Rubers Law circuit

[wjshaw2]

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Rubers Law is a distinctive lump, from the north particularly so, forming an almost perfect cone. Closer up, it is far more bumpy and this dual character is quite attractive. Added to that, the archaeological interest and the fact that it was a beautiful day made this a great wee walk.

I parked at Rubers Law Wild Camping overflow car park near Spital Tower - I couldn't find anyone around to ask if this was okay more generally, but it seemed better than parking either miles away or on the well-kept sides to the one track road.

From there it was a straightforward and straight walk towards the summit, visible all the way - although a few false summits at the top.

Rubers Law from just off the Borders Abbeys Way

Crossing the Borders Abbeys way (with which I had a wee difficulty later on) I went round the east side of the two conifer plantations, and there was a lowered fence provided for walkers by the second one. Crossing old field boundaries and ditches, I headed for a gate a the wall junction near the top and needlessly cut across one lump before descending and climbing again to the actual top.

Nearing the top with the gate at the wall junction

I could've just followed the wall until the trig point came into view, but the more lumps the betters as far as I'm concerned. But wonderful views from the top of The Cheviot and the hills along the English border, to the Newcastleton hills, and north and northwest to all the other Borders country peaks. Rubers Law truly stands isolated and makes a perfect viewpoint with little exertion. It can't have been an easy place to build a hill fort on as the top is so naturally lumpy. It was marred only by a big patch of burnt rock just to the west of the trig point. One of the beacons lit for the jubilee last year, a bonfire by campers, or the remains of Easter's new fire? A plaque states that this hilltop has been a Christian meeting place for centuries. I'd guess the Covenanters met here.

S from top

N over top

I didn't want to return the way I'd come up, but make a round of it, so descended by the east side. There was a gate in the wall again at an appropriate place and a faint path down the side of the now felled forestry.

Gate on E side of hill with Bonchester Hill in the background.

At the small kink in the wall running along the forestry I went through the wee gate and across the brashings, nearly treading on a jack snipe (I think), the first one I've ever knowingly seen.

The usual mess left from felling, with the added quirk of piles of Scots pine, obviously no use to anyone.

The true lumpiness of Rubers Law across the man made lumpiness of brashings.

Using gates in the corners of the field beyond I followed paths through Gilboa Wood to Blawearie where I expected to pick up the Borders Abbeys Way as marked on the map. However, the house clearly has a garden where the path should be so at the blue gate across the track I followed a path into the woods along the side of the field until it petered out and I could climb the wall into the field to find out what had happened to the Way. It still crossed into the next field at the same place - through the older gate and across a trackless field and not onto the lovely new track. I'd guess the the Borders Abbeys Way is not used too much as no definite path has developed. The Way itself seems to now come from a point off to the north, and then cross the field to this place, so I should probably have carried on past Blawearie until I came across it and avoid jumping any walls.

The Way goes through the left hand of these two gates, not the new gate on the edge of the picture (which isn't on the 2007 1:50000 map either).

However the way markings were clear enough from then on to get back to the car, where I found that the battery in my car key had stopped working. This gave me a short panic, until I realised I could actually use the key itself to get in.

So that was lovely. And then on for a stroll up Faw Hill and the other nearby Sub 2000ft Marilyn, Belling Hill which is another report: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30581.