Huntly Cot Hills

Tucked into the northern fringe of the Moorfoot Hills, this broad, heather-clad upland offers a sense of isolation just a short distance from Midlothian. The terrain is characteristic of the range—largely trackless moorland and peat—providing a steady, undulating walk with wide-open views back towards the Edinburgh skyline.

• •The name derives from the nearby farm of Huntly Cot; in Scots and Middle English, a 'cot' or 'cote' refers to a small cottage or a basic shelter for sheep, indicating the hill's long history as grazing land.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point over Gladhouse Reservoir to the north, which is the largest area of open water in the Lothians and a vital wintering ground for pink-footed geese.
• •On a clear day, the view extends far beyond the Moorfoots, taking in the volcanic peaks of the Pentlands to the west and the distant silhouette of North Berwick Law on the East Lothian coast.
• •This hill is often climbed as part of a longer moorland traverse connecting to Jeffries Corse and Dundreich, staying mostly on high, rolling ground above the 500-metre contour.
• •Navigation here provides a quiet education in the Scottish 'hags'; when the mist descends, the rounded, repetitive nature of the slopes makes a compass far more reliable than your eyes.