Scotland
Mossy Rig
551M
1808FT
About Mossy Rig
Tucked away in the quiet heart of the Moorfoot Hills, this rounded, peat-heavy summit offers a quintessential Southern Upland experience. The name is no misnomer; expect damp, heather-clad terrain and few crowds. It provides a lonely vantage point for looking across the Leithen Water toward the higher bulk of Blackhope Scar.
Key Statistics
Rank
170th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Moorfoot Hills
Prominence
?
22
Nearest Town
Watherston
Geology
You are walking across the Gala Unit 7 formation. It is made of fine, hardened silt and a gritty, muddy variety of sandstone.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT386437
Latitude
55.6829°N
Longitude
2.9773°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines the descriptive 'mossy'—referring to the high-altitude peat bogs characteristic of the range—with the Scots word 'rig,' meaning a long, narrow ridge or hill.
- •Walkers often visit the summit while traversing the high ground between the Gladhouse Reservoir to the north and the deep valley of the Leithen Water to the south.
- •On a clear day, the view to the west reaches across the Midlothian plain toward the distinctive volcanic profile of the Pentland Hills.
- •In the Moorfoot Hills, the word 'rig' usually implies that while you may have reached the top, the ground will remain consistently saturated until you are back in the car.