Eildon Hill

Not to be confused with Eldon Hill.

Eildon Hill
Eildon Hill North, with Eildon Village in the foreground
Highest point
Elevation422[1] m (1,385 ft)
Prominencec. 164 m
ListingMarilyn
Naming
English translationpossibly "fort Hill",[1] "fire hill," "hill of the fenced enclosure," or "deserted hill"
Language of nameOld English, possibly partly Cumbric
Pronunciation/ˈiːldən/
Geography
Map
LocationScottish Borders, Scotland
Parent rangeAccording to Nuttall, the 1,385 feet (422 m) high "triple-crested eminence" overlooks Teviotdale to the South.
OS gridNT548322
Topo mapOS Landranger 73[1]

Eildon Hill lies just south of Melrose, Scotland in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the town. The name is usually pluralised into "the Eildons" or "Eildon Hills", because of its triple peak. The 422 metres (1,385 ft) high eminence overlooks Teviotdale to the South.[1] The north hilltop (of three peaks) is surrounded by over 5 km (3.1 mi) of ramparts, enclosing an area of about 16 ha (40 acres) in which at least 300 level platforms have been cut into the rock to provide bases for turf or timber-walled houses, forming one of the largest hill forts known in Scotland.[2] A Roman army signalling station was later constructed on the same site as this hill fort.[3]

The mid hilltop is the highest, whilst the south hilltop is the lowest. The hills are owned by the Duke of Buccleuch,[4] Scotland's largest private landowner.[5] As with all land in Scotland the public have a right of responsible access to the hills,[6] and there are many paths crossing the area and leading to all three summits.[7]

The hills form part of the Eildon and Leaderfoot National Scenic Area, one of forty national scenic areas in Scotland, which have been defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development.[8] The areas protected by the national scenic area (NSA) designation are considered to represent the type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned".[9] The Eildon and Leaderfoot NSA covers 3877 ha, and extends to include the town of Melrose, Scott's View and Leaderfoot Viaduct.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d R. Milne & H. Brown, The Corbetts and Other Scottish Hills, p. 29. Published by the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2002.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference canmore-hill-fort was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Roman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Property Page - Buccleuch (Eildon)". Who Owns Scotland. 12 March 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  5. ^ Ross, David (5 June 2013). "Questions raised over land swap deal with billionaire". The Herald. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Scottish Outdoor Access Code" (PDF). Outdooraccess-scotland.scot. Scottish Government. 2005. p. 5. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Walks Around Melrose" (PDF). Scottish Borders Council. 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  8. ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Countryside and Landscape in Scotland - National Scenic Areas". Scottish Government. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Eildon and Leaderfoot NSA". NatureScot. Retrieved 6 October 2020.