📌 Lammermuir Hills, East Lothian
★★★
Lammer Law is one of the highest parts of the broad swathe of moorland known as the Lammermuir Hills. The range translates as lambs’ moor, but instead it was numerous grouse that had taken up ownership of the heather slopes on our visit. The massive pile of stones at the summit commands surprisingly extensive views right across the Southern Uplands and Central Belt, with even the Cairngorms and Ochil Hills easily picked out in clear weather. Wide tracks give good progress over pleasantly rolling ground, later descending through a sinuous glen concealing Hopes Reservoir before a longish section on tarmac. There mightn’t be anything spectacular about this circuit on paper, but fully immerse yourself in the landscape and it really grouse on you… er, grows on you.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Track above Fawn’s Wood 
View towards the distant Ochil Hills from Threep Law 
Approach to Lammer Law 
The first of many red grouse 
Looking back from the ascent 
View along the north side of the Lammermuir Hills 
Lammer Law summit 
View towards the Pentland Hills (left) & Edinburgh (right) 
Red grouse 
Red grouse 
Red grouse 
Track around the head of Harley Grain 
Descent into Rogers Cleugh 
Rogers Cleugh 
Hopes Reservoir 
Hopes Water below the reservoir 
Greylag geese 
Views from the road return 
Views from the road return 
Road junction near Longyester 
Sheep & Lammermuir Hills 
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish near Blinkbonny Wood, minor road 2.5 mi south of Gifford
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 542643
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.869435,-2.733888
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Verge parking (don’t block access), or any responsible place along the road from East Hopes / Longyester to this point. Parking options are limited – consider avoiding busy days. Blinkbonny Wood car park is private
📝 Key info
▶ 14 km / 9 mi | ▲ 350 m | ⌛ 4-5 hr
Features: △ Lammer Law (529 m); 💧 Hopes Reservoir
⬤ Moderate | Mostly on good tracks, generally not steep, then 2 mi of minor road walking at end. Two short sections of boggy path near summit.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with extension to summit: start – Threep Law – Lammer Law – bealach between Harley Grain & Lammerlaw Burn – Rogers Cleugh – south bank of Hopes Reservoir – West Hopes – East Hopes – Longyester – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Hundreds of grouse on the hill, with deer, grouse, rabbit and other tracks in the snow. Mallard ducks on Hopes Reservoir; sheep, cows, horses in the fields lower down.
Weather: Just below freezing on the hill with a chilly wind on the summit and a dusting of new snow. Blue skies on ascent and descent, but cloudier near summit.
January 2017
