Priesthope Hill

Rising to 549 metres in the Moorfoot Hills south of Edinburgh, this grassy summit offers a quiet alternative to the better-known Blackhope Scar to the west. The ascent typically follows old hill tracks across open moorland, with heather and rough grazing characterising the terrain. A modest cairn marks the top, with views extending across the Borders landscape.

• •The name likely derives from 'priest' and 'hope', the latter being a Scots word for a small enclosed valley or sheltered hollow – suggesting this area may have once been church land or provided grazing for a religious community.
• •The hill sits within the Moorfoot Hills, a range that formed a natural barrier between the Lothians and the Borders, historically used by drovers moving livestock between markets in Edinburgh and the south.
• •Priesthope Hill is often climbed in combination with neighbouring Blackhope Scar (651m) to the west, the highest point in the Moorfoot range, making for a satisfying ridge walk across open moorland.