Scotland
Blackhope Scar
652M
2138FT
About Blackhope Scar
Rising as the highest point in Midlothian, this is a quintessential Moorfoot hill: a vast, peat-hag-and-heather dome that rewards persistence. The terrain is notoriously boggy, particularly when approached from Gladhouse Reservoir, but the broad summit provides a bleak, impressive sense of isolation overlooking the Lothian plains.
Key Statistics
Rank
65th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
283m
Nearest Town
Data coming soon
Geology
You are walking over the Shinnel Formation, which is made of a muddy sandstone. These sturdy layers of rock form the solid foundation beneath your feet.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT315483
Latitude
55.7235°N
Longitude
3.0919°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old English 'hop', a term common in the Borders for a deep, enclosed valley, while 'scar' refers to the steep, rocky outcrops found on the hill's eastern face above the Blackhope Water.
- •From the summit trig pillar, the view extends across the Firth of Forth to the Fife hills and the distant Ochils, with the volcanic silhouettes of North Berwick Law and the Bass Rock visible to the northeast.
- •The hill holds multiple classifications including Graham and Donald; the latter is a specific list of Scottish Lowland hills over 2,000 feet first compiled by Percy Donald in 1935.
- •While the summit is marked by a sturdy trig pillar and a fence junction, the most permanent feature is usually the standing water; local walkers frequently suggest the Moorfoot Hills would be more accurately renamed the 'Mirefoots'.