Maiden Law

Rising to 502 metres in the Moorfoot Hills, this grassy summit sits in the rolling terrain southeast of Edinburgh. The hill's modest height belies its position as a Donald Dewey, offering walkers a straightforward ascent across moorland typical of this quiet range between the Scottish Borders and Midlothian.

• •The name 'Maiden Law' combines two distinct elements: 'Maiden' possibly referring to an unmarried woman who once held land here, or alternatively a corruption of 'midden' (a dunghill or refuse heap), while 'Law' derives from Old English 'hlaw', meaning a rounded hill or burial mound.
• •The Moorfoot Hills form a natural barrier between the Tweed valley and the Lothians, historically serving as drove routes for cattle being moved from the Borders to Edinburgh markets.
• •Maiden Law stands near the southern edge of the Moorfoots, with Blackhope Scar and Windlestraw Law – the range's highest point at 659m – rising to the northwest.