Blackford Hill is a hill in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, the capital city of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. It is in the area of

Blackford Blackford might refer to: People with the surname *Charles Minor Blackford (1833–1903), an American lawyer *Hosea Blackford, a fictional character in books by Harry Turtledove *Ian Blackford, a Scottish politician *Isaac Blackford (1786–1859), ...

, between Morningside, and the

Braid Hills The Braid Hills form an area towards the south-western edge of Edinburgh, Scotland. The hills themselves are largely open space. Housing in the area is mostly confined to detached villas, and some large terraced houses. The ''Braid Hills Hotel'' ...

. Together with the

Hermitage of Braid The Hermitage of Braid is an area between the Braid Hills and Blackford Hill. The Braid Burn runs through it. It comprises part of the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve. History The Braid estate was the property of t ...

, it comprises the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve, within which lies Hermitage House.

History

There is an ancient

hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

on the summit area of the hill which, along with the circular foundations of some nearby houses, is protected as a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

. Blackford Hill was bought by the Edinburgh Corporation in 1884, and the adjacent Hermitage of Braid estate was given to the city of Edinburgh in 1938, by its final owner, John McDougal. The gift allowed the Hermitage to be used as "a Public Park or Recreation Ground for the benefit of the citizens." The

City of Edinburgh Council The City of Edinburgh Council is the local government authority for the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. With a population of in mid-2019, it is the second most populous local authority area in Scotland. In its current form, the counci ...

retains ownership of the park and is primarily responsible for its maintenance. This is done primarily through the ranger service, with the assistance of other council teams such as Task Force and Forestry Unit.

Geography

The hill has clear views over Edinburgh to the north, and the

Pentland Hills The Pentland Hills are a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around in length, and runs southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. Etymology The name is first recorded for the farm of Pentla ...

to the south. It is popular with walkers, as it has many well established paths, as well as runners and other leisure users. There is a wide range of flora and fauna within a green belt area of Edinburgh, making it an important target for conservation. Around half of the area is unimproved grassland. The

Royal Observatory, Edinburgh The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh (ROE) is an astronomical institution located on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh. The site is owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The ROE comprises the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK& ...

is located near the summit. The hilltop also features a police radio transmitter and a meteorological station. Craigmillar Park golf course is situated to the east of Blackford Hill, near the observatory, and the Midmar allotments and Blackford Pond are adjacent to the hill on the north side. Midmar Paddock is adjacent to the hill. Owned by the A. J. Laing Trust, proposals to develop it have attracted controversy.

Forestry

There are around of mature woodland on the hill, as well as some new trees on a reclaimed landfill mound planted in the late 1990s as part of the Millennium Forest Community Woodland.

Geology

Blackford Hill is formed from

Lower Devonian The Early Devonian is the first of three epochs comprising the Devonian period, corresponding to the Lower Devonian series. It lasted from and began with the Lochkovian Stage , which was followed by the Pragian from and then by the Emsian, whi ...

volcanic rocks Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcan ...

, lying between

Upper Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wher ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

, the northernmost extent of those found in the Pentland Hills to the South. Geologically the hill is different from the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carboniferou ...

volcanic plugs A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged ma ...

and intrusions which form the remainder of Edinburgh's hills, with the exception of the nearby Braid Hills. Of geological and historical interest is Agassiz Rock, a quarry-like feature, situated close to the hill, which was the first evidence of the action of

glaciers A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

to be found in Scotland, recognised by the Swiss geologist

Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he rec ...

. It is a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

Braid Burn

The Braid Burn is the principal watercourse, flowing for some through the nature reserve. It is a small river, typically around wide by deep, although subject to significant variation. At this location it is approximately half way along its course from a spring in the

, to its mouth at

Portobello Portobello, Porto Bello, Porto Belo, Portabello, or Portabella may refer to: Places Brazil * Porto Belo Ireland * Portobello, Dublin * Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin formerly ''Portobello Barracks'' New Zealand * Portobello, New Zealand, on Ot ...

. There is a tunnel around long in the vicinity of the House.

Blackford Pond

Blackford Pond lies to the north of the hill, and is popular with families.

External links

The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

Friends of the Hermitage and Braid

References

{{Parks and gardens in Edinburgh, state=collapsed Hills of Edinburgh Parks and commons in Edinburgh Scheduled monuments in Scotland Archaeological sites in Edinburgh