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Name:East Cairn Hill
Hill number:1809
Height:567m / 1860ft
RHB Section:28A: Firth of Forth to the River Tweed
County/UA:Scottish Borders, Edinburgh
Catchment:Triples, Catchment Boundaries, Esk (Musselburgh), Forth, Tweed
Watershed:Firth of Forth, Mull of Galloway to St Abb's Head, Tweedmouth
Class:Marilyn, Hump, Dodd (500-599m), Donald Dewey, Current County/UA Top,
Yeaman
(Ma,Hu,Tu,5,DDew,CoU,Y)
Grid ref:NT 12807 59313
Summit feature:small cairn
Drop:172m
Col:395m  NT143598  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 65 72
(1:25k) 344
Survey:Abney level
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill
Notes:
  • Edinburgh current county/UA top

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 347 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Have not experienced such a wet walk in a long time …..under foot so many areas of water , some quite deep. Across bog to bealacah, still damp under foot,onto vairn and then back track ( in eain hail nist ) to hih point. Very tired after this.VerySlowPlodder28/02/2024
Anti-clockwise round from B.Farm with diversion to Cock Rig. Shouldn't this Marilyn be named East Cairn Hill East South East Top to distinquish it from the eponomously named nearby summit?lordtonult19/11/2023
MMC walk with Donald's lead. Chilly but dry day. Took Rosiealexmaclennan19/11/2023
From Little Vantage car park on Heather's birthday. First couple of kilometres squelchier than expected.willyross30/09/2023
East Cairn Hill and Mount Maw circuit, West Linton - Walkhighlands routehummusg13/07/2023
JEB, RIB, Bran HFB02/01/2023
Parked at Baddinsgill. Followed Thieves Road across open moorland. After approx 3.5kms at NT118178 there is a waymaker post with an ATV track heading left uphill, not shown on OS map. This continues all the way to the summit. Followed path down wall and back up East Cairn Hill. At path junction went left to visit the shelter, then along ridge to summit (4 rocks was possibly once a cairn). Followed path which becomes an ATV track along fence doglegging off to Dodd summits, over Wether Law, The Mount, Grain Heads Mount Maw. Continued down ridge over Faw Mount on an ATV track to meet Thieves Road then the road. 10.3 miles our 5.5hrs.JulieB30/10/2022
Parked at little Vantage & followed cross borders drove road, thieves road then up to cairn followed by true summit. Return via path down by fence mid way between 2 tops, to cauldstane slap. Detoured on return, to track past wiers and onto A70, as we encountered 2 bulls on footpath near Gala Ford which started pawing the ground as we approached.Hirta08/08/2022
Parked at spaces provided at Baddinsgill Farm. Round of hills - Faw Mount, Mount Maw,Grain Heads, The Mount, Wether Law and finishing at East Law hill. Extended on to the large cairn at the end of the ridge, which is worthwhile, and then descent (paths) into Cauldstone Slap and return to farm along the Thieves Road.sarahk04/08/2022
With E. Parked at Baddinsgill. Followed Cross Borders Drove Road/Thieves Road across open moorland. After approx 3.5kms at NT1184157926 there is a waymaker post with a path heading left uphill, not shown on OS map. This continues to a stone wall and uphill to the summit trig point. We then followed wall back down to Cauldstane Slap and uphill to East Cairn Hill following fence which turns SE to summit marked with a small cairn. Returned to huge stone cairn with extensive views to Firth of Forth, Ochils and Trossachs and beyond. Descended East Cairn Hill to Cauldstane Slap and back along Drove Road.Beeliner28/04/2022
Parked at Little Vantage. Followed Pentlands path until side path to the Cairn. From the Cairn went southwest to the summit. Back down following the fence to the Pentlands Path and then onwards to Little Vantage.JAdair9731/03/2022
10.3 mile circular from Baddinsgill. Followed path near farm to Baddinsgill House then climbed straight up the side of Faw Mount on ATV tracks ascending fairly easily onto Mount Maw, grassy ATV tracks took us over featureless Grain Heads to The Mount's unmarked summit. From here we descended easily to Deer Hope col and up sheep tracks to Wether Law's unmarked summit having to climb a barbed wire fence on the way. From here it is pathless heather to the fence climbing up trail onto East Cairn Hill, the summit being quite boggy. We descended to Cauldstane Slap then followed the trail up to West Cairn Hill. From here we followed ridge for a bit further followed by a pathless heather bash down by non-existent grouse butts to pick up track, we followed this over grassy Muckle Knock and descended track, then Thieves Road back to Baddinsgill. 740m ascent overall. Sunny but hazy so views were restricted. Saw 2 other people. Afterwards we drove back into Edinburgh and bagged Dunsapie.DanTrig23/03/2022
From parking just SW of Little Vantage. Cross Borders Drove Road to the high point at Cauldstane Slap then followed the fences to the top.JohnR25/02/2022
Circuit from Baddinsgill.thekirkie pirate20/12/2021
LDWA Central & Lowlands social walk Mount Maw, Grain Heads, The Mount, Wether Law, East Cairn Hill.tsharp17/10/2021
Walked from Carlops to Borestane then up and back to summit. Continued on to Balerno.the pigguy 03/10/2021
West and East Cairn from car park on a beautiful sunny day. Great views from top.Ramblingpaul18/07/2021
From Balerno bus terminus via East Rigg and past Lintonshiels, then up tracks serving grouse butts. Very pleasant. Visited 561m point too. Back via Borestane and Cockburnmill to Balerno. Superb views nearly all day.Thearlaichdubh18/06/2021
5 of 6: From Wether Law. Very windy. Following the Walk Highlands description. We continued straight on for photos at the large cairn on the spur track. With Karen.ChrisR14/06/2021
From Baddinsgill Farm (several parking places at woodmill at end of public road), continued N along Drove Road to Cauldstane Slap, then followed wall NW to ridge of East Cairn Hill and SE by wall to summit, descended directly S then SW to regain Drave Road and back to Baddinsgillkdbennett12/06/2021
Little Vantage car park, Drover's Way to Baddinsgill Reservoir then Mount Maw, Grain Heads, The Mount, Wether Law and East Cairn Hilltsharp03/06/2021
The large cairn on this hill is almost 1 km WNW of the highest point. From the large cairn there is a view that includes all the tops in the Pentland Skyline circuit.langskill03/04/2021
Cross Borders Drovers Road from parking near BadinsgillSawmill. Operated Ham Radio SOTA from summit but brief due to heavy rain.G4OBK (Phil)05/08/2020
With Iain. 'Run' from West Linton to Silverburn via W/E Cairn Hills, W/E Kips and Scald Law.iangpark27/08/2019
With Iain - sunny then a bit galey and wet near the summit but the rain didn't last. Visited the shelter cairn twice along with summit once, a good viewpoint but a very boggy walk from Harperrig.Chris Mac17/08/2019
A nice walk from Baddinsgill to the top of the drove road at Cauldstane Slap, then along the N side of the fence on a good path to the summit plateau. Wandered around the summit area to be sure of the bag. Then on to Wether Law, the Mount and Mount Maw, and easily down the W ridge. Best to stay high and go through the gates into the forestry because the bridge below the reservoir has gone and the path along the river is barred to walkers, meaning you have to go uphill quite steeply to regain the high path.Gill06/07/2019
Circuit from Baddinsgill Farm with return via Thieves RoadRobB19/06/2019
Anti clockwise loop from golf club taking in Mount Maw, The Mount, Wether Law, East Cairn Hill, West Cairn Hill, Craigengar (tough going) and Byrehope Mount. Glorious day.SS19/04/2019
From Little Vantage CP with F, who returned to the large cairn while I went on to examine south top.agentmancuso23/03/2019
Parked on grass verge 30m S. of cattle grid at 126546. The 4th of 7 Donald Deweys on a clockwise circuit of Baddingsgill Reservoir, staring with Byrehope Mount & finishing on Mount Maw. From West Cairn Hill, down left side of wall to col; perhaps better down right side as no wall to cross - From col, well-used path along fence line to unmarked summit. Continued to Wether Law. (S)gerrybowes14/02/2019
Wonderful snowy walk. Challenging. Deep soft snow in heather.Paths poor higher up. Windy with snow flurries and windy. With Jack. 6 hoursLangbank 03/02/2019
From Baddinsgill Fm, parked right at end of the public road. Byrehope - Muckle Knock - West Cairn - East Cairn - Wether - The Mount - GraonHeads - Mount Maw. Nice 17k horseshoe walk on surprisingly good ground, lots of quad tracks and human/animal trods.jonglew28/10/2018
Solo. From Little Vantage. Plus both 561m tops.Dangerous Dave31/07/2018
Parked at Baddinsgill And followed old drove road to Cauldstane slap the over the stile and sharp right up steep path - at times more like stairs than a path. At top took a left turn out to the North top with hollowed outward and great views over the Lothian Plain. retraced steps to a small cairn then straight on to featureless summit. On to Wether Law via Eastcairn South topJubilado12/07/2018
From Baddingsgill.Chris Peart23/06/2018
From Baddinsgill via West Cairn Hill with C. Also visted easterly Cairn.PeterD23/05/2018
Solo trip, beautiful weather. From Little Vantage car park. Commendable efforts to improve the track with drainage ditches and wee footbridges. A Direct path up to the cairn from NT11555945.Invicta1412/05/2018
From Baddinsgill. West Cairn Hill, East Cairn Hill, Wether Law, The Mount, Grain Heads, Mount Maw & back to Baddinsgill. 1/8 cloud, lt airs, vg vis, -9C, frozen ground. With PM.CJM10/12/2017
Along Cauldstane Slap with CM from West Cairn. Great views east to the Forth and Pentland Hills. With CM.bolton10/12/2017
From Badingsgill. With West Cairn hill. Cloudy and overcast.Roblex04/12/2017
From West Linton golfclub doing a anti-clockwise circuit of the fells starting with Mount Maw and ending on Mendick Hill. Surprisingly few paths.Alan Moore29/11/2017
No obvious summit but loads of bog to try and avoid along the drovers path from the A70. I suggest visiting after a week or two of drought!summitter22/10/2017
Day trip from Stonehaven, chasing good weather. Much fog on road journey but nice sunny weather in the Pentland Hills. Solo. From Baddinsgill along Thieves Road (old drove road) to Cauldstane Slap. Then up “path” beside fence to 561m top of East Cairn Hill. An ancient cairn there and good views too. To highest point of East Cairn Hill – an ill -defined summit and rather unworthy as the highest point of Edinburgh City Council area. Returned same way apart from leaving out deviation to 561m top.pwbellarby26/09/2017
ghaley27/08/2017
A soggy day from Baddinsgill Farm.Gebirgsjaeger02/07/2017
Initial ascent on roadway leading to farm track, past a picturesque reservoir then along a muddy track and through woodland onto a steady climate across heathland. Weather turned midway up with strong winds and driving rain.Simon110021/02/2017
Parked in Carlops Quarry car park (NT 16124 55890.Took way-marked path opposite to Fairliehope, on to North Esk Cottage, east of North Esk Reservoir until wall up east ridge north cutting through small plantation. Followed wall all way up east ridge to summit area. Featurless heather summit hardly worthy of being of being Edinburgh Unitary Authority High Point. Too windy and wet to go on to West Cairn Hill. Descended via Wether Law and The Mount before returning to way-marked path near North Esk Cottage. Again too windy and wet to go on to Grain Heads and Mount Maw.mntainman21/02/2017
On cold, still, overcast day from Little Vantage, out and back. Recovered car key. Rounsfell09/02/2017
Started at Little Vantage Car park. Had been a hard frost so the ground was not too boggy on this day. Beautiful cloud free daythomnorton26/01/2017
Circuit from Thieves Road Baddingsgill Farm, over West Cairn, finishing on Mount Maw. Cloudberries everywhere!N.Morters16/07/2016