.
If it rains
The summit is open to everything and the grass is slippery when wet. Keep it for a clear day: in cloud there's no view at all.
Afterwards
About 5 min by car
Pillars of Hercules
Lunch
Lunch is at Pillars of Hercules, an organic farm with a vegetarian café on the A912 just west of Falkland village, a short drive down the hill road and through Falkland. The café is open every day from 9am to 4pm and serves soups, curries, pasties, baked potatoes and pressed sandwiches, with scones and cakes and plenty for vegans. There's nothing to book. If it's full, Café 1821 in the Stables on Falkland Estate is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, with last food orders at 3pm.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Where to eat
Pillars of Hercules, a restaurant in Falkland.
The Stag, Falkland, a restaurant in Falkland.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Iain Thomson via Google