Get Lost Mountaineering

Black Law, Deer Law, Greenside Law & Dollar Law

from Manor Glen

Start/Finish

Large rough parking area just before the bridge over the Kirkhope Burn which is just after Langhaugh in the Manor Glen. The Manor Glen road leaves the A72 about 2 miles west of Peebles. It is about 6 miles down the glen to the start.

Distance/Time

19 km.       About 7 - 8 hours.

Peaks

Black Cleuch Hill (Blackhouse Heights), 675 m, NT 222 290.

Black Law, 698 m, NT 222 279.

Conscleuch Head, 624 m, NT 220 262.

Deer Law, 629 m, NT 222 255.

Greenside Law, 643 m, NT 198 256.

Notman Law, 734 m, NT 185 260.

Fifescar Knowe, 811 m, NT 175 270.

Dollar Law, 817 m, NT 178 278.

OS Explorer sheet 336: Biggar & Broughton.     OS Explorer sheet 337: Peebles & Innerleithen.

Introduction

This is a fine horseshoe on a mixture of paths, tracks, rough moorland and boggy sections. There are excellent views to the Dun Rig hills, Broad Law, Pykestone Hill and even to the White Coomb range. Unfortunately, the route is on the edge of both maps which is a little awkward.

Route

(1) Cross the bridge and walk to the first passing place where a rough track leads to a bridge over Manor Water. Cross over and start picking a way up the steepish slopes of Langhaugh Hill. There are a few faint paths here and there. There is no cairn to mark the summit but not far beyond the top is an ATV track which can be followed. It does not go to Black Cleuch Hill but traverses below so leave some time after passing the remains of a wooden grouse butt and pick a way up to a line of old fence posts which can be followed, over rough ground, to a fence junction just short of the highesst point on Black Cleuch Hill (Blackhouse Heights), 675 m. There is no cairn.

(2) Follow the fence, roughly S, and ascend to a fence junction which is close to the highest point on Black Law, 698 m.

(3) Continue to the slightly lower SW Top then follow the fence S then SSE over some very rough ground before ascending, past a small cairn, to the unmarked summit of Conscleuch Head, 624 m.

(4) Continue SSE up to a fence corner. Go W from here to a finger cairn which is the summit of Deer Law, 629 m.

(5) Return to the col then descend W to the obvious burn in a gully. Cross over, usually straightforward, and ascend the very rough heathery slopes to reach a wooden hut on Black Rig. Continue up towards the highest point which is unmarked but just across the obvious fence. This is Greenside Law, 643 m.

(6) Follow the fence SW down to a col where the fence turns NW and soon passes over the minor bump of Water Head before a longer rise leads to the top of Notman Law, 734 m. The top is not marked but seems to be the high point of the fence.

(7) Continue following the fence with a short descent then a long rise with the fence going left further on then joining the fence and wall along the crest from Cramalt Craig to Dollar Law. Follow the wall N. There are two possible summit cairns in the corridor between the fence and wall. The cairn nearer the corner seems higher but one of these is the summit of Fifescar Knowe, 811 m.

(8) A barely noticeable descent then a longer ascent, still following the wall/fence leads up to the trig point which is the summit of Dollar Law, 817 m.

(9) Descend ENE following the wall/fence and continue down, apst the edge of the wood to reach the road in the Manor Glen about 2 km S of the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 14^th March, 2017 and about 15 years earlier.