Gra
Wilson's
Pike
Kielder
Castle
89
n
Bur
den N E W C A S T L E T O N
FOREST
283m
n
e
Twe
Caplestone Fell
ur
B6
3
57
Stell
Knowe
479m
Ker
Tweedenhead
Dykecrofts
Car Park
87
Glenno
Hill
Border
stane
Kershopehead
n
Lewis Bur
514m
KERSHOPE FOREST
1/2ml
Bur
n
Three Counties
Meeting Point
Newcastleton
0
Buck Fell
ins
Willowbog
415m
Black Burn
1km
61
85
Black Hill
English
Kershope
2km
343m
Lishaw
Rig
416m
1ml
© Crown copyright.
All rights reserved Forestry Commission.
Licence No. 100025498 2009.
Please remember that the weather on the
hills can change very quickly. Even in
summer, conditions on the tops of hills
are often much colder and windier than
at low levels, despite clear skies. Here are some pointers
for a safe and enjoyable trip.
• Be properly equipped
• Plan your route carefully and stick to it
someone where you are going and when you
• Tell
expect to return
• Take adequate warm & waterproof clothing
• Wear suitable footwear
• Take sufficient food and drink
• Carry map & compass, know how to use them
• Turn back if it gets too hard for you
• In emergencies call 999 and ask for the POLICE
When connected provide:
a. Location of the incident
b. Number of people in the party
Cross-Border waymarkers
c. Any injuries (if there are, ask the Police to inform the
Ambulance Service)
grade:
allow 9 hrs
Visit England for the day on this Cross Border trail.
Not suitable for the faint-hearted, this is an 18 mile
round trip for those well prepared and in search of
a real wilderness experience. Key features on this
route are the stunning Kershope Burn and the
Three Counties meeting point (Scottish Borders,
Northumberland and Cumbria). The Bloody Bush
toll stone also marks the crossing between Scotland
and England with its long history. On a clear day
this high trail allows stunning views of the
Border region.
What the walk
symbols mean
Walks are graded according to
degree of difficulty and type of
conditions to be expected.
Easy
Sensible Footwear
Easy
Muscle Loosener
Moderate
Waterproof Footwear
Moderate
Muscle Stretcher
Strenuous
Hillwalking Boots
Strenuous
Muscle Builder
Newcastleton Forest
What to See and Do
Welcome to
Contact 1
Forestry Commission Scotland
Dumfries & Borders Forest District
Ae Village, Parkgate, Dumfries DG1 1QB
Tel: 01387 860247
e-mail: dumfries&[email protected]
Web: www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland
Public enquiry line 0845 FORESTS (367 3787)
02
A7
08
A7
Selkirk
Hawick .
Kelso
Newcastleton
Gretna
A75
A69
Newcastle
upon Tyne
Rly
Penrith
A1(M)
Carlisle
Workington
Forestry Commission Scotland, Galloway Forest District
Tel: 016714 402420
e-mail: [email protected]
Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Lowlands Forest District
Tel: 01555 660190
e-mail: [email protected]
Forestry Commission England, Kielder Forest District
Tel: 01434 220242
e-mail:[email protected]
If you need this publication in an
alternative format, for example, in
large print or in another language,
please contact:
The Diversity Team
Tel: 0131 314 6575
E-mail: [email protected]
For information on public transport services contact:
Traveline Scotland, 0871 200 2233 or
www.travelinescotland.com
© Crown Copyright 2009
production, much of this area was once wild open
moorland, dotted with small huts or shielings that
were used when the cattle and sheep were brought
up for summer grazing. As you travel through the
forest, you will see evidence of the past all around
you – from Iron Age settlements and 5000-yearold long cairns, to beautifully constructed circular
sheep stells.
A68
A7
4
Did you know it stretches to the border
with England, where it meets Kielder
Forest – making it part of the largest
forest in Britain. Now a powerhouse for timber
)
Dumfries
4(M
Newton
Stewart
A7
Designed by: Design & Interpretative Services, Forestry Commission Scotland - D&IS.10K.SoE.Mar 09
Peebles
1
Berwick-uponTweed
A697
A1
4
2
A7
M7
4
Rly
Moffat
3
3
3
Ayr
Edinburgh
M8
A71
2
M9
Glasgow
Newcastleton
Explore | Discover | Enjoy
g
6
A7
For
information on
what’s available
from Forestry
Commission
Scotland
in the rest of
the Scottish
Borders
and
surrounding
area please
contact
2
Newcastleton has a large range of woodland trails
suitable for all abilities, from the wilderness of the
cross border route to a quiet picnic at Priesthill.
The forest is a wildlife haven, the hide looks out
on to Priesthill and the stunning Liddel valley.
There are some excellent routes suitable for horse
riding and Newcastleton is also part of
the World class 7stanes Mountain
bike trails.
Priesthill Wildlife
Hide, home of the
local Badger
Take care on the hills
er
L
at
W
l
e
i dd
Priesthill
Car Park
0
59
Bloody Bush
Toll stone
eB
Water
57
91
7
This route journeys deep into the forest, past
circular stells, along winding watercourses and
beside ponds and waterfalls. Enjoy a well-earned
rest. At the far end there are horse rails and picnic
tables before the forest road becomes a singletrack path. The return leg reveals panoramic views
out across the Liddel valley, suggesting it would
have been a great vantage point for early settlers in
this area. One of the forestry workers found a
beautifully worked arrowhead deep in the forest,
beside the path of the Hunters Trail. You can see
this on display at the Newcastleton Heritage Centre
in the village.
18 miles | 28.7 km |
55
B635
green waymarkers
grade:
83/4 miles | 14.0 km | allow 5 hrs
Cross-Border Route
B639
9
Hermitage
Hunters Trail
53
Bonchester
Bridge
Hawick
sho
p
The Long Trails
51
49
Dragonfly ponds, with lurking
underwater predators and dazzling
aerial acrobats.
Priesthill Car Park Trails
Newcastleton
Ponds Trail
It’s there for you to discover
blue waymarkers
1/3 mile | 0.5 km
Ponds Trail
© Crown copyright.
All rights reserved Forestry Commission.
Licence No. 100025498 2009.
170m
0m
path
16
0m
Priesthill
Car Park
16
0m
ug h B
Whitha
Liddlevale
Hawick
0
er
ter
B
n
ur
0m
0m
15
Settlement
0m
18
r
Bu
n
200m
ke
0m
m
l
sthil
Prie
Cros
sgill S
i
Priesthill
Car Park
205m
The
Caddrouns
m
26
280
m
0m
Pouterlampert
283m
Newcastleton
Forest
MAP OF
PONDS TRAIL
Stell
Knowe
Dykecrofts
Car Park
260m
Dun
Knowe
quarry
230m
Tweedenhead
quarry
281m
Swarf
Hill
quarry
This route follows the Drove Road Trail for part of
the way and then returns through an area of old,
well established woodland. Take a short detour to
see the "hanging tree"- what stories could it tell?
Now a veteran, this ash tree is a shadow of its
former glory. Pass through the old farm of
Pouterlampert - first mentioned in records in 1376,
another chapter in the long history of this area.
rn
Newcastleton
red waymarkers
grade:
21/4 miles | 3.6 km | allow 1hr 30 mins
m
250
0m
24
230m
Hillhouse
Wood
Hillhouse
Bu
87
ee
Tw
n
de
Tweedenhead
Bogs
Tweeden Burn
Long Cairn
22
0m
210
m
C le
260m
Border
stane
h
uc
red waymarkers
grade:
5 miles | 7.9 km | allow 2 hrs 30mins
ley
25
0m
La
ng
240
m
Linns Trail
86
0m
220m
21
20
220m
240
m
23
0m
Take a trip 5000 years back in time and visit the
Long Cairn. Once a focus for ceremonial gatherings,
the remains of the dead were placed in stone-lined
graves within the body of the cairn. This is one of
the best examples of a Long Cairn in southern
Scotland - you can still see one of the burial
chambers amongst the jumble of large stones and
boulders. This trail follows forest roads and passes
through forest habitat of all ages, from recently
felled open areas to 70-year-old mature conifer
woodland.
242m
0m
0m
orange waymarkers
grade:
miles | 9.1 km | allow 4 hrs
0m
23
21
53/4
19
0m
Long Cairn Trail
m
220
18
0m
The Linns trail drops down into a wooded valley,
criss-crossed with burns and alive with wildlife.
There’s a chance to stretch your legs on the walk
out to the ruined cottage at Tweedenhead, where
on sunny days common lizards can be seen
scuttling amongst the stones beside the bridge.
Blaemount
Rig
Border Stane
85
264m
53
Scotch
Kershope
210m
Blinkbonny
Height
sho
Ker
223m
B
pe
0
1/4km
1/8ml
Priesthill Trail
orange waymarkers
grade:
22/3 miles | 4.2 km | allow 1hr 45 mins
This trail encircles Priesthill and gives an
opportunity to stretch the legs. With each bend in
the path another wonderful vista opens up.
n
ur
Maps Key
52
0
The Viewpoint trail takes you to the summit of
Priesthill allowing you to appreciate the full
grandeur of the views over the Liddel Water and
far beyond. A wildlife hide nestles under the shelter
of the Spruce trees, so why not linger a while and
watch the wildlife go by or alternatively you could
return to the hide before dark on a summers
evening and watch the local badger clan emerge.
Hanging Tree Trail
22
23
0m
Dykecrofts
The Swarf Trail brings mans use of stone in the area
right up to date. The trail passes through the Swarf
quarry, which provides stone of all grades for over
73km of forest roads in this and neighbouring
forests. Many of the trees in this area are still very
young, most planted at the start of the 21st
century. These will become mature forests for
future generations to enjoy. In the meantime, they
offer rich hunting grounds for owls and other birds
of prey living in the forest.
0m
0m
88
288m
27
Hanging
Tree
h Burn
au g
h
t
i
Wh SEE DETAILED
black waymarkers
grade:
3 miles | 4.8 km | allow 2 hrs
purple waymarkers
grade:
2 miles | 3.4 km | allow 1hr 15mins
Harden
Hill
Priest
Hill
180
Swarf Trail
24
0
200m
Dykecrofts Car Park Trails
Viewpoint Trail
Belshiel
23
0m
13
0m
Whithaugh
Moss
89
© Crown copyright.
All rights reserved Forestry Commission.
Licence No. 100025498 2009.
Castleton
Muir
16
l
From the car park to the old settlement of Belshiel
you are following in the footsteps of the cattle and
sheep drovers who plied their trade between the
pastures of Scotland and the markets of England.
No doubt many of these hardy men were
descended from generations of cattle-reivers.
Byreholm
14
de
Wa
1/8km
1/16ml
0
Bonchester
Bridge
Pip
B6
d
Li
B6357
Hermitage
Bridge
357
yellow waymarkers
grade:
13/4 miles | 2.8 km | allow 1 hr
urn
Dykecrofts
Take a gentle stroll beside the Whithaugh Burn and
around the ponds. In the summer months look out
for the dragonflies, those glittering, flying jewels of
the insect world. This walk is also designed to cater
for those with limited mobility, wheelchair users
and families with baby buggies.
Drove Road Trail
17
Dragonfly
Ponds
1/2km
1/4ml
Forestry Commission Land
50
grade:
51
Forestry Commission Woodland
P
Car Park
Suitable for the Less Abled
Other Woodland
The trails through Newcastleton Forest
have been designed to allow walkers,
cyclists and horse riders the chance to
enjoy the peace, wildness and spectacular
views that this area has to offer. Many of
these are shared routes, so please be
considerate to other forest users.
Walkers
Post
Secondary Road
Minor Road
Forest Road
You’re not the only
one who would enjoy
a good walk in
the forest.
Cyclists Cross Border
Post
Post
Road/Track
Toilets
Picnic Place
Information
Viewpoint
Footpath
Forest Trails
Wildlife Hide
(colour coded)
National Boundary
Mountain Biking