📌 Innerleithen, Scottish Borders
★★★
South of the River Tweed between Innerleithen and Galashiels lies a vast area of rolling upland – part forest, part heather moorland. A traverse of the region using a stage of the Southern Upland Way makes a grand day out, mostly following broad ridges and visiting a handful of summits – the highest of which is Minch Moor, shared with mountain bikers from the popular 7stanes trailhead. There are wide-reaching views throughout, though as the day progresses, the Eildon Hills slowly grow in stature on the horizon to the east. Use a bus to link the start and the finish; there are also good connections to Edinburgh from both ends. If you’re wondering about the title we’ve assigned to this walk, one of the most memorable parts for us was the number of millipedes sharing the path – not what you usually expect to see on a summer’s day ramble!
📷 Chronological photo guide
Start in Innerleithen 
View back over Innerleithen from the ascent to Minch Moor 
Moorfoot Hills in the distance 
Minch Moor 
View back from the approach to Brown Knowe 
A few out of thousands of millipedes 
Brown Knowe 
View ahead to Tweeddale 
Path around Broomy Law 
Wolf Glen 
Approach to the Three Brethren 
Three Brethren 
Looking north from the Three Brethren 
Descent to Yair 
House at Yair 
Yair Bridge 
River Tweed at Yair 
Ascent beyond Yair 
Looking back over Tweeddale 
Cairn with a view of Galashiels 
Farmland on the approach to Galashiels 
Finish at Galashiels
🌍 Location
📌 Start on High Street (A72), Innerleithen village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 330366
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.617909,-3.066422
🏁 Finish at Galashiels Transport Interchange, Stirling Street, Galashiels town centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 494363
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.617491,-2.805568
🚌 Bus to Innerleithen (walk start), & from Galashiels (walk finish) | 🚆 Train from Galashiels (walk finish)
🚗 Car parks / street parking (walk finish) – take the regular bus to the start
📝 Key info
▶ 24 km / 15 mi | ▲ 960 m | ⌛ 6-7 hr | ⚠️ Linear route
Features: 🏠 Innerleithen ★ & village sights; 🚴 7stanes Innerleithen ★★★; △ Minch Moor (567 m, sub-2000′ Marilyn); △ Brown Knowe (523 m); △ Three Brethren (464 m); 🏠 Galashiels ★★ & town sights
⬤ Moderate | Good paths & tracks almost throughout, with steep ascent near start. Diversion off Southern Upland Way to Minch Moor is narrower & rougher. One pathless section between Yair Bridge & Galashiels. Waymarking generally good but proper map still required.
Download file for GPS➡️ Eastbound linear walk: start & Innerleithen – 7stanes Innerleithen trailhead – join Southern Upland Way at 🧭 NT 335340 – Minch Moor (involves slight detour from Southern Upland Way) – Brown Knowe – Three Brethren – Yair Bridge – Galashiels & finish
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Cows, horses, sheep, swans. Thousands of millipedes on Minch Moor / Brown Knowe. Red grouse at Lucken Head.
Weather: Increasingly sunny after a cloudy start, temperature in mid teens.
June 2021
