Hi, I’m Weronika and I’m a 2nd year medical student.
In first year, I stayed in Brae House, where I met a few of my best friends (and my current flatmates). Compared to this year, first year was insanely busy and life was definitely moving a lot faster, but despite the little time we spent in our flat, we explored an embarrassingly small amount of Edinburgh (apart from Calton Hill, which was a short although practically vertical walk, and also where we released the mouse we found in our flat). That, and of course Arthur’s seat, where I have slightly less fond memories of downing beer at 6 AM on “adoption day”. So, I was really looking forward to our Student Selected Component to include ‘Exploring Edinburgh’.
My flatmate Anna and I decided to visit Pentland Hills for the first time earlier this year because we hadn’t left our flat or walked more than 20 metres for about a week. Admittedly, this might not have the been the smartest first trip as it was quite extreme, but the Pentlands have a range of routes available, from “easy” to “moderate”. It would have been wise for us to research this beforehand, but we unfortunately took a spontaneous approach. After getting back and reviewing the different routes, we didn’t recognise any of them and can only claim we were on the “sheep route” because we definitely took a turn onto a sheep farm at one point.
This may be a good time to point out that with the pandemic, it is probably not a good idea to get into hiking and visit the Pentlands right now – not just increasing the amount of people there but also broken ankles and wrists will be a burden to the NHS that they could really do without!
Instead, plan a route for a post-lockdown hike and try to stick to safe, local and lockdown friendly trips.
Some tips for visiting the Pentlands
Following on from the route point, it would be wise to choose a route in advance and maybe screenshot or follow the helpful signs – don’t rely too much on google maps because we did lose signal at some points!- If going in winter, head back sooner than you think you need to; the lighting is not incredible and remember that what comes up must come down and you will have to make it down the muddy tracks you climbed up.(A lesson we learned last year when we climbed Arthur’s Seat at 4pm with a collective battery charge of 20% and shoes with zero grip.)
- If going in summer bring a hat, water and sunscreen.
- Wear layers so you can peel them off if you get flustered with all the trekking – check the forecast and remember that they’re not always accurate, bring a waterproof!
- As my flatmate Anna learned (again), it may not be the best idea to wear mesh trainers as puddles can be deeper than expected and soggy feet are at best disgusting, and at worst a trench foot hazard.
- Don’t overestimate your climbing ability, stick to well-worn paths!
- Keep a respectful distance to cows/sheep/alpacas/any animals you see, including dogs!
While trekking on foot through the Pentlands is free of charge, there are different activities available throughout the year, including taking the Pentlands by pony with the Edinburgh University Exmoor Pony Trekking Section. They have options for different abilities, and different treks, etc. and they have more long term opportunities for students who may want to lead treks and look after the ponies! They currently have paused experiences due to COVID but this would definitely be an activity to look forward to and a chance to try something new. Check out their online shop in the meantime to support the welfare of their ponies.
If you want to experience the Pentlands safely on the ground but would still like a four-legged companion, BobCat Alpacas allow you to take an alpaca for a stroll – again, currently closed for safety reasons!
