South Black Hill

South Black Hill stands in the Pentland Hills range in Midlothian, Scotland. It rises to 534 metres and is the fourth highest point in the chain. The hill lies four kilometres west of Penicuik and five kilometres north of Carlops. East Kip and West Kip stand to the west while Scald Law is to the north. Bronze guns were once reported near Eastside Farm but their whereabouts remain unknown. A Neolithic axe measuring 115 centimetres was found 500 metres northeast in 2002. A large foundation on the slopes may have supported a cross removed by a farmer in the 19th century. On the south-east flank, the remains of an Iron Age hillfort cover an oval area 230 metres by 175 metres. The fort had a wooden palisade and was later expanded with a second wall. A Roman road once ran near the hillfort, possibly followed by the modern A702. The road’s exact route and destination remain unclear. Visitors walk the slopes and find scattered stones and earthworks from the fort’s defences. The flat summit offers wide views across Midlothian and the Pentland Hills. The area is quiet and open, with few signs of modern development.