Minchmoor

NT43SE 155 from 4530 3000 to 4500 3075. LIN 12.

Formerly LIN 527.

Branch Road: from 4519 3057 to 4756 3042.

Branch Road: from 4500 3118 to 4617 3203.

An old road runs, or has run, from Ettrick Water at Ettrickbank (NT 4527 2893, see also NT42NE 346) to Tranquair (NT 3306 3458 see also NT33SW 50). Between Wallace's Trench (NT 3869 3265, see NT33SE 1) and the summit of Hare Law (NT 375 328) it is joined by a disused highway; this comes up from the Yarrow Water at Yarrow Ford (NT 4079 2994) and is known as the Minchmoor Road (see also NT33SE 13).

The present SE end of the ridgeway track at Ettrickbank (from NT 4756 3042 to the main old road from Ettrick Water joining at NT c.4519 3057) has evidently been walled off for use as a drove-road, and in the enclosed ground higher up the hillside it has been largely obliterated by cultivation. On reaching the E face of Linglee Hill it breaks through the linear earthwork (NT43SE 38 (LIN 11)) by 2 gaps 30yds apart, the later date of the road being tolerably clear, and continues its westward course along a hollow and a ridge just N of the summit of the hill, the track being deeply marked in the rocky crest of the ridge.

From NT 4530 3000 to the NE side of Peat Law (NT 443 308, see also NT43SW 22) the road can be traced with difficulty, being only lightly hollowed in the heather-covered moorland. (There are several hollow tracks (on mapsheet NT43SW) marked as part of the "Catrail" on the OS map, and they no doubt represent a branch road coming up from Selkirk.) Another short length of "Catrail", marked near spot-level 1185 on the descending ridge that connects Peat Law (see mapsheet at NT 443 308) with Sunderland Hill (NT 455 318), evidently refers to a branch road of which some traces were found lower down the ridge, and which no doubt came up from the NE to join the main route near this point.

Information from OS (SW) 21 July 1961.

RCAHMS 1957.

NT 4530 3000 to NT 4519 3057 There is no trace of the road.

NT 4519 3057 to NT 4500 3075 A faint hollow with possible multiple tracks at the S end.

NT 4513 3063 A trench dug by J. Craw revealed nothing (Craw 1930).

NT 4512 3065 The slopes are reversed. This is one of several traffic ruts (Crawford 1936).

Branch road: from NT 4519 3057 to NT 4756 3042

NT 4519 3057 to NT 4581 3068 There is no trace of the road except for rutting on the N side of Linglie Hill.

At NT 4581 3068 There is a gap in the earthwork (NT43SE 38) (Crawford), this is where the conjectured line of LIN 12 intersects NT43SE 38.

NT 4581 3068 to NT 4610 3067 There is no trace of the road.

Branch road: from NT 4500 3118 to NT 4617 3203

NT 4500 3118 to NT 4506 3124 A faint hollow can be traced.

NT 4506 3124 to NT 4600 3203 There is no trace of the road.

NT 4572 3198 to NT 4617 3203 Old field bank.

Visited by OS January 1966.

Visited by J Craw August 1930.

Visited by OGS Crawford June 1936.

In 1480, the ranger of Yarrow got 2000 'vangorum et tribulorum' i.e. spades and forks. These may have been used for making ditches and banks to form the bounds of the steeds in Ettrick Forest, bounds which still seem to be shown on the OS map. That they were used for planting is doubtful.

Information from OS.

M L Anderson 1967.