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Name:Cairnpapple Hill
Hill number:1827
Height:312m / 1024ft
RHB Section:28A: Firth of Forth to the River Tweed
County/UA:West Lothian
County (CoH):West Lothian (CoH)
Catchment:Forth
Class:Marilyn, Hump, Tump (300-399m), Historic County Top, Yeaman
(Ma,Hu,Tu,3,CoH,Y)
Grid ref:NS 98755 71148
Summit feature:no feature 5m NE of trig point
Drop:167.9m
Col:144.1m  NT 0048 6796  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 65
(1:25k) 349E
Observations:trig point is located in a small depression; ground to 10m NE of trig point is c 5cm higher; large mound 140m E at NS 98896 71144 is c 1.5m lower; viewpoint 300m E at NS 99062 71126 is c 2.5m lower
Survey:Abney level
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill
Notes:
  • West Lothian historic county 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 392 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
From roadside. And then the knock. Lovely day lovely views.VerySlowPlodder26/02/2024
With Raven Craig, Cairnpapple Henge, James Potter's stone circle, Bathgate Hills and The Knock. A multitude of paths, off road driving tracks, beautiful gorse & a couple of fences.Lynnebe26/05/2023
P small CP below The Knock, over that then on to Neolithic site at North Top, then back along the road for revisit.agentmancuso27/04/2023
From roadside, no cattle about.colazione17/11/2022
Small car park (NS 99040 71021), easy walk up the road and across a field to the trig.G0HIO12/08/2022
From Knock car park after ascent of Knock first.sarahk02/08/2022
From the car park just below The Knock. Walked short way up road through gate and up field to trig and HP. Good view. On way back went over The Knock.PeterD07/06/2022
From the circular car park over the gate and easy stroll to the summit.JAdair9730/05/2022
Short walk from the car park at The Knock.RobB25/01/2022
From Beecraigs Park to Witch Craig, Cairnpapple henge, Cairnpapple summit, the Knock, Cockleroy Hill.Fife Walking23/01/2022
Parked by The Knock and went up to the summit of this little hill first. Crossed the road and hopped over the gate into the grassy field and walked over to the trig. Nice little hill with good views. Solo.Dangerous Dave20/01/2022
100th Marilyn ticked! Pleased it was such an easy one, would have felt guilty if it was a decent hike! Great weather and great views, and less than 200m walk! parked just below the knock and visited this high point too. 20 mins.Nicky C16/01/2022
After visiting the archaeological site. Parked at Knock CP and came back over Knock itself which is a better hill than the main summit.sclater19/11/2021
https://www.strava.com/activities/6257841169Graham22b14/11/2021
From car park. Over gate. 200m over field. Then viewpoint which is the better view. Or would be on a good dayLongwojo12/11/2021
Parked in knock car park. Walked to summit on track, after climbing over padlocked gate, slightly North of parking area.Hirta18/08/2021
With Iain. Climbed The Knock then up to trig. Last Lothian Marilyn.iangpark17/09/2020
Been on the list for some time. Bagged as we head north enroute to Inverness. We arrive in the pouring rain. Cairnpapple Hill henge and cairn first - hill summit and trig then The Knock with its viewfinder. A strange water trapping landscape no wonder prehistoric man was attracted to this place.briandavies11/09/2020
3 of 3: After Goseland Hill on the way home. Parked below the viewfinder. 5 mins to the TP.ChrisR10/09/2020
With Ellie. Parked in CP on West side and followed farm track to transmitter. Quick visit to nearby chambered cairn before heading South to the top. Back to the car via The Vu.MickyRoss09/08/2020
Parked in Car Park at The Knock. Easy walk.ClanLawrence21/07/2020
Short grassy walk from gate at road junction near Knockkdbennett30/11/2019
Here for the trigpoint. TP:UK log: Parked at Knock viewpoint for an easy enough walk after climbing gate - tractor track almost all the way to the trigpoint. Climbed up to viewpoint on the way back which was worth it for the view and I don't think I would have noticed the nearby stone circle otherwise.thejackrustles12/09/2019
Parked up at the parking for the hillfort and then realised my mistake when I realised I would have to pay £6. Relocated to the parking space for the Knock viewpoint and made an easy walk back up the road, over the gate and headed for the trigmadaddo20/07/2019
Not to be confused, in fog, with Historic Scotland's Cairnpapple Hill, which has an entrance fee. From the hardstanding CP just S of The Knock, NS990710, which has a lockable gate. Back N up the road and over the double gate on L. No view, 20m viz - used the wind direction and the sound of cars on the road to locate the gates on my return.Isbjorn28/06/2019
Quick bag on the way back from Kingussie. Parked beneath the Knock. The famous herd of cattle not in evidence. A lovely way to end a fantastic week of hill bagging.Owen B28/04/2019
After yesterdays torrent of snow and rain today had clear uninterrupted views from Arran to Bass Rock.Play2End17/03/2019
Quick walk, windy!Ben Tindal30/12/2018
On way back from Lomonds - ten minute round trip from the road.SS01/12/2018
Small parking area immediately S of The Knock, which had to be visited also. Herd of inquisitive cattle kept licking me.jonglew28/10/2018
A climb in the dark because of a monster traffic jam on the M8 followed by an inadvertent tour of the council estates of Bathgate. Fortunately, the hill makes an easy walk, from the viewpoint car park, up the road to the gate (couldn't see well enough for a shortcut) and then easy strolling on grass to the top. Fine view of streetlights.Gill10/10/2018
With E. Parked in lay-by for visiting Neolithic henge which, unfortunately, was just closing. Easy walk across fields to summit. Also visited nearby viewpoint with great views of Firth of Forth bridges. A nice little summit.Beeliner12/09/2018
12-minute return walk from car!willyross10/09/2018
Easy ascent from the east. Cloudy with light drizzle.Windy Corner21/08/2018
3rd time.russell6101/08/2018
Walked from Bathgate station - took the road to the east of the hill and hopped over the gate just after The Knock. Cows were all lower down in the field, but could be problematic if on the top.Richard11/06/2018
From The Knock.summitter05/05/2018
Persuaded to buy Historic Scotland membership by lovely guide setting up for season before moving on to trig and The Knock. 1st visit since 6/2/02lordtonult28/03/2018
Parked in car park near radio mast access track (as for marktrengrove below). Followed the access road then over the right hand of two gates across the field towards trig point. Two barbed wire fences next... under the first then over the second at a gap in the wall. On to the summit with no signs of livestock. Clear sunny day with great views.Jubilado08/02/2018
Solo. From car park on south side of The Knock. Over the Knock to summit of Cairnpapple Hill. Beautiful sunny day although very cold. Excellent views of snow-covered Ben Lomond, Stuc a' Chroin and the Ochils. Later went up Witch Craig, Cockleroy and Bowden Hill.pwbellarby07/01/2018
Parked at the back of the hill and visited the memorial cairn and then summit trig point. The Cairnpapple cows were great company, no sign of a bull though despite the sign...Chris Mac25/09/2017
Parked just to E in car park by viewpoint hill. Over gate and 5-min walk across field to trig point. Sunny with good views. Observation pillar at viewpoint worth seeing too.dbb25/06/2017
Awkwardly up from foot of Raven Craig twisting around gorse and quarry. Was last here in 1999 but harbour a suspicion I might only have gone to signed historic mound to north and not the trig but can't for the life of me recall for sure - although I was preoccupied with raging toothache at the time and had just flown in from Ecuador and on way to emergency dentist in Edinburgh.Chris Pearson07/06/2017
As Columba, from the car park near the aerial access track at NS 97978 71473. The field next to the summit one was occupied by herd of aggressive cows with calves, and the summit field is now a playground for off-road vehicles. All rather unpleasant! With ALT to the aerial, then solo. Grey and rainy.Man of Kernow121/05/2017
After working in Coatbridge. Semi-overcast, larks. Pleasant. Rounsfell02/05/2017
Easy ascent from car park up the mast access track, hoped over a couple of fences across easy terrain to trig and summit. Ally's first Marilyn! Amazing views of Forth estuary, Alloa Hills and Pentland HillsColumba25/03/2017
Easy walk from car park to east. Worth exploring the Cairnpapple Cairn to the north and the stone circle near Knock farm.N.Morters18/03/2017
From car park to the west (NS 97976 71474), initially using mast access track, going through gate when track started swinging N. Recorded track and write-up at: http://gayleybird.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/cairnpapple-hill-ns987711-312m.htmlGayle08/03/2017
Short walk from car park.rhalstead30/12/2016
LSjohn steel30/12/2016