This waymarked circular walk climbs south from Hawick, visiting Williestruther Loch and over Vertish Hill, with good views over the town.
Waymarked paths, tracks and minor road; careful navigation needed on golf course section.
Hawick has regular bus services.
Common Haugh car park, Hawick.
The walk begins from the large Common Haugh car park by the river at the southwestern end of Hawick town centre; there are toilets. Begin by leaving the car park and turning right onto the main A7 road. Cross the bridge over the River Teviot, go straight across the roundabout and then bear right onto Howegate, which has a small green with a clock monument. Follow the road as it climbs uphill, but keep a look out for the grassy mound or motte over to the left. This is worth the detour and there are steps to ascend the far side for a great view back over the town. The motte was once the site of a Norman tower.
Return to the road and continue uphill. Eventually the road reaches a mini-roundabout on the edge of town. Go left here, but then immediately turn right onto a track. When this reaches a cross-roads of tracks, go straight ahead through the gate. The track continues climbing across the slope, and there are good views over Hawick and its surroundings off to the left. Look out for a waymarker post that indicates where to fork left onto a narrower footpath.
There are a few sections of boardwalk as the path climbs up past the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Whitlaw Wood nature reserve. Ignore the paths off left into the reserve and continue ahead. When a cross-paths is reached keep ahead, climbing to a pedestrian gate into a field. Pass through this and bear right, keeping to the field edge.
Continue until the large Scots pine trees; at this point turn right through the gate and onto a track. The track briefly rises and then descends towards a farm. Pass through the gate and continue ahead until you reach a minor road. Turn right along the road.
Continue until a fork where another road bears off to the right. The lane is the onward route, but a very brief detour ahead allows you to visit Williestruther Loch. 'Struther' is an old Scots word for marsh, and the wetland was dammed in order to provide water to feed Hawick's mills. Today it is used for fishing; there's a path right around the loch if you wish. Return to the junction with the lane mentioned above, and head up it. A lochan off to the left side was once the curling pond, but is now full of reeds. Pass the entrance to St Leonard's Farm, but turn right 250m further on where there's a footpath sign. Keep right, following a line of magnificent beech trees.
Take a path on the left at a fork (waymarked). The walk now reaches the golf course, give way to golfers and take care to stay on course. Bear right of a green, then cross onto a grassy track that runs along inside a belt of trees across the course. Keep ahead when this joins another grassy track. When another fairway is reached, head straight across, keeping to the left edge of some trees. A grassy track leads uphill briefly and then down. Don't take the clear golf course path, but instead keep left of it. There's a short stretch of gravel track, then turn left (waymarker post) onto a footpath down through another belt of trees. Go straight across a grassy track, then bear right (marker) when another fairway is reached. The path now leaves the golf course and becomes a track. Bear left when it joins a larger track, and soon the outward route will be rejoined. Keep ahead and retrace your steps back to Hawick, down Howegate to return to the start.
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