Hare Black and Bell's

[past my sell by date]

Having done the North and Southern sections of the (near) Pentlands, I was left with Hare Hill, Black Hill and Bell's Hill to do.
I started again from Silverburn, but level with the quarry I headed L on a track which joins the "Red Road" near the bottom of Eight Mile burn

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The track heading L below Black Hill South is not shown on the map

Looking W along the track towards Quarrel Burn reservoir

Junction with the Red Road

The row of mature beeches beside the track were not yet in leaf

two views across this beautiful rural valley

The farm at Eastside nestles below West Kip

At the high point the Red Road heads West of North

Looking directly across to my first objective Hare Hill, there is an obvious track leading to the summit: I headed straight for it crossing the footpath that leads down past the waterfalls: this area at the head of the Logan burn is drained by a fan shaped series of ditches, and found the going quite dry

Views of the Pentland Way chain of hills from near the low point

Views from Hare Hill summit

Summit cairn with Black Hill behind

There is an old quarry at the top

The Kips

Scald Law, Carnethy and Turnhouse hills

East Cairn hill

I walked easily down grassy slopes with a final steep descent into Green Cleugh, crossed the Cleugh, climbed the track up the other side towards Harlaw - and branched off R just before the stile . The track climbed steeply for about 25m and then levelled off beside a fence heading roughly E . I came to an open gate and headed L up a narrow footpath through the heather which climbed gradually NE to join the big landrover track that climbs this hill. A very painless ascent

A close up view of Black Hill from the slopes down Hare Hill: my route can be seen L of centre

Hare Hill from the lower slopes of Black Hill with continuation of Green Cleugh on its R

Looking back West through the gate

Looking back down the heather path
I stopped briefly at the insignificant flat summit - not even worth taking a photo - and continued down the big track that led on towards Bell's Hill. After a hundred metres or so I took a couple of pics

A big track continued NE towards Bell's Hill

A wider view: Castlelaw and the N Pentlands behind: Glencorse reservoir on the R
The track descended into Den Cleugh (I seem to be there every weekend ) and I climbed the familiar track to Bell's Hill

The grassy track up Bell's Hill

Carnethy Hill, Scaldlaw and the Kips from the flat summit of Bell's Hill

Looking back to Black Hill

Detail showing the track down Black Hill

Castlelaw and the North Pentlands

Harbour Hill: I found that there was a direct track to the head of Maiden Cleugh:

Looking down Maiden Cleugh to Glencorse
I took the "bypass" track - it's fine in the dry - and followed the familiar route to the "corner of Bonaly woods

The path heads north beside the woods surrounding Bonaly Reservoir

Approaching Bonaly woods: It's an easy descent from here