Eildon Mid Hill and Sell Moor Hill

8 August 2010.

Participants - Just me
Where - Eildon Mid Hill, 422m/1,385', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, 73, NT 548323; Sell Moor Hill, 423m, Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 73, NT 480444

 Iron Age settlers, the Devil, a wizard, King Arthur, the Romans, writers and poets. As well as being among the best known hills in Scotland, the Eildons are associated with all of the above. Although rising to only 422m at Eildon Mid Hill, they dominate the surrounding countryside and can be seen from miles around. One of the best places to view all three hills is from Scott's view to the east from where millions of pictures must have been taken; here is my effort.....

According to legend, the Eildons were originally a single hill which was cleft into three pieces by the devil who had been summoned by a local wizard, Michael Scott. Another legend associates King Arthur with the peaks.

I was returning from an MBA meeting at Hope bothy- a great wee howff in the hills near Peebles which unfortunately had just been sold (the bothy, not Peebles!) and will no longer be available to provide rough shelter. I had a bit of time to spare so decided to renew acquaintance with the Eildons. The hills are criss-crossed with paths and the route from Melrose initially follows the route of St Cuthberts Way.....

I headed for the highest point first- which is a Marilyn. It has a view indicator which incorporates a plaque to Sir Walter Scott.....

The weather was a bit changeable, alternating between bright sunshine and heavy cloud cover and the atmosphere was sometimes a bit flat for good photography. I had to hang about to get the better weather breaks for pics.This is Melrose from Mid Hill.....

and this is a zoomed shot of Melrose Abbey.....

Then it was back to the col and up Hill North, which I would have said was actually to the east but never mind! This is a view back to Mid Hill and the much lower Wester Hill from the slopes of Hill North.....

and this is Hill North from part way up Mid Hill.....

Hill North contains most of the historical interest. There has been a settlement here together with an outer defence system since around 1,000BC although I couldn't see any obvious signs. One feature that did stand out was a natural shelf on the south side of the hill which presumably was also used by the early settlers.....

Apparently Hill North was also extensively used by the Romans as a signal station and the Eildons stand above the Roman fort of Trimontium. So lots of interesting history and pre-history to read up about.

On the way home, I made a slight diversion to take in Sell Moor Hill, 422m. It is a fairly recent addition to the Marilyn tables and was a new "tick" for me. It hardly qualifies for the description of "hill"; it is really only the high point of fields and moorland between Stow and Lauder and I approached it from close to the high point of the road between the two. It was only about 70m of ascent over about 1/2 mile following a path through a couple of fields. This is the summit trig looking west to the Moorfoot Hills.....