West Kip - The Pentland Hills
As a youngster living on the edge of Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills became a natural place for my friends and I to play. Things are no different today and all these years later I continue to visit the Pentland's on a regular basis, summer and winter, come rain, snow or sunshine.
What a marvelous resource to have on your doorstep, indeed where else in the UK is there a range of hills so close to such a vibrant and beautiful city as Edinburgh - there are undoubtedly, great opportunities to combine culture and the great outdoors in one fantastic short break here? Within 15 minutes of leaving my house I can access pretty much most of the Pentland's. What is also particularly good about these hills is the fact that there are so many different walks and variations, so that it's just not possible to tire of them. West Kip is a typical example.
At 551 metres, West Kip is a mountain in miniature, and probably the most shapely of the Pentland peaks. Unlike the other hills in the range it has a remarkably narrow and rocky summit crest that is gained by a steep, though short pull from whichever direction you approach it and there are certainly quite a few ways of doing that. From the busy car park at Flotterstone, West Kip forms part of the fantastic 16-mile round of all 14 tops in this part of the range, in a good 7-8 hour day out. Also from Flotterstone, it can be climbed as part of the shorter but equally fine round of 6 tops starting with Turnhouse Hill and finishing with a pleasant walk back along Loganlea and Glencorse Reservoirs. Another route is that which starts from Threipmure Reservoir just outside Balerno to the north, a nice little circuit around the sides of Hare Hill taking in Scald Law and the Kips. Then there is the quick blast from just north-east of Eight Mile Burn. However, perhaps my favourite route to the top of West Kip is that which starts at Nine Mile Burn and follows the broad ridge up Monks Rig, past the Font Stone to the top. The return is made back down the steep slope of ascent, then via a lower path to the east, around the flanks of Cap Law and Monks Rig. A lovely little walk of around 2 hours and a perfect breath of fresh air for an evening in June.
For further information about this walk click here
June's Walk of the Month has been kindly provided by Rab Anderson, a native of Edinburgh, who can regularly be found in the Pentland hills lying close behind Edinburgh. Rab is one of Scotland's prominent mountaineers and is a writer, photographer and general outdoor enthusiast. He is also the Marketing Manager for the Scottish Mountaineering Club Publications Ltd, publishers of notable guides such as 'The Munros' and 'The Corbetts and other Scottish Hills'. If you would like to submit a Walk of the Month, please email walking@visitscotland.com
