Minchmoor Track Show path on map
Start location: B709, Traquair ( NT 330 346 )
End location: 300m east of A707/A708 junction, Selkirk ( NT 457 285 )
Geographical area: Lothian and Borders
Path type: Drove Road, Medieval Road, Rural Path
Path distance: 16km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
From the crossroads at Traquair, follow Southern Upland Way (SUW) signs southeast past the Village Hall (car park) and The Riggs, then go uphill on the old drove road to the Cheese Well (NT357355) and over the north shoulder of Minch Moor. Continue east over Hare Law, beyond which the route divides (NT379327).
To head towards Selkirk, follow the Old Drove Road east along the ridge over Brown Knowe and north of Broomy Law to the low point at NT421318. The SUW continues east to the famous Three Brethren (cairns), but the line of the old drove road bypasses that summit by some 300m to more directly drop down towards the Long Philp Burn. If wishing to visit the Three Brethren, afterwards leave the SUW through a gate to the south of the cairns and descend south to re-join the old drove road. Head southeast to Corby Linn and thence to the main road at NT457285, just outside Selkirk.
Alternatively, at NT379327 a shorter alternative forks right off the SUW (signed CBDR). Follow this Minchmoor Road southeast, an obvious path down the very pleasant ridge with lovely views, to Yarrowford at NT407300. This Yarrowford variant of the Minchmoor Track also forms part of the Cross Borders Drove Road (CBDR) promoted by South of Scotland Countryside Trails (SoSCT) – along with part of the Gypsy Glen Drove Road and the route through the Cauldstane Slap – which means this section at least should be accessible to horse-riders.
OS Landranger 73 (Peebles, Galashiels & Selkirk)
Heritage Information
The Minchmoor Track is one of the oldest paths in Scotland and one of the best candidates for a pre-Roman route. While firm evidence in support of the Minchmoor as a Pictish road has yet to be unearthed, the sheer age of the road is demonstrated in particular by the defensive earthworks (including the ancient Catrail and Wallace's Trench) passed along the way.
At least three variants of the route have been claimed - the oldest is said to have run over the shoulder of Peat Law and across Linglee Hill. That route was replaced by that which runs up from Philiphaugh and is described here, although it should be noted that the old route did not run directly by the Three Brethren. In its turn the Philiphaugh route was replaced by that up from Yarrowford, which is labelled as Minchmoor Road by the OS at least as far back as their 1st edition 6" mapping. This last variant is the only one shown on Roy's mapping of Lowland Scotland (1752-1755); it is marked as road from Peebles to Selkirk.
What we know for sure is that the route across the Minch Moor was the main Borders highway between east and west via Peebles into the medieval era. It was mentioned by Edward I in his Itinerary and referred to in the State Documents of 1505 when a man was hired to keep the road free from robbers for the eight days around the Roxburgh Fair on 5th August. In 1645, the Marquess of Montrose is thought to have retreated along the Minchmoor track to Peebles, after his defeat by the Covenanter army at the Battle of Philiphaugh.
Two extensive defensive barriers are passed along this route - one called Wallace's Trench and the other the Catrail. Wallace's Trench is an earthen breastwork from 4 to 6 feet high which extends directly across the road, leading to a marshy area in the north and a steep hill to the south. A shallow trench for water drainage on its eastern side provides evidence that the Trench was erected to defend against a western invader. Further along the route to the east is the Catrail, a massive earthwork barrier, which at one time extended some 50 miles north and south. Evidence here suggests the Catrail was created to defend against a massive eastern force. Whether there is any connection between Wallace's Road and the Catrail is entirely hypothetical, however it is reasonable to assume this road was a very important route in ancient times and that it was necessary to defend at two points in history against invading forces.
The route has been used for all manner of purposes in the ensuing centuries and is still marked in part as an Old Drove Road on the OS maps. Its contemporary importance as a recreational route can be traced back for over 80 years, for it was just south of the Minchmoor Track at Broadmeadows that the Scottish Youth Hostel Association opened its first building in 1931. Sadly, the hostel is now closed, but it is still passed by a signposted right of way. Today, the Southern Upland Way follows much of the Minchmoor Track's general line, but those in the know will be able to spot where the modern route has deviated from its predecessor.
