Moorfoot Hills

The Moorfoot Hills form a range of hills south of Edinburgh in east central Scotland, part of the Southern Uplands. Their name comes from Old Norse and Old English words meaning ‘moor’ or ‘heath’ and ‘clearing’. The hills run from Peebles in the Scottish Borders northeast to Tynehead near the A7 road in Midlothian. Windlestraw Law, at 659 metres, is the highest point in the range. Parts of the Moorfoot Hills are designated a Special Area of Conservation for their peat deposits and upland habitats. The hills are built from layers of wackes and siltstones formed in the Ordovician and Silurian periods. Three main formations make up the range, with the Portpatrick Formation creating the main northwest-facing scarp. The Lammermuir Fault and other faults shaped the landscape during the Caledonian orogeny. Peat has built up around plateaus such as Blackhope Scar and Jeffries Corse since the last ice age. A disused quarry near Broad Law shows where granite was once quarried from an isolated intrusion. Visitors find open moorland and sweeping views across the Southern Uplands. The Bowbeat Wind Farm, with 24 turbines, stands between Bowbeat Hill, Blackhope Scar and Dundreich Hill. The range offers quiet paths for walking and a chance to see upland wildlife. The contrast between the wind farm and the ancient peatlands shows the hills’ layered history. The clear air and wide horizons make it a place to experience the raw edge of the Scottish uplands.