Up & Down, Up & Down the result two more Donalds bagged......Windlestraw Law circuit

Hill: Windlestraw Law ( Hill covered in windlestraw grass ) (659m): Whitehope Law ( Hill above Whitehope farm) (623m)

Type: Graham/Donald

Heading for Edingburger I decided to detour to cover off these two hills and save myself some future mileage. A weather front was passing over when I left home, rain and breezy, but the forecast was for the walk area to be better by the time I would get there, we would see.

A lovely drive and for a change the sat nav GPS took me to where I wanted to be. It is a frustrating system. When I first keyed the coordinates last night it was directing me to Russia!! You have to be so precise the sequencing, spacing, commas etc this is meant to be an upgrade from my last car, no chance.

A strange road from Innerleithen as you go threw the middle of the golf course, literally play on both sides, hoping no bad shots hit the car, they didn't.

Start at Blackhopebyre

A lovely Borders glen with the road running beside Glentress Water which I have to cross later. The hills are on either side of the road so you effectively climb one, back down to the road then up and down the other. Not the best but it gets two hills bagged. 

I parked just after Glentress farm and walked up the road to Blackhopebyre farm and cut in to the constructed track. Low cloud meant no hill tops showing. The shooting track is in good nick at the beginning before becoming a newly scraped track which I bet they did not get planning permission for. 

Trench or track?

Not a lot to say just keep following the track onwards and upwards. Pleasant moorland views and no human noise, just the sound of the birds and there were plenty of them.

The track passes some well hidden grouse butts before a fence is reached and the ground is much rougher although the ATV track continues on and off so it is not a tough ascent.

Windlestraw trig looking towards Bareback Knowe

Finally out of the gloom a very white trig is spotted at the fence junction. The highest point in the Moorfoot Hills didn't seem like such from here in the gloom.

A choice to return same way but I decided to head for the Donald top of Bareback Knowe. 

Bareback Knowe looking back to Windlestraw the cloud has lifted

A simple case of following the fence, boggy at times but good time made. En route I found the hare and had a look to see if any raptors were lying about as recent cases of poisoned hares left to kill the others, but none spotted. 

Golden Plover

I could hear some frantic calling, must be near a nest, then spotted the well camouflaged golden plover, its partner started flying and calling, what a racket.

Descent from Bareback. Heading for biggest tree planting with Whitehope directly ahead

Now just followed the fence most of the way to the road. A rough section towards the end. Descending I could see the land layout over to Whitehope confirming my planning that I wanted to head to the top of the trees and head up the broad ridge from there.

Walk along the road to climb to right of trees

The legs had been ok considering it was a while since my last walk but I knew the next ascent would do them in and so it proved.

Whitehope Hill is slighter shorter but a much steeper gradient particularly the section from the road. A new bridge is in place then immediately up. 

Ferns about to hide the track

The ferns are sprouting already knee high and hiding some of the sheep tracks so at times I just crashed through them. In a months time it will be much tougher.

Steep bit over now a plod up the flanks

Glad to reach the treeline although the calves were burning. Lactic was building up. Again not much to say except slowly plod up the hill bypassing the heather patches. Some very boggy areas but mostly pathless and it was taking its toll, my legs were tiring more than I thought.

Fresh coo droppings made me more alert but I never came across them. 

Summit looking back to Windlestraw & Bareback

An hours walking got me to the small cairn summit, an hour from the road, felt like a lot more. 

Time to relax and have some food and take in the views particularly back to Windlestraw ridge.

Mistle Thrush

Then straight back down the same tussocky, heather way.  A bird flew out of the trees chasing a pipit of a rock, turned out to be a scrawny looking Mistle thrush, another flew past, youngsters or adults? The humidity built up with midges to greet me back at the car!!

I needed to get that walk into my legs and just 6 Donalds to go to completion. Straightforward but a lot of ascent for two small hills.

Ascent: 825m

Distance: 13.9km    

Time: 4.13

Wildlife: Peewit: Curlew; Oystercatcher; Rabbit; Hare(Dead); Golden Plover: Skylark: Meadow Pipit; Chaffinch; Mistle Thrush: Red Grouse.