Walk: Black Hill - Lanarkshire idyll

South Lanarkshire | Auchenheath | Short walk | ★★★

[Looking south over Clydesdale from the summit]

Black Hill is an idyllic viewpoint that looks out over a particularly attractive part of South Lanarkshire, a few miles west of Lanark. Deep valleys, rolling farmland and winding lanes make the area feel more like the English Peak District than anywhere else in Scotland. The summit is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is topped by faint remains of an Iron Age hillfort. Easy to reach through grassy fields, and a perfect place to take a picnic on a warm summer day; pity about the parking arrangements (or lack of).

[Good views east to Lanark from the gentle ascent]

📌 Walk: Black Hill - Lanarkshire idyll ★★★
Start / finish at National Trust sign on minor road 2 mi east of Auchenheath, G.R.: NS 834431 ///sleepless.admire.deal. Very limited parking indeed (don't block gates).

▶ 1 km / <1 mi | ▲ 40 m | ⌚ Short | ⬤ Easy
Features: △ Black Hill (290 m)
Terrain: Faint tracks and paths across short-cropped, grassy fields.

Route & map

Start - Black Hill (just aim for the high point!) - return by outward route


Route credit: Scotland Off the Beaten Track

On our visit

Wildlife: Sheep and cows.
Weather: Warm sunshine above valley haze; light winds.

[Approaching the summit - the fence on the left is crossed by a ladder stile]

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