Fala Moor Road Show path on map
Start location: Fala on A68 ( NT 437 608 )
End location: Brothershiels ( NT 420 559 )
Geographical area: Lothian and Borders
Path type: Civil Road
Path distance: 6.5km
Accessibility info: Suitable for bikes, Suitable for horses, Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
The north end of this old road commences on the A68 as a narrow tarred road signed “Access to cemetery only”, but reassuringly also with a green Path sign “Brothershiels 3 1/2 mile”. On the right hand side, shortly after the cemetery gate, another sign (white) states: “Footpath to A7 – 5 1/4 miles, follow green squares”; the way becomes metalled.
For the first 1km, the track is within Fala Mains Wood, a plantation strip used for rearing pheasants. On approaching the double line of electricity pylons, there is a wooden vehicle gate with adjacent pedestrian gate, signed by Scottish Natural Heritage and The Fala Estate Trust: “Fala Moor. Site of Special Scientific Interest“ and other designations relating to the protection of this peatland habitat. The track continues beyond the gate but North Wood, a mapped conifer plantation to its east, has been felled. At a junction of tracks (NT432593), there is another waymarker square. Thereafter it is an obvious metalled track with Fala Flow Loch to the east and the ruins of Fala Luggie Tower to the west.
At NT425573, a track junction shows on some maps – once straight ahead to Upper Brotherstone, but instead turn right for Brothershiels, to find another sign “Footpath to the A68 – 3 1/4 miles” and a green square at the next gate. The rest of the route is a farm vehicle track to Brothershiels farm and the boundary between East Lothian and the Scottish Borders local authority areas.
Heritage Information
We're informed that this old road was part of the road network until the mid 20th century. It is said to have been maintained by a local roadsman before that time. It doesn't appear prominently on particularly old maps but it does seem to follow the eastern boundary of Fala Parish, which tends to be a trait of medieval parish roads.
The remains of the Fala Luggie tower house are located along this route - local tradition maintained that this was the site of a hunting lodge of a King of Scotland. Fala Luggie seems to be the feature often marked as 'Old Camp' in old maps like Thomson's of 1820.
North of Brothershiels farm, a small memorial plaque remembers a pilot, Owen Burgess Norwood, who was killed when his plane crashed near here on 7th August 1945.
