Edinburgh Autumn. Easter and Wester Craiglockhart Hills Gallery.

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A few days after my first Edinburgh trip in five years I did it all again. Outskirts of Glasgow bus just after 9:00 am into Buchanan Bus Station. City to City bus into Edinburgh arriving there around 11am. But on this occasion I got off at Haymarket and walked up Morrison Street to Lothian Road. ( you could get off at West End just at the start of Princes Street which is nearer Lothian Road.) Number 10 Lothian bus takes you to Craiglockhart Shops and Sports Centre which is where you get off to climb Easter and Wester Craiglockhart Hills. I have a Collins Edinburgh Street map, which I've had for decades, and it is really good for planning walks plus essential to find out when you need to get off in a largely unfamiliar city route. Even though I know Edinburgh fairly well by now and have used local buses a lot you can still get lost although the stops are all shown on a screen inside the bus. Number 10 bus also handy for Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill. Edinburgh has seven prominent hills within the city limits ranging from 500 feet to just over 800 feet ( 250 metres) on Arthur's seat. Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill are the most popular as they are both within walking distance of Edinburgh city centre and very visible for visiting tourists. The rest are Corstorphine Hill, Braid Hills. Blackford Hill, Easter Craiglockhart Hill and Wester Craiglockhart Hill. Eight if you include the chunk of rock that Edinburgh Castle sits on but you need to pay £20 or thereabouts to gain access to that summit. My friend Anne and I did them all over two sunny days around six years ago, which some of my readers might remember. Six years ago. How time flies in blog land. All Edinburgh bus routes are available to see online.

Edinburgh bus. That's one of the joys of going to a different city is to see the difference in local transport, hear the local accents, and see completely unfamiliar places. Number 10 and 11 bus routes are handy both ways. Around three to four buses an hour each on Lothian Road but also going the other way from York Place right beside the Glasgow to Edinburgh bus station where the 900 ends its journey. So the 10 and 11 bus stop is just across the road from that taking you 20 to 30 minutes extra to reach the seaside at Western Harbour or Ocean Terminal and Leith Docks. ( I thought I got a 16 bus here years ago but this stop is only for 10 and 11 buses now.) Anyway it's a handy service and so is the number 26 to Seaton Sands for Portobello and the Sunshine Coast. Edinburgh's Riviera.

Craiglockhart Shops. Craiglockhart Sports Centre is nearby. This is where I got off the number 10 bus. On the opposite side of the road from these shops Lockharton Avenue then  LH Crescent takes you to a scenic pond and an area known as 'Happy Valley'. 

Craiglockhart Pond used to be a curling pond in the days when Scotland could expect hard severe winters, being further north than Moscow and on the same latitude as Canada's Hudson Bay. Now it's a nature reserve. A cobbled path ( from where this photo was taken) leads you into woods where you turn left and shortly after a wooden ramp and loads of wooden steps takes you to the summit of this 500 plus foot hill.  

Easter Craiglockhart summit view. I had lunch up here as it was slightly after 12 noon. All the Edinburgh hills have great views and this was no different.

Looking across at the Pentland Hills and the dry ski slope.

A zoom of Arthur's Seat across the golf course.

The real distance between the two hills.

Unlike Arthur's Seat and the crowds on Calton Hill only a few locals and dog walkers make it out this far ... but it is worth it. Any UK city I've explored, admittedly decades ago now, like London, I've  always got buses or trains out to all the outlying parks and districts. It's how you really learn about an area, just like the local commuters do. And how you meet people. Like 'Sarah.' for instance.

A closer view of Blackford Hill, Another fine viewpoint. You can easily do Blackford Hill, the Hermitage of Braid, (a short wooded gorge walk) and the Braid Hills in a few hours, getting different buses from there and back to the city centre.

 Looking across at the Braid Hills. And with my Saltire bus pass its free, keeps me fit and motivated. After my first Edinburgh day with Alan in September 2025, which I really enjoyed, I decided on a few more trips here despite the six hour round trip on buses. Enough time had passed, 5 to 12 years in some cases, that it was all fresh again and with a run of good sunny days in late September and colder days and dark nights just around the corner the thought of Autumn spent in Edinburgh while the trees still had leaf and colour really appealed. Also you can never take anything for granted as in continued good health, financial circumstance, a settled environment i.e. peace or wartime, or free bus pass removal, which certain politicians have been talking about. So seize the day.

Corstorphine Hill and Edinburgh Zoo. A large area of woodland for walks and several good public parks nearby can be added.

East Lomond Hill in Fife across the blue Firth of Forth, Fettes College ( the grey spire building, a posh independent school.) and Donaldsons College, a former deaf school in reddish splendour.

A zoom of Edinburgh Castle From Easter Craiglockhart Hill.

How you get to Wester Craiglockhart Hill, seen here with the Pentland hills behind. is to go back down the way you came up then cut across the woods leftwards (or west) on a good signposted path to Glenlockhart Road and Napier University ( Craiglockhart Campus.)

Napier University. The path comes out beside this car park and another good easy to follow path goes left below the cliff through woods then curves up to Wester Craiglockhart summit.

Different views from this one. I thought this would make a good fantasy tee shot onto the greens below although obviously this summit is not part of the golf course as you have houses, pedestrians, and cars below which might get hit, not to mention carrying a golf bag up here. Easter Craiglockhart Hill from Wester Craiglockhart Hill. You can see the summit where I had lunch in this photo.

Murrayfield Stadium, home of Scottish Rugby.

Wester Hailes and Sighthill Hi Rise Flats.

The obvious path up Wester Craiglockhart Hill.

A golfer's dream. Pentland Hills beyond.

Craiglockhart church below. It was at this point looking at my street map from the summit that another walk presented itself... and the day was yet young.... to be continued...

Edinburgh city centre from Wester Craiglockhart Hill.