Moorfoot hills west  

The Moorfoot Hills from Grain Heads	Dundreich from Portmore Loch	Windfarm on Bowbeat Hill	Sunset on Dunreich	On Longcote Hill
Milkieston Rings	Whiteside Edge from Milky Law	Gladstone Reservoir and Pentlands from Mauldslie Hill	The Moorfoots from Gladhouse Reservoir	The Pentlands and Hirendean Castle
Dundreich from Moorfoot

A delightful circuit climbing up around Portmore Loch in the north-west Moortfoot Hills

A circuit above farming land, visiting ancient forts and following forest edges on hill crests

A delightful circuit climbing up around Portmore Loch in the north- west Moortfoot Hills takes in Dundreich with its fine views to the Pentlands and beyond.

4km south of the Leadburn junction on the A703, an unclassified road is marked to Temple and Gorebridge. 1km up this road a wooden sign marks the start of this route, by which there is limited roadside parking.

On foot, aim down the track to reach the dam on Portmore Loch. Ignore the track heading off left (east) and follow the track hugging the eastern shore of the loch. After around 500m a gate is reached - thru this gate to another one slightly further on at the edge of forestry. Don't go thru this gate, turn left and on a faint grassy track, strike uphill following a wall on the edge of the forest (note the OS Landranger map incorrectly shows the edge of the forest aligning with the burn, the OS Explorer does however mark the edge correctly). At the top of the forest cross over a gate onto the western side of the wall and follow faint tracks through the tussocky grass to Dundreich's summit with a small cairn, trig point and expansive views.

Continue following the faint track sws along Dundreich's crest. The track splits, take the right fork and trace the track as it turns nw following the line of the hill. As the track begins to turn north aiming directly for Portmore Loch, leave it and continue nw, losing height on grassy ground. There are some minor crags (unmarked on OS Landranger, but marked on OS Explorer) to avoid on the way. As the lower ground is gained, a track is crossed, then keeping the fence on your right hand side, aim up hill and to a gate in the wall ahead. Navigating in the forest ahead can be confusing, made the worse by the lack of the tracks not marked on the OS Landranger and Explorer maps ! Through the gate and on a rough track, keep right at the first split. 150 on and now into forestry, the track meets with another coming from the left - keep right. Another 150m on, another track comes from the right - keep straight on. Approaching the remains of the ancient fort marked, another junction is met, keep right and straight on. 350m on, the track reaches a 3-way split, keep straight on. 500m on the track drops to join a more obvious track with a fainter track heading to a gate at the edge of the forest - turn right right at this point and the track will lead you to the dam on the loch, where confusion ends ! Return back to the road the way you came in.

A circuit above farming land, visiting ancient forts and following forest edges on hill crests.

Start from the Eddleston's school and walk south-east up the farm track. Over the bridge over Longcote Burn, 500m further on through a gate on your right. Now in a field, follow a wall for a bit and up to Milkieston Rings - the traces of an ancient fort. Drop east following a wall for 100m, turn through a gate and strike up to the mast just beyond the spot height of 423m. Now on a faint path through heather, reach the edge of the forest. A wall and fence surround the forest, however the terrain underfoot is easier on the forest side of the wall. Along Whiteside Edge, then north over Cardon Law. A gap in the forest allows a fine track to be accessed which then continues north in the forest for 1.5km to Howgate Nick. Then out of the forest, a faint path can be traced following the edge of the forest to its north end, from where tussocky ground is bounded over to reach a fence then the trig point on Dundreich.

On a grassy trod, aim sws, cross the fence again, this time using a gate, turn right (west) and continue downhill to the next col. A track is met and followed around the next bump and over Milky Law. Down to the edge of more forest, a gap between two fence lines is followed west downhill to cross a track. Now in a field with sheep, follow a wall to a gate. Turn thru the gate, around a wood, then cross open fields back down to the track near the school.