VISITOR GUIDE TO ETTRICK & YARROW VALLEYS TWO VALLEYS - LOTS TO SEE & DO Near the town of Selkirk, the valleys of the Ettrick Water and the Yarrow Water are the very essence of the Scottish Borders. There is so much to see in Ettrick & Yarrow Valleys. With beautiful hill and river scenery as a backdrop, today’s visitors can enjoy a host of things to do. Cycling and walking, birdwatching, angling and horse-riding are just some of them, as well as discovering the valleys’ heritage and traditions of balladry. This guide will help you to explore these peaceful valleys. www.ettrickandyarrow.co.uk WELCOME TO ETTRICK & YARROW VALLEYS CONTENTS Historically, the seclusion of the hills hereabouts Map: Places to visit 2 was disturbed in the 17th century by bloody Covenanting episodes with the Battle of History, heritage and places of interest: Philiphaugh to St Mary’s Loch 3 Philiphaugh (1645) in particular as an important chapter in Scotland’s religious story. Ettrick Valley: Introduction 7 Today, farming and forestry are the main History, heritage and places of interest: Ettrickbridge to Potburn 7 elements in the local economy. In both valleys, there are farms that have been worked for Walks around Ettrick & Yarrow Valleys 11 Ettrick Valley generations by the same family - and also farm names that go back to mediaeval times. This Wildlife in Ettrick and Yarrow 12 The two parallel river valleys of Ettrick and sense of continuity and timelessness is especially Yarrow lie south-west of the town of Selkirk in associated with this area. Links between Ettrick and Yarrow - by car, cycle and on foot 12 the Scottish Borders. Though close together, each valley has its own distinct communities and Other through routes linking the valleys 13 stories to tell. Access Rights in Scotland 13 Lying in the very heart of the Scottish Borders, their heritage takes in stirring tales from the Angling in Ettrick & Yarrow Valleys 13 days of the Borders Reivers (raiders) and even further back to the days of the Scottish patriot Cycling in the valleys 14 William Wallace. The area lays claim to figures both legendary and real-life who feature in Horse riding 14 the balladry of the area. Border Ballads were both collected and championed by Sir Walter Dark skies 14 Scott who, along with James Hogg, the Ettrick Cycling in the valleys Shepherd, contributed much to the literary heritage here. Cycling and angling are well established outdoor activities in the valleys. Walkers can enjoy the wide open spaces and fresh air of the moorland slopes and rolling hills where old tracks and throughways have been used for centuries. With virtually no light pollution, the dark skies of the upper valleys offer an amazing opportunity to stargaze at our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. But, most noticeably in the upper Ettrick Valley, visitors will have a strong sense of somewhere Kindly funded by undiscovered - and hence exceptionally tranquil - the very essence of rural Scotland waiting to Yarrow Valley be explored. | 1 To Traquair Minch PLACES TO VISIT IN ETTRICK & YARROW VALLEYS Moor 567m Three Brethren Cairns Dun Rig Minchmoor 464m 742m Road i Yarrowford B 709 Corbylinn Philipburn Newark House Hotel Tower i Glenlude Philiphaugh To Selkirk To Traquair Paddyslacks A 708 i Salmon Viewing Centre 357m Duchess’s Drive Bowhill House and Waterwheel Cafe and Minstrel Standing Yarrow Yarrow WaterFastheugh A 708 Stones Hill 501m Tearoom Cauld B 7009 Blackhouse Tower Carterhaugh y e Witchie Knowe l Yarrowfeus Aikwood l 362m Tower i i a The Gordon V Ettrickbridge Cross Keys Inn Dryhope Arms Tower Kirkhope Water A 708 o w Ettrick r r Tower a Yarrow Water Y Cockburn’s St Mary’s Kirkyard Ettrick Valley Grave Smokehouse Broad Law Cramalt 840m Tower Cappercleuch Dam y St Mary’s Loch e l l Megget Reservoir a V i Hyndhope St Mary’s Loch (not touring) Key to Map Symbols Glen Cafe Tibbie Shiels Inn Megget Stone (seasonal) Wester 359m Berrybush Deloraine k Loch c Southern Upland Way of the B 709 i Lowes r Walking route B 7009 t Local cycling t Lochcraig Borderloop Cycle Route E Head Tushielaw Inn Water 800m Little Yarrow Ettrick Horse riding Captain’s Road Rik’s Teas Tushielaw (seasonal) Fishing Tower Watersports A 708 Honey i B 709 Cottage B 711 To Grey Mares Tail & Moffat Thirlestane s To Hawick Information point Tower e h s r Parking Ettrick a M Gamescleuch k Picnic area Tower c i r West t t Buccleuch Viewpoint Angecroft E (not touring) i Hotel, inn Motte Phenzhopehaugh Cafe, restaurant Shop, local produce Buccleuch Church Caravan, camping site (remains of) Bodesbeck Law Ettrick Water 662m N Historic house Tower Kirk, cemetery Potburn (road end) Village Hall Literary, folklore Ettrick Pen Tima Water 692m B 709 Habitat Ettrick Capel To Samye Ling, Fell Horseshoe Eskdalemuir and Other heritage site 678m Girdlestanes Stone Circle Ettrick Head | 2 Signposted from the main road, Bowhill few who remained were drowned at the Bussa History, HERITAGE AND PLACES OF Country Estate opens between April and rapids, after an attack by hostile natives. News INTEREST: PHILIPHAUGH TO ST MAry’S LOCH September with Bowhill House, the Scottish did not reach Scotland until 1814. A plaque Borders home of the Duke of Buccleuch, open was inserted in the wall of the ruined cottage for guided tours in the main season (tel 01750 by a Dr Anderson of Selkirk during the 19th Though the Ettrick Valley is peaceful and ‘off walled garden with a great range of produce 22204 or see www.bowhill.org for full details). century and this memorial can be seen from the beaten track’ today, in 1645 the lower valley and flowers for sale. You can also visit There is a lot to see all around the estate - walks the road today. A large chestnut tree, which by the River Ettrick, just outside of Selkirk, Tibbie Tamson’s grave which is marked with and trails to suit all ages and abilities, wildlife was reputedly planted by Park himself, stands in was the scene of dramatic events. The Battle the inscription ‘Tamson 1790’ and is near and woodland, plus an adventure playground, Selkirk near to the Mungo Park memorial on of Philiphaugh on 13th September saw the Philiphaugh (NT 436296) – the walk being gift shop, tea room and visitor centre. the High Street. Covenanting forces under General Sir David described in the booklet ‘Paths around Selkirk’. Leslie defeat the Royalist troops of the Marquis Also on the Bowhill estate, three miles (five km) of Montrose. There are interpretation boards to the west of the battle site of Philiphaugh, that describe the course of the battle here. The story goes that Tibbie, a simple is the ruined tower of 15th century Newark minded woman and resident of Selkirk, Castle. It got its name to distinguish it from was caught stealing yarn. She was so the earlier Auldwark (‘old work’) that formerly distressed and embarrassed that she stood nearby. It features in a scene in Sir Walter hanged herself. Being regarded as a Scott’s poem ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’ criminal, she could not be buried in (1808). It also has a notorious connection as consecrated ground, but some townsfolk the place where about 100 royalist followers who had sympathy for her laid her of the Marquis of Montrose were shot in the to rest on the side of the hill. Other castle’s barmkin (Scots for defensive enclosure) explanations for her isolated grave site after their capture at the Battle of Philiphaugh. Minchmoor Road are that she may have been executed for William Angus’ classic text ‘Ettrick and Yarrow, a practising witchcraft and buried here as a Guide with Songs and Ballads’ (1894) describes Yarrow Water penalty. It is also possible that she was a Newark as ‘the best preserved tower in the Continuing south-west along the Yarrow Valley, victim of a plague and buried separately Yarrow Valley’. tracks leading up from Yarrowford give access For many visitors this may be the first to reduce the spread of infection or to the hill routes to the north, as well as some introduction to the Covenanters, a Presbyterian that she was the victim of the crime of On the other side of the Yarrow Water, easily historical features. The ancient Minchmoor movement bitterly opposed to episcopacy homicide. seen from the road on the north side, is the Road was used by the Marquis of Montrose (government of the church by bishops or a birthplace of the African explorer Mungo escaping after Philiphaugh. Sir Walter Scott hierachy) and Catholicism. This resulted in Park. Born in 1771, and the seventh child locates a scene in his tale ‘The Two Drovers’ on a prolonged and complex series of clashes of a relatively well-off tenant farmer, he had the Minchmoor Road. The long distance route between monarchy, church and state for exceptional ability and eventually obtained a of the Southern Upland Way follows part of the much of the 17th century, both in Scotland medical degree at Edinburgh. He made his first Minchmoor Road as well as an old drove road and beyond - notably between 1644 and African expedition to find the source of the along the hillcrests. Drove roads were ancient 1651 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms Niger River in 1795 and subsequently published throughways that carried cattle until the mid (between Scotland, England and Ireland). a famous account of this, ‘Travels in the Interior 19th century. Aside from the cattle raiding that Districts of Africa’, that brought him widespread went on in the days of the Borders Reivers, later Today’s visitors here can also enjoy the acclaim.