Dun Rig and Glen Sax

Dunrig, a 744m marilyn, graham and donald in the Manor Hills, sits at the head of Glen Sax to the south of Peebles. It makes for a fine moorland walk especially when approached via the Cross Borders Drove Route.

Distance: 20 km / 12 miles
Ascent: 700 m / 2300 feet
Terrain: Moorland with paths and ATV tracks. Can be wet underfoot.
Start / finish: Glen Road, Peebles

Route Map

Starting from the end of Glen Road in Peebles, the Cross Borders Drove Route heads south east away from the town on a well made track (the middle option at the junction). The track soon leaves the farmland behind and starts to climb up the heather clad hillside. The main path skirts to the east side of Craig Head, but there is a trodden path that goes over the summit of this 421m hillock. The route continues south to reach the summit of the 537m Kirkhope Law. Beyond here there is a small amount of height loss to reach the next coll where the Drove route strikes off to the left.

Ignore the Drove Route and keep to the skyline path heading up to the 661m Donald of Birkscairn Hill. From here the track starts to become more of a trodden path as it descends and then re-ascends to Stake Law. Beyond Stake Law the path is somewhat rougher underfoot for the final approach to Dun Rig. A fence needs to be climbed, after which the path follows an old fence line to the trig pillar at 742m. This spot however, is not the actual summit of the hill. That lies to the south west on the opposite side of the old fence and is marked with a fence post driven into the ground.

From the trig pillar, descend in a north-north-east direction picking up a feint ATV track. This track takes the easiest line down the north-east shoulder and avoids having to thrash through the heather. On reaching the head of the Glen, there is a river that needs to be forded twice to reach the Glen Sax track. From here it is now a straightforward walk on the landrover track for about 4 miles to return to the start point. Initially the track is reasonably soft underfoot, however the final mile through the Haystoun Estate is on tarmac.