High up we go. This is Harbour Hill. It rises 421 meters above sea level. Harbour Hill stands proudly in the Pentland Hills. These hills stretch twenty miles. They run southwest from Edinburgh toward Biggar.
Harbour Hill marks a border. It sits on the line between Midlothian and Edinburgh. Midlothian is to the east. Edinburgh lies to the west. Currie is the closest settlement. It is about 3.5 km west of here. Colinton is another nearby town. It is about the same distance to the north.
Capelaw Hill is to the northeast. Castlelaw Hill is to the east. Bell’s Hill is south of Harbour Hill. They form a chain of rolling landscape.
In 1853, the Bonaly Reservoir was completed. It sits on the north side of Harbour Hill. This reservoir supplies water to Edinburgh. Look for the plain concrete boundary stone at Harbour Hill’s summit. It is inscribed “WD” for War Department. Another stone like it stands between Bell’s Hill and Harbour Hill.
Notice the quarry east of the summit. It stretches about 30 meters. It is also 1.8 meters deep. It is not on maps from 1854 or 1905. So, it may be newer. Black Hill and Harbour Hill share a special makeup. Both formed from microgranite or felsite.
The Pentland Hills have a name with old roots. It likely comes from Brythonic words. “Pen” and “llan” mean the Llan at the head of the hills.
Timothy Pont mapped this area in the 1590s. His maps appeared later in Dutch atlases. Joan Blaeu showed two names in his maps. One was “Pentland Hill.” The other was “Penth-landt hill,” for the wider range.
The Pentland Hills’ south and west have sandstone. Some parts contain conglomerates. These date back to the Devonian period. This is known as the Old Red Sandstone. The area also features igneous rocks. These are mostly basalt and andesite. Porphyrite dykes intrude the sedimentary rocks.
The oldest rocks are Silurian mudstones and siltstones. These form the North Esk Group.
The southeastern edge has the Pentland Fault. It drops down to the southeast. The Cairnmuir Fault runs through the middle. It drops down to the northwest.
The Pentland Hills Regional Park opened in 1986. It covers 90 square kilometers. People come here for many activities. These include hiking, biking, and horse riding. You can even ski here. The Midlothian Snowsports Centre has an artificial slope.
Many rivers start in these hills. The Water of Leith and North Esk are among them. Several reservoirs dot the landscape.
The Battle of Rullion Green happened here in 1666. It involved Covenanters. The whole event became known as the Pentland Rising. A cairn marks the spot. It is called the Covenanter’s Grave.
Remember this spot. Harbour Hill gives us a peek into Edinburgh’s natural history. Its rocks and views connect us to the past.