Scotland
Kirklea
468M
1535FT
About Kirklea
Tucked away in the quiet borderlands of the Southern Uplands, this 468-metre Hump provides a classic moorland experience. The ascent offers solitude and expansive views across the Ewes Water valley toward the neighbouring heights of Pike Fell and Arkleton Hill, rewarding those who prefer pathless, grassy slopes to busier peaks.
Key Statistics
Rank
302nd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
107m
Nearest Town
Sanquhar
Geology
You are walking on the Spango Pluton, a massive body of granite-like rock. It formed deep underground as molten material slowly cooled and hardened.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NS771184
Latitude
55.4443°N
Longitude
3.9431°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Kirklea likely derives from the Old English 'cirice' (church) and 'leah' (a clearing or meadow), suggesting the hill or the land below it was once part of a church estate or situated near an early place of worship.
- •It is frequently climbed as part of a longer circuit involving the nearby Arkleton Hill, with the deep notch of the Ewes Water valley providing a dramatic backdrop to the west.
- •From the summit, the view south-east is dominated by the sprawling mass of Pike Fell, while to the north, the higher tops of the Southern Uplands begin to stack up towards the Ettrick Hills.
- •As both a Hump and a Tump, Kirklea is technically significant to list-collectors, even if the local sheep remain entirely unimpressed by its double-classification status.