Alex and Bob`s Blue Sky Scotland: Edinburgh Autumn. Hermitage of Braid, Blackford Hill, Braid Hills, Braidburn Valley Park.

ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.

To do this particular set of hills takes around 3 to 4 hours at an easy sustained pace with two short rest stops, each time sitting on a summit for the views. No 11 bus from Princes Street or Lothian Road takes you trundling up the A702 Comiston Road past upmarket Morningside then lets you off at the Braid Hills Hotel directly between The Hermitage of Braid,( a wooded deep gorge beside Blackford hill),and Braidburn Valley Park. In many places in Edinburgh it is better to go by bus these days. I've been coming to Edinburgh by car for several decades and have climbed all the Edinburgh hills with various hillwalking members over the years. Back then, like Glasgow still is today, you could just park easily on the city outskirts, to access the various parks/ green spaces. On these recent trips however I have noticed double yellow lines on practically every side street in Edinburgh, even in the outskirt districts, and very few places to park anywhere, including here, where we used to leave our car at the Hermitage of Braid entrance. Double yellow lines and the ULEZ city centre zone means it's far easier for me to take the city to city bus now than drive myself and face the slow lane hell daily commute between cities on the frequently busy M8 motorway.

Hermitage of Braid walk, again. At the far end of this pleasant gorge walk, at a very substantial wooden bridge over the small stream, You can't miss it. it is big.) you have a choice of two paths. Crossing the stream right, via the bridge, takes you up to the Braid Hills so I went left up the path through woods to climb Blackford Hill first.

This is a view from halfway up Blackford Hill, looking across at Wester Craiglockhart Hill and Easter Craiglockhart Hill. that I climbed then posted about a few weeks ago..

Blackford Hill summit view. All seven of Edinburgh's hills provide excellent views and while Arthur's Seat is the most dramatic when you are standing on it this also provides the most obvious and dramatic view from the surrounding hills.

Around 1000 or more folk per day swarm up Arthur's Seat in a continuous line to the summit cliffs, some clinging desperately to the chains provided on the way up. I suspect many folk who climb this hill have never been up a steep hill before and although it is only 823 feet high it has a rocky, steep sided, sofa sized, summit, and vertical cliffs in places falling hundreds of feet to the houses and tower blocks below. In strong winds or in full winter conditions I've been up here with ice axe and crampons and been very glad of them both, with every path turned into sheet ice, polished by minus -10 below winds and hundreds of eager footsteps. Even in poor conditions like these hundreds of people still charge up here in city shoes or trainers, no cold weather clothing, and nothing to stop them slipping if it occurred. Having all the gear for winter hillwalking anyway I was having an easy time of it compared to them and even helped a line of folk down at one point, cutting steps for them in the icy paths until they were safe. Even then I thought. "Why aren't more people killed on this hill in winter." It is a proper little mountain at any time of year.

The other seven hills are much quieter and have charms of their own to reveal. Wester Craiglockhart hill here with suburbia lapping around it.

Edinburgh Castle and Quartermile, the modern glass and steel district beside the Meadows.

Wester and Easter Craiglockhart Hills from Blackford Hill.

Salisbury Crags on Arthur's Seat from Blackford Hill. Some of the cliffs you can fall hundreds of feet from in this view. I have been up here at night, in winter, in heavy snow and deep drifts. A magical evening adventure with the lights of Edinburgh twinkling far, far below and only my jewel to share it with.

I retraced my footsteps and memories back down into the wooded gorge again where I found some mushrooms/ toadstools on a fallen log. The shady touch of sweet angels.

Nature recycling logs into new nutrients for the health and well being of the forest. Fungi power.

I took the path over the stream via the large wooden bridge then headed upwards again on a rising path between spiked metal railings which in turn led me out onto the grasslands surrounding the Braid Hills. A view of the cliffs and hidden deep gorge of the Hermitage of Braid. You can see in this photo how much house building land the city of Edinburgh has lost due to its upland regions. Both a blessing and a curse to Edinburgh's future growth as it's already a city cut into large distinct chunks, each chunk separated from the others, like Craigmillar and Niddrie by golf courses and volcanic uplands.

On the Braid Hill grasslands looking back at Blackford hill summit.

Braid Hills summit. The Braid Hills area is fairly extensive but it is also guarded by golf courses so when you come out onto the minor road ( Braid Hills Drive) take a left along it to the other minor road between the golf course HQ and the driving range. Up this then before you reach Meadowhead Farm turn right up a track to the summit. 675 feet in height.

Berwick Law and Bass Rock from the Braid Hills.

A closer view of both. Also ancient volcanic plugs... one out to sea, reached only by boat.

Pentland Hills Ski Slope from Braid Hills.

Edinburgh's suburban hills and meadows.

The path down off the Braid Hills is quick and easy. Straight off the summit down to Braid Road ( path seen here) then into Braidburn Valley Park.

A view of the former Craighouse Asylum buildings, then Napier University... and now converted into upmarket flats the last time I visited. Easter Craiglockhart Hill here. You could include these twin hills on this same walk if you are keen. 4 to 5 hours total then at an easy relaxed pace.

Braidburn Valley park is a shallow valley carved by glaciers sliding down off the 2000 foot Pentland Hills and you can still see the line of the route taken in this photo. It's a charming small park with connections to Robert Louie Stevenson, (when it was just two farms in this peaceful valley) and Muriel Spark writer of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie who used many local settings in her famous book, including this one.

Although a lovely park in it's own right I also noticed a new addition. The shelter had been painted since my last visit.

Yes, Yer man Chris Rutherford at it again. This time with Firhill High School pupils class of 2022. Advanced art no less. Same guy who painted the Colinton tunnel and village murals helped paint this one as well.