360-degree views of Edinburgh from Blackford Hill

STUNNING vantage points with 360 degree views of Edinburgh and its surrounding hills and countryside can be seen from Blackford Hill.

Our 3km route around Blackford Hill. Google Maps image.

Our picturesque journey up begins amongst some of Edinburgh’s suburbia on Cluny Gardens, situated to the East of Morningside, and only two miles South of the centre.

Use the main entrance and veer anticlockwise on our circular route that first enters the Blackford Pond area. Allow the instant tranquillity that the water feature offers to wash away any of your worries as you begin.

A jogger passes the other side of Blackford Pond.

Children can be seen playing in a park beside the large pond, and you pass many benches lining the water where swans and ducks float by peacefully. 

The playground next to Blackford Pond.

Weeping trees cascade into the water as they calmly sip the surface water and create an enchanting scene.

One imagines that in the early hours of the morning before people rise that the fairies and pixies might visit here to dance and bathe with the birds who inhabit the pond – namely little grebe, heron, pochard, mallard and tufted ducks.

A swan looks for food in Blackford Pond.

Coots and moorhens also nest safely amongst the reeds in the island in the middle. 

Keep right at the end of the wetland patch, and continue on the North West of the hill passing Edinburgh’s Midmar public allotments nestled between Bradford Hill and the houses that sit comfortably behind. These allotments caused much controversy when planners sought permission to build on the grounds of the park.

Midmar allotments.

An entrance to the allotments.

Continue on the path at the foot of the hill where you will begin to see views of the Braid Hills further South of the city.

Head up a stair path, surrounded by gorse bushes, to the top of the Bradford Hill – or take an elongated route by continuing on to the Hermitage of Braid along the Braid Burn and then double back to the steps.

At the beginning of the stairs.

Steps to the top.

At the top of the 164m (539ft) summit are beautiful 360 degree views of across the city in all directions and of surrounding hills including Arthur’s Seat to the North, as well as the Pentland Hills to the South.

These spellbinding panoramas extend to Fife to the North and over the Firth of Forth to the distant Lomond Hills. 

A topograph viewfinder indicates the direction and distance of notable landscape features such as Ben Lomond in Stirling to the West.

Walkers are able to reach a feeling of remoteness with little ascent, and without venturing very far from the city centre. This makes it a fairly popular spot for dog walkers, runners, tourists and families, who form a steady stream of visitors especially on calm and sunny days.

A view of Arthur's Seat and the city of Edinburgh.

A group of sunbathers at the top.

A jogger races to the top of the hill, and checks her watch on reaching the viewfinder.

A silver Schnauzer dog made it to the summit.

A girl in red.

Continue East using the wide grass paths that lead down towards the Royal Observatory. In 1882 three and a half acres of land on Blackford Hill was sold to allow the green domed observatory to be built. It had to be moved from the observatory’s original site on Calton Hill due to pollution from the city-centre which spoiled the view of the night sky for star-gazers.

Part of the Royal Observatory buildings.

It has a grand red sandstone archway at the entrance, which was built in 1887 to commemorate the work of Sir George Harrison who had enabled the city to purchase the hill as a public park. He did so whilst he was Lord Provost of the City from 1882 until his death in 1885, and he was said to have devoted his whole life to the public good. The Harrison Arch commands the entrance to Observatory Road and has inscriptions to honour his character.

Today the observatory houses the UK Astronomy Technology Centre - a national centre for astronomical technology. They design and build instruments for many of the world's major telescopes and their scientists carry out observational and theoretical research into fundamental questions such as the origins of planets and galaxies.

However, it is a quite unique UK scientific establishment as it also houses a popular public visitor centre and the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy use it as a base for teaching and research. Many people who visit Blackford Hill use the building’s car park to begin their walk.

The open space that surrounds the observatory has plenty of pretty spots for a picnic and the occasional bench to a stop off at for contemplation away from the bustle of town.

Coil left around a narrow path at the base of the hill through old broad leaved woodland which contributes to the hill’s 30 acres of mature woodland. You will likely pass others out for a peaceful stroll before you re-join Blackford pond and the exit to Cluny Gardens.

Blackford Hill is one in the series of Edinburgh’s famous “seven hills” where fireworks are set off from on Hogmanay each year to welcome in the New Year. The other hills are Arthur’s Seat, the Braid Hills, Calton Hill, Castle Rock, Corstorphine Hill and Craiglockart Hill.

The Blackford Hill is classically crag-and-tail shaped from when it was formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Sheets of ice moving eastwards scratched the land, exposing rocks and gouging the wonderful valleys and hollows - including the one in which Blackford Pond has formed within.

Views on the retreat back.

Swan and cygnet. Photo courtesy of The Friends of
Braid Hermitage and Blackford Park.

Situated close to the hill you can see the first evidence of the action of glaciers to be found in Scotland at Agassiz Rock. This quarry-like feature that was recognised by the Swiss geologist Louis Agassiz can be seen from the longer version of the walk beside the Braid Burn. The Site of Special Scientific Interest is very popular for bouldering.

The hill was bought for £8000 in 1884 by the Edinburgh Corporation, and the adjacent Hermitage of Braid estate was gifted as recreation ground ‘for the benefit of citizens’ to the city of Edinburgh in 1938 by its final owner John McDougal. 

Other smaller parcels of ground were also bought later, including in 1906 the area known as Egyptfield, which contained Blackford Pond.

The City of Edinburgh Council now own the park and is primarily responsible for its upkeep. A community group called The Friends of Braid Hermitage and Blackford Hill have also contributed to the conservation and maintenance of the area.

Photo courtesy of The Friends of Braid Hermitage and
 Blackford Park. Placing the viewfinder at the top of the hill

Their group have added signage, and information on nature trails, and have helped to refurbish and tidy the pond area. The volunteers also meet kitted-out in their waterproofs and gloves to clean up the burn. 

To involve the local community in environmental issues the team also organise fun activities such as orienteering and various wildlife watches to protect species that inhabit this special expanse of land.

The dirt path leading back to the start.