Blackford Hill & The Hermitage Of Braid Walk Edinburgh – Complete Guide
Updated: 3rd October 2026
Home » Blog » Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland »Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill are two of my favourite places to go for a walk in Edinburgh. The Hermitage is a hidden gem in Edinburgh for visitors to the city but is well-known and loved by locals.
Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve comprises 149 acres, and the area was gifted to Edinburgh city for use as a public park in 1937. It is located in the area of Blackford between Morningside and the Braid Hills.
I often visited the Hermitage of Braid for gorgeous woodland walks along the Braid Burn, and the addition of climbing up Blackford Hill added an extra challenge to a relatively relaxed and easy walk overall.
Blackford Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Edinburgh, and offers some of the best views across the city, particularly views of Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, which are especially stunning and ideal for photographers.
I returned frequently in all seasons to walk the beautiful trails here, but the best time to visit is in autumn to view the beautiful autumn colours!
The lollipop route detailed in this guide starts and returns via the Hermitage of Braid with a circular loop of Blackford Hill. In total, it should take around 1.5 hrs to complete. The walk starts relatively flat through woodland paths along the Braid Burn, with highlights including Hermitage House and Blackford Pond, before gently ascending Blackford Hill to see the Royal Observatory and amazing panoramic views across Edinburgh.
The reserve is easily accessed by public transport using Lothian Bus. If you travel by car, there is plenty of free car parking dotted around access points to the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill. Blackford Hill can also be driven to the top of, if you want to skip the walking bit (but I don’t recommend that, because the walk is gorgeous!).
In this complete guide, discover the walk, highlights and best things to see and do in the area of the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve.
Quick Guide To Blackford Hill & The Hermitage Of Braid Walk Edinburgh
Blackford Hill is No. 2 in our Quick Guide to The Seven Hills of Edinburgh series. Check out the full series here: The Seven Hills Of Edinburgh: A Quick Guide
Related Reads:
- A Walk Around The Braid Hills In Edinburgh – Your Complete Guide
- Autumn In Edinburgh: The Best Places To See Colourful Leaves
- The Seven Hills Of Edinburgh: A Quick Guide
🏴 Read my Scotland Travel Guide for travel tips, itineraries and experiences!
Summary Of The Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid Walk In Edinburgh
Blackford Hill is 164m (538ft) high and is a great hill to climb in Edinburgh. It isn’t very high or particularly difficult (it is much easier than Arthur’s Seat!), but is full of gorgeous and diverse terrain. You’ll cross open grassland, see wild flora and fauna and explore dense woodland (30 acres of it!) along the Hermitage of Braid.
The lollipop route, starting and returning the Hermitage of Braid with a circular loop of Blackford Hill, should take around 1.5 hrs to complete.
It starts relatively flat through woodland paths along the Braid Burn, with highlights including Hermitage House and Blackford Pond, before gently ascending Blackford Hill to see the Royal Observatory and amazing panoramic views across Edinburgh. From the summit, you can see the Braid Hills, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, and the Pentland Hills.
There are many great and well-maintained tracks and trails across and around the hill, some of which are paved. There are also steps which go directly up to the summit, providing a shortcut. So you could change direction and follow a different path if you wish. I have provided options later on in this guide.
You can do this hill easily with trainers if you stick to the tracks, but I like to do the walk in boots.
A walk around Blackford Hill could be combined with the Braid Hills as it is directly opposite, if you wished to do two of the Seven Hills of Edinburgh in one day.
Hermitage Of Braid & Blackford Hill Lollipop Route Walk
Distance: Around 5.6 km / 3.5 miles loop.
Time: Around 1.5 hours at an easy, relaxed pace. The route can be made longer or shorter depending on paths taken.
Terrain: Relatively flat along the Hermitage of Braid in the wooded nature reserve, then ascending to the top of Blackford Hill on paths and grass. There are several staircases. The trail can be muddy in places.
Highlights: Historical points of interest along the Hermitage of Braid, including Hermitage House, Walled Garden and Dootcot, Ice House, and Agassiz Rock. At the top of Blackford Hill, see the summit marker, Royal Observatory and enjoy wonderful panoramic views across Edinburgh.
Dogs: Both Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill are dog-friendly. It is best to keep them on a lead due to wildlife.
Start & Finish: There are several options for starting points. My favourite is to do a lollipop route starting and finishing at Braid Road next to the Lodge Coffee House (bus stop or car parking). This is the walk detailed in this guide and map.
Alternative starting/finishing points are Cluny Gardens/Oswald Rd near Blackford Pond (bus stop); Midmar Dr (car parking); or drive to the top of Blackford Hill on Observatory Rd (car parking).
Public toilets: Located along the Hermitage of Braid walk near Hermitage House.
Accessibility: Check wheelchair accessibility on this trail map.
Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid Walk Route Map
Below is a map of the lollipop route for the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Walk in Edinburgh. You can also view the route in Google Maps here.
The Friends Of Hermitage Braid have a good trail map on their website here.
How To Get To Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid In Edinburgh
Bus to Hermitage of Braid: Lothian Bus services 11, 15 or 15A to Comiston Road and start at the entrance to the Hermitage on Braid Road (just past a little coffee shop).
Bus to Blackford Pond: Lothian Bus service 38 to Cluny Gardens or Oswald Rd.
Car parking for Hermitage of Braid: There is free car parking along Braid Road, the main road at the entrance to the Hermitage of Braid.
Car parking for Blackford Hill: Car parks on Midmar Dr (Google Maps location here and here) and Cluny Gardens (Google Maps location here). You can also drive to the top of Blackford Hill along Observatory Rd and park at the car park outside the Royal Observatory (Google Maps location here).
A walk around Blackford Hill can easily be combined with the Braid Hills as it is directly opposite.
What You’ll See On Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid
Blackford Hill offers amazing panoramic views across Edinburgh city and beyond. From the summit, you can see Edinburgh Castle, Salisbury Crags, Arthur’s Seat, the Pentland Hills, the Firth of Forth and the Lomond Hills in Fife.
At the summit there is a prehistoric hill fort from the Iron Age and the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh.
Hermitage of Braid is a beautiful woodland walk that follows the Braid Burn, a stream running through Edinburgh from the Pentland Hills to Portobello.
The nature reserve used to be private property and so has interesting historical features including a Victorian House, the remains of a Walled Garden and Doocot which used to be part of a castle, and a well-preserved Ice House.
The Hermitage’s beauty has long been admired – here is a quote about the walk:
“The walk along the burn of Braid is romantic in the highest degree. The admirer of nature’s work will find many things justly worthy of his contemplation.” Notes on Hermitage of Braid from Archibald Craig’s scrapbooks, 1825-1850
Points Of Interest At Blackford Hill
Blackford Pond
At the north side of Blackford Hill is Blackford Pond, a lovely spot with benches, ducks and swans and a small play area for kids.
There is a nice walking trail that goes all around the pond with information signs about local wildlife.
The pond was created in the 19th century within a glacial hollow to make a feature of the public park.
Royal Observatory Edinburgh
At the summit area of Blackford Hill is the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh, a large radio transmitter and a meteorological station.
The site was opened in 1896.
The Royal Observatory buildings are architecturally lovely to see from the outside, especially the tower domes.
However, the interior of the observatory can’t be accessed unless you book one of their visiting events.
I’ve been to an astronomy talk at the Royal Observatory before, which was an interesting activity to do as a local.
Visit their website to check what’s on at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh Visitor Centre.
Blackford Hill Fort & Settlement
There is a prehistoric hill fort located at the summit of Blackford Hill. It is estimated that the hill fort was built around 2,000 years ago during the Iron Age.
Along with the fort, circular foundations for houses were found.
Only part of the fort can be seen today, but the site is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
If you want to see artefacts from Blackford Hill, they are on display at the National Museum of Scotland.
Blackford Hill Summit
At the summit of Blackford Hill is a trig point marker and a panoramic viewfinder which shows the points of interest that can be seen from the summit.
Points Of Interest Along The Hermitage Of Braid
The Hermitage of Braid is a pretty little walk along the river Braid Burn. It is one of my favourite places for a short walk in Edinburgh.
Along the trail are several points of interest, including historical buildings and natural features.
The area is wooded, so it is especially nice in the autumn to see the beautiful colourful leaves!
If you follow the path along the Braid all the way to the end, it will eventually lead you to the foot of Blackford Hill.
The Hermitage was long private property, but in 1937 the land was gifted to the city as a public park by the owner, John McDougal.
Old Morningside Toll House
The Old Morningside Toll House is one of the few Edinburgh tollhouses that had survived demolition, but it is not in its original form.
The Toll House used to be situated on Morningside Road. It collected money from people using the road from the 1850s to 1883.
In 1888, the tollhouse was dismantled to make way for the construction of a church and was rebuilt as a gatehouse, next to the entrance to Hermitage of Braid.
The tollhouse is still there today and is now a cafe.
Hermitage House
Hermitage House is the most interesting feature along the Hermitage of Braid walk.
The house was constructed in 1785-1788 for Charles Gordon of Cluny, who purchased the land in 1775. He used it as a city residence. It was designed by architect Robert Burn.
The Hermitage House gives the area its name.
In 1868, Sir John Skelton, famous essayist and historian, lived at the house, and he died there in 1897.
There is a Visitor Centre inside the Hermitage House, so you can go in and take a look. Within the area is a permanent orienteering course. You can buy maps at Hermitage House for £2 or print your own.
Hermitage Walled Garden
The Hermitage Walled Garden is a beautiful spot to see a community garden in action.
The garden has been redeveloped with funding from the Heritage Lottery. Today the garden has lots of wonderful flowers and herbs. Paintings of animals and birds decorate the planters and raised beds.
Friends of Hermitage of Braid take care of the walled garden.
Hermitage Of Braid Doocot
The Doocot is located within the Walled Garden, and it is interesting to see, especially if you’ve never seen one before.
It is older than the Hermitage House and believed to have been built in the 17th/18th century (Historic Environment Scotland).
The Hermitage of Braid Doocot is the second largest in Edinburgh and has 1,965 stone nesting boxes.
The Wall and the Doocot used to be part of a castle, but only the doocot and remains of the walled garden are left.
Ice House
The Ice House is an interesting highlight along the Hermitage of Braid trail. It is located close to the Hermitage House.
An ice house was the predecessor to the modern fridge and used to store and preserve food.
The ice house at the Hermitage is well preserved.
You can see the Ice House through the small stone archway through the barred gates.
Interestingly, it drains into the Braid Burn via a drainage channel.
Sundial
The sundial is located outside the Hermitage House.
An original sundial was installed in 1938 to commemorate the gifting of the Hermitage to the city of Edinburgh.
However, the original sundial was removed or lost sometime during the post-war period.
In 2003, a local resident raised enough funds to reinstall the sundial. The new one is not the same as the original, but the design was created in consultation with relevant stakeholders and features beautiful drawings of wildlife.
Braid Burn
The Hermitage of Braid trail runs along the Braid Burn (stream). The Braid Burn runs from Pentland Hills to Portobello.
The section of the Burn within the nature reserve is really pretty as it is wooded. There are also several bridges crossing the stream at various points.
Blackford Quarry
Blackford Quarry was in operation from 1826 to 1953.
The quarry is now used by climbers and abseilers.
It is also a registered film location.
Agassiz Rock
Agassiz Rock, close to the disused Blackford Quarry below Blackford Hill (inside the nature reserve), is of geological and historical interest.
It was the first evidence of the action of glaciers to be found in Scotland and is named after the Swiss-American geologist Louis Agassiz.
He made the discovery of the rock and its significance in 1840 on a trip to study Scotland’s hills.
Today there is not much to see of the Agassiz Rock. When I visited, I was disappointed because much of the rock has been eroded and fallen away. You could comfortably skip this on the walk. Nevertheless, the site marks the first recognition of glaciers shaping the land in Scotland.
Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid Walk Guide
The wonderful walk combines the beautiful wooded Hermitage of Braid nature reserve with an ascent of Blackford Hill. Along the Hermitage, you can see interesting historical sites and points of interest, and at the summit of Blackford Hill you can see a beautiful panoramic view across Edinburgh.
The walking route starts and ends at Hermitage of Braid but does a circular loop of Blackford Hill, making it a lollipop route! It should take around 1.5 hrs to complete and covers a distance of around 5.6 km.
View the route in Google Maps here.
Start The Hermitage Of Braid From Braid Road
Begin the walk with the Hermitage of Braid. Start at the entrance off Braid Road, beside the old Toll House. Follow the trail leading into the woodland alongside the Braid Burn.
Walled Garden & Doocot
After around 5 minutes or so, you will come across the Walled Garden and Doocot to your right. Take a moment to explore this interesting site.
Public Toilets
Continuing along the trail, you will quickly come to the public toilets. Take the opportunity to use the facility here, as there is not another one along the route!
Hermitage House
Near to the toilets is the Hermitage House, sundial and the Ice House.
From the Hermitage House, there are two options. Either you can veer to the left and take the path crossing over grassland – this is a shortcut to the path that skirts around Blackford Hill.
The other option is to continue all along the Hermitage of Braid path, enjoying a scenic walk through the woodland beside the stream. This is my preferred option, and what I will continue to describe here.
Scenic Walk Through Woodland Along The Braid Burn
After 10 minutes, you will reach a crossroads at a bridge in a small clearing. From here, turn left and take the path that begins to skirt around the base of Blackford Hill. The walk continues in woodland but then becomes more exposed. You will see the grassy area on the left, which is where the shortcut mentioned earlier leads from to meet at this same point.
Shortcut Option: Stairs To Blackford Hill Summit
If you want to take a shortcut straight to the summit, there are wooded steps here leading straight up to the radio mast/transmitter tower near to the summit of Blackford Hill.
For the scenic route to Blackford Pond, continue as described below.
Path Leads Around Base Of Blackford Hill, Above The Allotments
Continue along the path either along the upper or the lower path leading around the base of Blackford Hill. The upper path provides slightly better views as it is more elevated.
On the left, you will see the Midmar Allotments.
Blackford Pond
Both paths lead to Blackford Pond, which will appear on the left after around 10 minutes.
At this point, you could take a detour to walk the circular route around Blackford Pond, to see the bird life.
Begin Ascending Blackford Hill, Towards Royal Observatory
From the pond, take the path ascending Blackford Hill. There are several paths criss-crossing across Blackford Hill, so there are multiple routes to choose from.
My favourite route is to head straight up hill, through the gorse bushes, toward the Royal Observatory. Take a moment to admire the beautiful architecture of the domes.
From the Observatory, walk along the clear path ascending gently upwards towards the highest point.
At The Summit Of Blackford Hill
At the summit of Blackford Hill, there is a trig marker and a panorama viewfinder. It is also the site of a prehistoric fort.
You will have an amazing panoramic view across Edinburgh and beyond. The view from Blackford Hill is one of the best to see Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags.
The summit is a good location for a rest because there are picnic benches.
Descending Blackford Hill
When you’re ready to leave the summit, head down towards the radio mast/transmitter tower. Cross across the grassy paths, passing Corbies Craig – a knobbly rocky mound.
There are two options here to descend Blackford Hill.
The most direct route is to head straight down through the narrow path below Corbies Crag, lined on either side with gorse. This route will lead back to the path taken earlier on the ascent. When meeting the path, turn left and you will return to the cross road/bridge you passed earlier on the way up.
Longer Option: Via Agassiz Rock & Blackford Quarry Route
If you wish to go to Agassiz Rock and the Blackford Quarry, then take the winding path through woodland, leading back to the Hermitage of Braid.
When taking this route, turn right when reaching the Hermitage of Braid path, and within a few minutes you will come across the Agassiz Rock to your right, and the entrance to the disused Quarry a little further along.
Completing The Loop, Finishing Back At Braid Road
Finish the walk by returning along the Hermitage of Braid back to the start.
Things To Do Nearby To Blackford Hill & Hermitage Of Braid, Edinburgh
- Lodge Coffee House: Cafe/coffee shop located in the old Toll Booth at the entrance to the Hermitage of Braid.
- Morningside: The neighbourhood of Morningside is an affluent area with boutiques, charity shops, cafes/restaurants/pubs and a Waitrose supermarket.
- Braidburn Valley Park: A lovely public park with grassy meadows, walking paths and play areas.
- Braid Hills Walk: A beautiful walk nearby to the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill, with gorgeous views and gorse flowers. Read my guide to Braid Hills here.
Quick Guide To Blackford Hill & The Hermitage Of Braid In Edinburgh – Thanks For Reading!
As an Edinburgh local, I frequently visited Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill. I loved the peaceful woodland of the Hermitage trail and the beautiful views from the top of Blackford Hill.
The trail is different to other walks in Edinburgh because of several historical highlights and points of interest along the way.
After reading this post on the best things to see and do at Blackford Hill and the Hermitage of Braid Local Nature Reserve, I hope you enjoy your walk here!
For more information on visiting Edinburgh and things to do in Scotland, take a look at my Scotland Travel Guide. – Lauren x
Where to next?: Combine your visit to Blackford Hill & Hermitage of Braid with the beautiful Braid Hills! Read your guide here: Braid Hills Walk Edinburgh – Your Complete Guide
Blackford Hill is No. 2 in our Quick Guide to The Seven Hills of Edinburgh series. Check out the full series here: The Seven Hills Of Edinburgh: A Quick Guide
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