Prehistoric Walk to West Linton

This furthest corner of Tweeddale and the Borders is abundant in prehistory and legend set amidst beautiful scenery. In the Dolphinton area many evidences have been found of early occupation including ornaments of gold and other metals, ritual and burial sites, arrow heads etc.

At the eastern edge of the village may be seen a conical mound upon the summit of which stands a first World War monument. Digging the foundations of this revealed an early Iron Age stone cist containing bones and fragments of iron. Tradition has it that the mound was created by the Border Wizard, Michael Scott, working with the Devil himself. A stream at the base bears the name of the "De'ils Tears" and a nearby passage between two hills is called "The Nick"

To begin the walk, proceed along the Garvald Road, turning right at Garvald Farm (11) noting Garvald House before reaching the farm and once more turning right towards Ferniehaugh and Medwynbank (12). The Right of Way now follows an ancient route which has seen travellers from the earliest times as evidenced by the number of prehistoric burial cairns to be found along the way.

Unfortunately the first two cairns no longer exist having been destroyed in the last century. In one of them was found a short sword and a stone urn containing ashes, both of prehistoric date.

The site of a second cairn near the Ferniehaugh farm buildings can still be seen as a level circular patch of fine grass which contrasts with the neighbouring rough pasture.

Other cairns along the route are still visible and the number of them in close proximity makes this walk unique in the Borders.

Half a mile further on and 100m from the track lies the "Nether Cairn". A massive structure 40m in diameter and 10m in height (14). This Cairn is the best preserved of its kind in the county and appears to be untouched.

After passing several smaller and overgrown cairns and 700m further on lies the "Upper Cairn" (15) which has been robbed for stones but still measures an impressive 60m diameter and 12m in height. A further smaller cairn lies a short way on together with the "Rumbling Well".

This ancient routeway traverses a pass between the North Muir and Mendick Hill known as "The Garral" at an average height of about 300m. The upland landscape is enlivened by a variety of moorland and other birds, and by the number of species of flora to be found, notably groupings of mountain pansies and other protected alpine species.

Visible on the North Cairn is a "cairnfield" consisting of 50 or so small cairns, probably prehistoric (16) while to the right of Little Mendick Hill (17) is situated a Ring Enclosure 30m in diameter, thought to have been constructed to serve some ritual or funerary purpose.

In the 18th Century the Garral was the venue for Conventicles, outlawed gatherings of Covenanters who met secretly in remote locations in order to worship according to their beliefs.

The name of the hill Mendick is unusual and may originate in two words - "menyie" - a group of followers or troops - and "dicht" - a blow or defeat, redolent perhaps of some long forgotten skirmish between native clans and Roman troops from the nearby Marching Camps and the Roman Road.

The track now joins the road from the West Water Reservoir which descends eastward, passing North Slipperfield Farm and the golf course. On the final stretch before reaching Medwyn Road, and upon a small knoll to the left, is the singular reconstruction of a Bronze Age Cist Cemetery (18). The original burial site was exposed at low water in 1993 at the edge of the West Water Reservoir a mile to the North East. Excavation revealed an assemblage of nine stone cists containing a number of artefacts. These included some early decorated pots, and two necklaces buried with a child, one of which, made of lead, was found to be the earliest example of worked lead to have been discovered in Britain. The cemetery has been relocated in its original layout form accompanied by an explanatory story board.

After a short walk down Medwyn Road passing sites of the famous Linton Market and the Old Brighouse Inn one reaches the A702 and the Village of West Linton.

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