Yardstone Knowe

Rising to 513 metres in the Moorfoot Hills, this unassuming summit occupies quiet moorland south of Edinburgh. The name 'Yardstone' likely refers to an old boundary marker or standing stone, though no such feature is prominently visible today. Open terrain and sheep-grazed slopes characterise the ascent, with views across the Southern Uplands when earned.

• •The name 'Yardstone Knowe' combines Old English elements: 'yard' may derive from 'geard' meaning an enclosure or boundary, while 'knowe' is Scots for a rounded hilltop or knoll, suggesting this was once a significant boundary marker in the landscape.
• •As a Donald Dewey, Yardstone Knowe sits just below the 2000-foot threshold that defines the better-known Donalds, occupying that peculiar middle ground of hills high enough to demand respect but modest enough to be frequently overlooked.
• •The Moorfoot Hills form a natural barrier between the valleys of the Tweed and the Forth, and were historically used as summer grazing grounds for sheep, with old drove routes crossing these uplands between the Borders and Edinburgh markets.