Black Hill

Rising steeply above the Leader Water near Earlston, this distinctive volcanic plug offers a short but sharp ascent. Its heather-clad slopes lead to a broad summit plateau, home to the sprawling remains of an Iron Age hillfort. It provides an exceptional perspective of the nearby Eildon Hills across the valley.

• •The name is a simple English descriptive, likely referring to the dark, heathery flanks that distinguish it from the greener agricultural land of the surrounding Borders valleys.
• •The summit is crowned by the remains of a substantial Iron Age hillfort, where the outlines of defensive ramparts and over 100 hut circles can still be traced among the heather.
• •From the top, the three peaks of the Eildon Hills dominate the western horizon, while to the north, the eye follows the Leader Water towards the higher, rounded profiles of the Lammermuir Hills.
• •Geologically, the hill is an intrusion of felsite, a fine-grained volcanic rock that formed around 350 million years ago as part of the same volcanic activity that created the nearby Eildon Hills.
• •For a hill standing at a modest 314 metres, it holds the title of a Marilyn, proving that in the Borders, prominence often counts for more than sheer altitude.