For Friday's menu I had chosen the Donalds at the northern end of the Manor Hills - Pykestone Hill to Drumelzier. We drove through Peebles then took the small road out past Stobo Castle to Drumelzier, turned left down a driveway just after the phone box and parked up in a good gravelled area beside Mill Cottage. The book said to go round behind the cottage and follow a path on the east of the burn, but you could have as easily gone up the farm track - they met after a bit. There's a good grassy track that leads up Den Knowes - Drumelzier looked enchanting over to the right - we'd have the pleasure of ascending that one last. Over rougher ground to The Scrape (a New Donald) - the sense of space on this hill in particular was considerable, hard to think we were less than 30 miles from Edinburgh City. The hills to the South had a fair bit of snow left on them, unlike those we were on today. Next we followed the fenceline and reached the summit of Pykestone Hill, 2 crows that had been perched there flew off with a caw. Lunchtime, good chance to survey the landscape. We picked up the fence line again down to Grey Weather Law and thence to Middle Hill, another Donald. I'd decided we could do without the extra couple of kilometres to Taberon Law - only a Donald Top and expendible when Allison's recovery was paramount. We had some difficulty finding the highest spot on Middle Hill, but enjoyed the skyline over to Dollar Law and Broad Law in the distance.
Start of the walk

Drumelzier in the distance

View over to Middle Hill/Taberon Law

Summit of The Scrape


Pykestone Hill


View to Broad Law

Drumelzier from Middle Hill

Maybe summit Middle Hill

We headed down to Glenstivon Dod and glared at the drop before Drumelzier Hill - which was easily achieved as it happened. There's a cairn on Drumelzier before the true summit, then a cairn at the top. Allison was doing well so far, a big grin at the top. Down over a good peaty track to Logan Head then back onto the farm track we'd taken on the way up. A very pleasant and successful afternoon out this one.
Drumelzier

Summit looking North

Pleased as Punch


Back to Edinburgh in good time, a shower and change of clothes then into town. The lure of the Hanging Bat was too strong to refuse - had an early tea there and a few of their rather powerful beverages. Back at the campsite early, a bit worse for wear. Saturday morning found me, shall we say, a little fragile. Allison seemed fine, having quaffed as much as me. Must have been something I ate

Blue skies didn't last long


View over to Bowbeat

Summit Dundreich

The going got worse from now on. The boggy ground was largely frozen which did help a lot, but there was still a bit of descent and re-ascent. We cut down to a stream by a plantation before climbing up to the windfarm - Allison had lunch, I curled up in my belay jacket and wished to be left there. Struggling on we got to the windfarm and made use of the road between the turbines to get to the top of Bowbeat Hill - a gouge having been taken from it by the road. Down to Emly Bank then onto fenceline following paths to the top of Blackhope Scar - at least that meant that I wouldn't have to return here in future to help Allison get this one I'd already done


You can see the gouge out of the top of Bowbeat Hill

Winter lingers


Summit Blacklaw Scar


Sunday - felt fine today! It had been very cold over night - car temp said -1.5 at around 08.30 and the grass was covered in thick frost. Beautiful looking morning however. We packed up and drove off Peebles way again - this time to try the southern half of the Manor Hills. I was not sure that Allison would be able to complete these, being her third day in a row, and was aware there was a footpath bisecting the hills which we might wish to use in that case. Anyway, as we drove out of Edinburgh we entered a cloud inversion - thick fog, with the roadside grasses and bushes covered in rime. We took the road to Manor Head just after Peebles and by the time we arrived at the white cottage before the bridge the sky was becoming clear blue. We'd decided to do the eastern hills first and set off across a field to a bridge and thence up the steepish slopes of Langhaugh Hill. Allison was definately struggling more today - a look of discomfort and a definate reduction in pace from yesterday. We pressed on, up a good track onto Waddyside Rig then scuttled about in heather and (frozen) bog to find the summit of Black Cleuch Hill, for what reason I don't know. We followed the fence line to Black Law and its two summits.
Cold crisp morning

At the start

View N back up the valley

The circuit

Waddyside Rig

Approaching Black Law

Lot of snow on Cramalt Craig

Minimalist cairn, Black Law

I was a little anxious to see the way ahead to Deer Law appear so far, but there you have it, the map doesn't lie. On we went, Allison struggling a bit by this time, over Conscleuch Head and up to Deer Law, which had a standing stone as its cairn. We parked there for lunch and a look at what to do. Dollar Law looked snowy up top and I had left the crampons in the car. With all this glorious sunshine I could imagine the hard snow getting a slippy melted surface - maybe not a goer for today even if Allison had been fit. We could head down the footpath, or we could sneak in Greenside Law which was only 130m extra once we got to the start of the right of way. There's a substantial drop in height were you to try the direct route from Deer Law to Black Rig, so we contoured around below Conscleuch Head, sometimes on an ATV or animal track, sometimes not. Again I gave thanks for the icy conditions underfoot - this would be a morass in ordinary conditions. A fox perked its head out and dashed off ahead of us into another secret place- have to say we have very rarely met with foxes when out on the hills - see more of them in town now. Eventually we completed the traverse to Foulbrig and I persuaded Allison to do the "easy" 130m up to Greenside Law. The glorious sunshine had melted some of the icy puddles up here. I got to the top and eventually she joined me, looking thoroughly scunnered. I had been looking over at Dollar law whilst I waited for her - would have been do-able without crampons, but even if I had gone over there today I would have had to return for Cramalt Craig, so I can do them together sometime.
Black Law to Deer Law

Conscleuch Head to Dollar Law

Deer Law


You can imagine how wet this is normally

Greenside Law - c'mon it's not far!

Start of the footpath

View N from Greenside Law

We found the ring trig at the summit then headed down and onto the footpath. This wound up a little below Redsike Head then proved a lovely high level walk back along the hillside, dropping down gradually to rejoin the road and leaving us with a couple of kilometres back to the car. A most enjoyable day, real taste of spring in the air today.
Notman Law and Dollar Law

Hmmm enough said

Bitch Craig


Across to Dollar Law


