📌 Ettrick Hills, Scottish Borders
★★★
Deep in Scottish Border country, the Ettrick Hills are a lonely, rolling range adjacent to the better-known Moffat Hills. A ring of 7 summits (or 4, or 9, depending on what you think constitutes a hill) surrounding the upper course of the Ettrick Water offers a fine horseshoe route with only small descents and reascents between most (but not all) of the summits. First on the menu is Bodesbeck Law, which is missed out by a signpost early in the walk despite offering the best views of Moffat Dale and Carrifran Glen. Last but not least is Ettrick Pen – highest in the range – overlooking the vast, sparsely populated Eskdalemuir Forest. The bothy passed on descent is one of the more luxurious in the MBA catalogue (though we’d still prefer to stay somewhere with toilet facilities).
📷 Chronological photo guide
Lizard on Bodesbeck Law 
Carrifran Glen from Bodesbeck Law 
Hart Fell & Black Hope from Bodesbeck Law 
Descent from Bodesbeck Law 
Looking back at Bodesbeck Law 
Black Hope from White Shank 
Smidhope Hill has great views down the Ettrick Water 
Smidhope Hill from Capel Fell 
Croft Head from Capel Fell 
The descent & reascent to Wind Fell is the toughest part of the day 
Looking back to Capel Fell 
The way ahead from Wind Fell 
Cairn just west of Hopetoun Craig summit 
Ettrick Pen from Hopetoun Craig 
View back to Hopetoun Craig 
View south over Eskdalemuir Forest from Ettrick Pen 
Ettrick Pen – highest of the Ettrick Hills 
Descend north from Ettrick Pen at first, soon curving west 
Entertrona Burn 
Over Phawhope Bothy 
An easy walk back out to the parking area
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end (6 mi west of Ettrick)
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 189093
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.370805,-3.280572
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Space at road end – do not block gates or impede turning
📝 Key info
▶ 16 km / 10 mi | ▲ 870 m | ⌛ 5.5-6.5 hr
Features: △ Bodesbeck Law (665 m, Donald); △ White Shank (622 m); △ Smidhope Hill (644 m); △ Capel Fell (678 m, “Torbett” / Donald); △ Wind Fell (665 m, Donald); △ Hopetoun Craig (632 m); △ Ettrick Pen (692 m, “Torbett” / Donald); 🏚️ Over Phawhope Bothy
⬤ Tough | Track for initial ascent & valley return. Higher up there are faint, grassy paths almost throughout, but brief pathless sections & boggy areas.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – Bught Hill – Bodesbeck Law – Fauldside Hill – White Shank – Smidhope Hill – Capel Fell – cross Southern Upland Way – Wind Fell – Hopetoun Craig – Ettrick Pen – Over Phawhope Bothy – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Red grouse & lizards on the hill, mallard ducks & sheep near Over Phawhope Bothy. Lots of pheasants & a red squirrel on the journey to the start.
Weather: Sunny but with moderate winds, cloud building a little on descent. Reaching 8°C after morning frost; snow patches visible on the Moffat Hills.
April 2021
