Falkland and East Lomond - Falkland Hill
Climb from a Royal Burgh to a Hilltop Viewpoint
Falkland, on the lower slopes of the Lomond Hills and the edge of the green and fertile Howe of Fife, has had a chequered history. It was a fortified site before the 12th century, and by the mid-15th century had become the playground of the Stuart kings, who rode out hawking with hooded falcons or hunted wild boar. By the end of the 1700s, Falkland Palace — once a magnificent hunting lodge — was in ruins. Thomas Carlyle described it as "a black old bit of coffin or protrusion shin bone sticking through the soil of a dead past". It was restored by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, who acquired the keepership in 1887.
Start Point
Falkland
Grid Ref: NO 25434 07455
Total Distance
4.8 miles (7.7 km)
Total Climbing
398 metres
Estimated Time
3 hours
Difficulty Grade
Hard
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)
Essential paper map for exploring Glenrothes North, Falkirk and Lomond Hills:
