Tinto Hill Walking Route

Essential Information about the Tinto Hill Walking Route

Distance: 5 miles (height gain 450 m)

Time: 2 – 3 hours

Difficulty: moderate/hard

Terrain: well worn path to summit; loose in places - suitable footwear required

Start/finish point: car park, Fallburn by Thankerton

Maps: OS Landranger 72

Transport: Train – Lanark station 6 miles; Bus – service between Lanark Interchange and Thankerton

Refreshment: Tinto Hill tearoom (seasonal); Tinto Hotel, Symington
 

Walking at Tinto Hill

Tinto is the graceful cone shaped hill on Lanarkshire’s southern horizon. At 707 metres it is the highest point in central Scotland and the perfect introduction to hill walking.

The best reason for climbing Tinto hill is the excellent view. On the clearest days the view takes in the Lake District, the mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland, Ailsa Craig and Arran in the Firth of Clyde, the Arrochar Alps and as far north as Lochnagar in the Cairngorms.
 

Points of Interest along the Tinto Hill Walking Route

1. Tinto tearoom (seasonal) – opened in 1938 at the height of the craze for the great outdoors.

2. Iron Age fort – observant walkers will spot the double ditches and ramparts of this prehistoric defensive site. It is more obvious on the way down.

3. Summit cairn – dating from the Bronze Age it is largest cairn in Scotland. It is tradition to carry a rock from the bottom and place it on the top to keep Tinto growing.

The Tinto Hill Route
 

The most popular route is a well worn route that reveals the underlying red rock that may give Tinto its name.

At first the going is easy as the path crosses the gently rising heathery moor.

There then follows three steep sections separated by enough easier walking to allow you to get your breath back.

The large cairn on Totherin hill is the half-way point and not far beyond here the path splits. The right hand option goes across the top of an impressive sweep of steep hillside known as Maurice’s Cleuch.

The paths meet up again for the final climb.

An alternative route starts from Wiston Lodge on the south side of Tinto hill – it is less busy but steeper than the Fallburn route.

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