Lomond Hills

Lomond Hills
East Lomond or Falkland Hill
Highest point
Elevation	461 m (1,512 ft)
Listing	Marilyn, Breast shaped hills
Geography
Location	Fife, Scotland
Climbing
First ascent	Unknown
Easiest route	From Fife

The Lomond Hills (meaning beacon hills), also known as the Paps of Fife lie in the centre of Fife, Scotland. At 522m West Lomond is the highest point in the county of Fife.

The Lomond Hills contain two prominent peaks, West Lomond and East Lomond (or Falkland Hill) (448 m), which lie at either end of an escarpment roughly 6.5 km in length. The escarpment, made from beds of sandstone, limestone and quartz-dolerite, rises gradually from the south to a plateau of around 350 m in height between the peaks of East and West Lomond. To the north and west, this plateau terminates in steep and, in places, cliffy scarp slopes. From its western end, the escarpment continues southwards beyond the deep valley of the Glen Burn (Glen Vale) to Bishop Hill (461 m). The steep-sided peaks of East and West Lomond themselves are volcanic in origin. Along the edges of the sandstone bed at the foot of the scarp slopes are several strangely eroded outcrops, the most famous of which are the Bunnet Stane and John Knox's Pulpit, so named because it is believed to be a spot where covenanters held conventicles in the 17th century. There are also strange outcrops in the columnar jointing at the edge of the dolerite sill on Bishop Hill, most notably Carlin Maggie.

The River Eden, one of the two primary rivers in Fife, has its source on the slopes of West Lomond. On the northern slopes of the Lomond hills, two burns run down from the plateau in impressive gorges. These are the Maspie Burn and the Arraty Burn. Maspie Den has a path running along its length to an undercut waterfall at the top, which can be accessed just beyond Falkland House (approaching from the Falkland direction). Glen Vale with the Glen Burn, to the south of West Lomond, is equally impressive.

The Lomond Hills have a rich and varied history. From the Iron Age are the remains of several hill forts, which can be found around the summits of both East and West Lomond as well as at Maiden Castle, a grassy knoll that lies between the two.