Nostalgia: Living the high life on the Hills

NEWS that organisers could be charged for holding events in the Pentland Hills has sparked mixed reaction this week.

Some organisers believe being asked to pay a maintenance fee for the beauty spot is an insult, while land- owners believe usage of the regional park needs to be managed better.

The Pentlands have been used for generations by people taking part in sporting and leisure events and the location is particularly popular for those raising money for charity.

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Eight hundred pupils from Tynecastle High took part in a gruelling 12-mile walk through the Pentland Hills in June 1979.

They managed to raise more than £1600 through their efforts, which was split equally between school funds and projects connected with the International Year of the Child.

The Glorious Twelfth – August 12 – has always attracted those interested in shooting to the hills for the launch of the grouse shooting season.

In 1976, children joined a shooting party to mark the important date in the season and watched as John Pringle shot down the first grouse.

Six-year-old Gail Wishart was one of many youngsters who took part in a 50-mile sponsored ride over the Pentland Hills in June 1970, which raised money for the Scottish National Institute for the War Blinded.

Young Gail stood out amongst the other horse riders as her own trusty steed was in fact a donkey.

And 150 Evening News and Dispatch ramblers marked the first of the season’s outings in April 1966 when they walked from Milton Bridge to the Pentland Hills.

The ramblers braved chilly winds to eventually end up at Castlelaw.