Lockdown wanderings - Braid Hills and Blackford Hill

[jmarkb]

We are fortunate, as city dwellers, to have access to a decent slice of countryside on the south side of town. This area is criss-crossed by a dense network of paths, which makes for a lot of possible variations on a theme, especially while the golf courses are not in use.

To begin, we head south along Mayfield Road and the start of Liberton Brae, then turn off past the Montessori School to get into the fields, where a path leads up to the 15th-century Liberton Tower.

Blackford Hill and the Royal Observatory


Across the fields to Liberton Tower


A closer view of Liberton Tower


The views really open out here:

Craigmillar Castle, East Lothian coast and North Berwick Law


King's Buildings campus, Salisbury Crags and Arthur's seat


Edinburgh Castle, Bishop Hill and West Lomond


Next the Tower there is a field with an interesting collection of animals, including some inquisitive goats:









and some more aloof llamas:



Now we cross Braid Hills Drive and take the track alongside the Golf Course, heading for Mortonhall Caravan site.

Meadowhead Farm


East Lothian


Few-flowered garlic (or Few-flowered Leek) - a pretty but invasive species that carpets a lot of the woodland hereabouts


Tuberous comfrey (I think)


The caravan site is in the former grounds of the very grand Mortonhall House. We follow the drive and then turn right onto a path across the fields, and then path and tracks through the woods on the edge of Fairmilehead and Buckstone.

Mortonhall House


Next we cross Mortonhall golf course, where a heron is making short work of the frog population in the Elf Loch.





Superb display of gorse on the south side of Braid Hills


A short climb leads to the trig point on Braid Hills, the best viewpoint on the walk.

Caerketton and Allermuir Hills


Across the city and the forth to the Lomond Hills. If you look very closely, you can pick out Beinn a' Ghlo on the far left horizon, behind the wind turbines.


Arthur's Seat


Ochils, Forth Bridges and Corstorphine Hill


Now we cross Braid Hills golf course, and the derelict Hermitage course, before dropping down into Blackford Glen.

Braid Burn in Blackford Glen




A short steep climb takes us up through the woods and out onto Blackford Hill.

A Peacock butterfly on the path


Blackford Hill view:


And finally we head down past the Observatory, under the riduculous archway and through the back streets to home.

Nearly home:

[nigheandonn]

I used to look at Liberton Tower every day, because it was in the view from my office window, but I never quite got round to finding out if you could go to see it close up, so thank you for that.

The few-flowered leek is also everywhere at Cammo - and seems to have a *lot* of flowers. Maybe there's another leek with even more?

I could wave to you from Corstorphine Hill some day! But I think quite a lot of Edinburgh is lucky enough to have some kind of access to green spaces and even small hills - it's a good city for that.

[jmarkb]

I used to look at Liberton Tower every day, because it was in the view from my office window, but I never quite got round to finding out if you could go to see it close up, so thank you for that.

You're very welcome!

The few-flowered leek is also everywhere at Cammo - and seems to have a *lot* of flowers. Maybe there's another leek with even more?

I think the name comes from the fact that each stem mostly only has one flower. The closely related Three-cornered Leek/Garlic has more, and looks a bit like a white bluebell: https://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/G/Garlic(ThreeCornered)/Garlic(ThreeCornered).htm

But I think quite a lot of Edinburgh is lucky enough to have some kind of access to green spaces and even small hills - it's a good city for that.

Yes, indeed. Might go to Holyrood Park for a change today!

[nigheandonn]

My leek it has three corners, three corners has my leek...
That does make sense, thanks!

I'm thinking of wandering through the parks up Drumbrae - not as wild, but a change of scene

[RiverSong]

I enjoyed your photos but missed out on seeing the Pentlands from Braid Hill, it's a fantastic viewpoint for them. Blackford Glen is just a magical place to go for a walk.

[denfinella]

We've pretty much done all of your route, in bits, over our last few lockdown walks!