Walking the Five Peaks of the Pentlands, Edinburgh’s best-kept secret

Behind the Scottish capital lies a spectacular route that inspired the country’s literary greats, says Stuart Kenny

Loganlea – Pentland’s answer to Lake Louise (Stuart Kenny)

Perhaps it’s the romanticism and history of Edinburgh’s famous Old Town, from the dramatic castle rock to the ancient closes below, that mean so few visitors to the Scottish capital stray beyond the city limits and into the hills beyond them. Or perhaps it’s simply because such remarkable views and nature are so easily accessible from the city centre itself, with Calton Hill being virtually on the edge of Princes Street, and the extinct volcano Arthur’s Seat also nearby.

From either of those beauty spots you can gaze out on the city, backdropped to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills – the latter one of my favourite places to walk in the world, a magical kingdom of trails, traverses and unkempt nature. Appreciation of the 100 km sq Pentlands is in no short supply with locals. I’ve lost count of the friends who’ve said they’ve turned to the hills for some escapism during lockdown, and the same stands true for me.