Discover Windlestraw Law

In a guest article to highlight the beauty of winter walking locally, Tweed Valley Blogger – Stewart Wilson – explores Windlestraw Law, the highest point in the parish of Innerleithen.

Catching the early winter sun

The trig on top of Windlestraw Law (known by locals simply as Windlestrae) sits at 659 metres so we aren’t talking Ben Nevis here. However, it is our Ben Nevis in Innerleithen so it’s worth poking about a bit to see what stories we might be able to find!

Windlestrae is the highest point in the Moorfoot Hills, that boggy, rounded group of hills which act as a frontier between the Southern Uplands and the lowlands of central Scotland. It may be quite wild looking but this is a managed, working environment and, with the exception of some hidden cleuchs, it’s not a place for lovers of native woodlands.

The range is roughly diamond shaped, being bound by the Tweed Valley and A72 to the south, the A703 and Eddleston Water to the west, Midlothian to the north and Gala Water & the A7 to the east. Only two public roads dissect the range, the B709 running from Innerleithen to Heriot and the B7007 from Middleton to Garvald. Both these roads are known interchangeably as ‘The Granites’ but to be accurate it’s only the latter which should adopt the name, passing as it does a rare granite intrusion to the native greywacke stone.

Land Rover tracks through the heather …

Windlestrae stands at the eastern side of the B709 and can be hiked from all sides, though the majority of ascents will be undertaken from the south and west. The ‘baggers’ route (for it does sit on various hill lists) is to abandon your car near Blackhope Byers and begin the long pull up from the roadside. Much of this is Land Rover tracks and it is the quickest way to the top. Many determined hikers will double up with Whitehope Law across the valley.

The more traditional route from Innerleithen is a fine, high level trod over Kirnie Law, Priesthope and Glede Knowe before the twin summit of Windlestrae is achieved. Slightly frustratingly the second summit, which houses the trig point and is the high point by two metres, is a kilometre or two out-and-back hike over occasionally soggy ground. The views are slightly out of kilter with the hills relatively high height - the size of the rounded summit robbing a lot of distance, especially to the north. Still, to the south the Eildon Hill and Cheviots are prominent.

I’ve always had a romantic view of hikes up Windlestrae - a tougher and rarer proposition than Lee Pen or Minch Moor, Innerleithen’s other main hills. I think a lot of this comes from my dad’s tales of days gone by when a squad of Innerleithen men, including many of my family, would go up Windlestrae armed with a bottle or two of sherry to see off the cold and accompanied by dogs in need of tiring out. Back then, Caberston Forest was in its infancy so more direct routes could be plotted through what is now thick trees.

The view up to Glede Knowe and Walker Burn falls

Those who make it to the top of Windlestrae have a few options to come down. My favoured route would be to branch off towards Scawd Law and Cairn Hill on a broad, easy going ridge. I favour this route as not only does it give the walk a loop via Walkerburn, but you also get great views into the upper reaches of the Walker Burn valley, including the small set of falls at its head. In truth these can be heard more than seen but it is a hidden wee world up there, seldom visited.

Eventually you will arrive at the top of Cairn Hill where the remnants of a TV mast can be seen. From here it’s down to The Burn, picking your way past bike tracks and home to rest weary, wet feet and plan your next adventure.

Further info

Innerleithen-based blogger, Stewart Wilson, is a ‘magpie historian’, always on the look out for shiny nuggets and a good story. He’s passionate about his home patch and writes beautifully about the people and places that make the area so unique. Check out Tweed Valley Blogger for more information and follow him on Instagram at @tweedvalleyblogger.

Further details of the Windlestraw Law loop can be found on the Walk Highlands website – and for more local routes in the Tweed Valley, head over to our dedicated hiking pages.