Broad Law
Broad Law is the highest point in Peeblesshire and the Scottish Borders. It is the only Corbett Mountain located entirely within the Borders region. For the pedants out there, Hart Fell is shared with Dumfriesshire/Dumfries and Galloway. A Corbett is defined as a Scottish mountain between 2,500 to 3,000 feet, with at prominence of 500 feet. The imperial measurements give some indication of the antiquity of the list – they were classified 100 years ago by John Corbett, a member of the SMC. So, alas, no connection to the notoriously short Scots comic Ronnie Corbett, though isn’t it nice to think of the much missed wee felly?
Cairn half way up Broad Law, looking to the Moffat Hills
The name is pretty apt, it is a broad, rounded dome of a hill particularly when viewed from Tweeddale and to anyone completing the 200 plus Corbetts it is unlikely to prove a massive highlight when compared to others such as Ben Ledi, The Cobbler or Goat Fell. I am however a Positive Pete and I think the hill has a lot to commend it, as well as a few secrets hidden on its vast flanks, so lets dive into the secret side of Broad Law.
Looking back towards Yarrow Valley from Broad Law
The most common route of ascent is from the Megget Stane, 400m up on the single-track road that links Cappercleuch and Tweedsmuir. Those looking for some sort of huge monolith are apt to be disappointed – the Stane is very small boundary marker next to a cattle grid. This was once the boundary between the counties of Peebles and Selkirk and is now a good spot to park a car if you want to bag a Corbett in a brisk hour or two. From here it is an unrelenting uphill slog following the near ubiquitous fence lines of the Southern Uplands to the top. It’s not easy but as big hills go, the main challenge is going to be your fitness and the weather - navigation is not difficult with a fence hand hold to the top. As the highest land for many miles in any direction it does have a bit of a microclimate, snow will lie longer in the northern crags than anywhere else in The Borders and lightning strikes are not uncommon. Lots to see once you get to the top, but we will come to that later. There are other ways to get the top which will demand more of the hiker/cyclist. One option is to start from Cramalt, a few kilometres back down the road to Cappercleuch. Lonely hill tracks will take you to the centre of a wide ridge of upland where, for 10km, the height never drops much below 700m from Talla to Manor – winter ski tour country. A longer and fairly brutal ascent can be undertaken from Hearthstane farm in Upper Tweeddale, a stones throw from the historic Crook Inn which it seems is gloriously returning from the dead. If you are planning this hike up from Tweeddale then please park respectfully on the west side of the tweed, not in the estate itself. From there a long walk through the farm (and past a massive herd of farmed deer) brings you on to a gravel road which will take you all the way to the top of this mountain, including at one point some ridiculous hairpin turns in a wooded section. I am told it makes for a thrilling, if bumpy, descent on a decent mountain bike.
Highest pie in the Borders!
The top of Broad Law is 840m and, to give it some context, this is 170m higher than Scotland’s highest public road at the Cairnwell, home of the notorious Devil’s Elbow switchbacks. Clearly this road to the top isn’t just for mad mountain bikers or rural explorers – it has a purpose. On the top of Broad Law is a collection of aviation and communication bric-a-brac which will baffle the first timer. Most startling of all is the spaceship like VOR Beacon, an aircraft navigation device way beyond my comprehension. It’s the highest in the UK and is a pretty stark landmark on this grassy, wide summit. The ariels by comparison are fairly standard, I believe one is used by the police but I only have anecdotal evidence for that. There is also a cairn and trig point to be found. Views are, as can be expected, extensive though robbed of a lot of drama by the sheer bulk of the hill. That said, the following hills and mountains can, among many others, be seen from the summit – Goat Fell, Beinn Ime, Ben Lomond, Lochnagar, Arthurs Seat, The Cheviot, Cross Fell, High Street, Skiddaw, Sileau Freoaghane (Isle of Man), Merrick, Lowther Hill. Plus of course all the other big Border hills. Now, don’t come back and have a go at me if you get to the top and can’t see further than the end of your nose – as our former PM recently said “Thems the breaks”, views from hill tops are notoriously difficult to guarantee and even on a clear day anyone who can make out Lochnagar 100 miles away deserves a huge pat on the back. Wee aside – what is the longest mountain view in the UK? Apparently it is Merrick in Galloway to Snowdon, 144 miles.
What wildlife are you likely to see on Broad Law? It is to be honest a fairly degraded natural picture, forestry plantations and grazing have robbed the hill of much of its former wildness. When it was part of the Ettrick Forest and long before Megget and Talla were flooded you can picture a truly remote, rugged place. You will see deer, mountain hares, buzzards (the staple beasts of these hills) and the last time I was at the top in July we were treated to the magnificent sounds of summer visitors Lapwings and Curlews. In terms of other human beings? The occasional rambler given its status on various hill lists, hill runner or shepherd on a quad bike but like much of the Border Hills this is a place for solitude and quiet contemplation while the madness of 21st century life rages far below.
So, have I sold it you? Possibly not, you can’t make Broad Law as exciting as craggy Corbetts elsewhere in Scotland, or the Lakeland Fells, but get it on the right day, with the right conditions and it will be sure to reward you with a wee bit of magic.
