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Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags rise above Edinburgh's rooftops under a cloudy sky
Edinburgh

Blackford Hill and the Braid Hills

One of Edinburgh's seven hills, rising above the wooded glen of the Hermitage of Braid, with the Royal Observatory's domes by its summit.

Welcome

Blackford is one of the seven hills Edinburgh is built on, and from its top the view runs across the whole city: the castle and the Old Town straight ahead, Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags to the right.

The domes of the Royal Observatory sit just below the summit, beside the trig point and a view indicator.

The best way up starts in the Hermitage of Braid, the wooded glen at the hill's foot. A path follows the Braid Burn under the trees past a doocot thought to date from the late 17th century, with 1,965 nest-holes, and on to Hermitage House, an eighteenth-century house that now holds the visitor centre. From there it climbs onto open grass and round the flank of the hill. The whole round is under three miles.

The Braid Hills lie across the glen, and a path between railings joins the two.

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The Daily for 30 October, from Scotland with love. Aerial view of a teal-coloured lochan cupped in a forested hollow, a scree slope rising on one side and autumn-tinged pines ringing the shore.
Close byThe Canny Man’sA Morningside pub founded in 1871 and kept by the same family ever since, its rooms crowded with curios, with a long list of whiskies.3 min by roadSee itThe Canny Man’s
The walk

From Braid Road the path follows the Braid Burn up the wooded glen of the Hermitage, past the old doocot and Hermitage House, then climbs out onto open grass and round the flank of Blackford Hill, with the castle, the Old Town and Arthur's Seat coming into view.

A last pull by the Royal Observatory reaches the trig point and view indicator on the top. The way back drops past Corbie's Crag into the woods and follows the burn home.

Distance
4.25 km, 2.75 miles, a round.
Climb
137 metres.
Time
About an hour and a half.
Start
Braid Road, by the entrance to the Hermitage of Braid. Buses run to Comiston Road nearby.
Ground
Woodland and hill paths; one stretch runs above a steep unprotected drop.
Map
OS Explorer 350, Edinburgh.
Before you go

The reserve is open ground and free to walk at any hour.

Parking on Braid Road is limited, so the bus is the easier way. Hermitage House, in the glen, holds the reserve's visitor centre.

Getting there
Bus to Comiston Road, then Braidburn Terrace and Braid Road.
In the glen
Hermitage House and its visitor centre, the doocot, and the old ice house.

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Where it is

On the south side of Edinburgh, between Morningside and the Grange, about two miles from the centre.

Close byThe observatory on the hill, and Morningside below it.
  1. Rows of beer taps line a pub bar with dark green cabinetry and wooden stoolsThe Hermitage BarA traditional Morningside pub with craft beers, ales and whiskies.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Shopfront of Rua, Home Gifts Accessories, at number 215 with window displays either sideRuaA gift shop on Morningside Road run by Cara and James, with their own cards alongside homewares, furniture and local makers' work.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. The Wild West in Springvalley GardensThe Wild West in Springvalley GardensA mock Wild West street hidden up a lane off Springvalley Gardens, built in the 1990s to sell furniture and left standing since.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Dominion CinemaDominion CinemaThe Dom, run by the Cameron family since it opened in 1938.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. Green hillside overlooking Edinburgh's suburbs and the Firth of Forth beyondAllermuir HillThe most northerly of the main Pentland summits, looking straight down on the city.3 miles 11 min by road
Directions
Edinburgh Castle rises above rooftops and trees, seen from a grassy hillsideAttractionsBlackford Hill0.4 miles
Morningside Gallery lit at night, paintings in the window, traffic light trails passingAttractionsMorningside Gallery0.6 miles
Cluttered pub dining nook with a "Pale Ale, Edinburgh" mirror and antiquesBarsThe Canny Man’s0.8 miles
Wooden shelf of books in a dimly lit café interiorAttractionsThe Edinburgh Bookshop0.8 miles
Metal tables and chairs outside Montpeliers Bruntsfield, with potted olive treesRestaurantsMontpeliers0.9 miles
Open grass on Bruntsfield Links under a blue sky, a church spire and tenements beyond the trees.AttractionsBruntsfield Links1.2 miles
Diners at Leftfield on a spring evening, at tables by big corner windows looking out over the green of Bruntsfield Links.RestaurantsLeftfield1.2 miles
A Nepali thali at Mountain Momo: rice and dal with vegetable curries, a dumpling in sauce, pickles and salad on a steel tray.RestaurantsMountain Momo1.2 miles
The bar of the Athletic Arms in Edinburgh, with tall stools at a wooden counter, a black and white tiled floor and shelves of whisky behind.BarsAthletic Arms1.2 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the hill, and when each is next free.

West End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • 2 miles from Blackford Hill
Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Edinburgh
  • 2 miles from Blackford Hill
Check datesA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Edinburgh
  • 2 miles from Blackford Hill
Check datesA hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.Old Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • 2 miles from Blackford Hill
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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