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Name: | Capel Fell |
Hill number: | 1875 |
Height: | 678.3m / 2225ft |
RHB Section: | 28B: The River Tweed to the English Border |
Donald area: | Ettrick Hills |
County/UA: | Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway |
Catchment: | Catchment Boundaries, Annan, Tweed |
Watershed: | Tweedmouth, Ardnamurchan Point to Lowestoft, Cardiff to Cape Wrath, Dover to Cape Wrath, Lowestoft to Duncansby Head, Land's End to John o' Groats, Solway Firth, The Lizard to Dunnet Head |
Class: | Marilyn, Hump, Simm, Graham, Donald, Yeaman (Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim,G,D,DN,Y) |
Grid ref: | NT 16396 06906 |
Summit feature: | no feature: ground by single fence post |
Drop: | 159.3m |
Col: | 518.9m NT 1717 0630 |
OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 79 (1:25k) 330 |
Survey: | Leica RX1250 |
Change log: | show changes for this hill entry |
GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
Logged Descriptions (logged by 431 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all) | By | Date of Ascent |
Croft Head, Loch Fell, Wind Fell, Hopetoun Craig, Ettrick Pen, Bodesbeck Law, White Shank, Smidhope Hill and Capel Fell from Selcoth | hummusg | 19/02/2024 |
Quite a long out and back walk to Croft Head and here from Moffat hostel. Dense cloud and intermittent heavy drizzle but pleasantly mild for the time of year though. | Alex C | 15/02/2024 |
From Croft Head on route to Smidhope Hill. 7th in clockwise circuit of the Ettrick Hills. 
NE along Southern Upland Way track to the bealach between Wind Fell and Capel Fell and then up easy slopes on grassy track to summit of Capel Fell. | Jossker | 16/10/2023 |
From Sailfoot. Forestry tracks to 15776.07169, atv track to summit. | Moorponder | 09/10/2023 |
From Selcoth Fishery (parking with permission) up a steep landrover track beside the Steinstane Burn to Croft Head summit. Then joined SUW path for zig zag descent down Cat Shoulder. Ascent of Capel Fell on ATV track following fence on south east shoulder. Descent on tussocky grFrom Selcoth Fishery (parking with permission) up a steep landrover track beside the Steinstane Burn to Croft Head summit. Then joined SUW path for zig zag descent down Cat Shoulder. Ascent of Capel Fell on ATV track following fence on south east shoulder. Descent on tussocky grass following fence down south west shoulder. Easy crossing of the burn at bottom of Bill Cleuch to join landrover track for walk back to Selcoth. | Fife Walking | 01/10/2023 |
Selcoth (parked with permission by water tank before road turns right to fishery) - Croft Head, West Knowe, Loch Fell, Lamblair Knowe, Wind Fell, Capel Fell, Sailfoot Law & Broken Back. | sclater | 11/08/2023 |
Parked at the end of the long lane from Ettrick. Quick inspection of the bothy and then the climb up Ettrick Pen, the 2 easy hits of Hopetoun Craig and Wind Fell. Up to Loch Fell and West Knowe. A steep descent down to the sheep pen and then along the SUW to cross the stream and then Capel Fell, Smidhope Hill, White Shank and back down to the car. | tsharp | 20/07/2023 |
Sailfoot - Capel Fell - White Shank - Potburn - Ettrick Pen - Loch Fell - Croft Head - Sailfoot | davidpettit84 | 07/04/2023 |
With GN easy path from SUW to ESE | trimarc2 | 27/02/2023 |
Circuit of Marilyns and tops from Sailforth. 
5 of 6 | thekirkie pirate | 13/11/2022 |
Round of 4 from Fishery to N. 1/4. Steep from valley. | davechaffey | 29/10/2022 |
From road end for a round of White Shank, Smidhope Hill, Capel Fell, Wind Fell, Hopetoun Craig and Ettrick Pen. | rhalstead | 08/10/2022 |
With L & R - My half-way Marilyn - 778. Circuit of Ettrick Pen, Hopetoun Craig, Wind Fell, Loch Fell and Capel Fell. Lovely walking on the tops and great views. | Janet M | 19/09/2022 |
I had a late afternoon / evening walk from Sailfoot taking in Croft Fell and Capel Fell. Very enjoyable walking and views. | meltdiceburg | 21/08/2022 |
Parked at end of public road near Potburn 
for the Ettrick Horseshoe. Counter clockwise taking in White Shank, Smidhope Hill and Capel Fell. I wasn't looking forward to the outlier of Croft Head, but the ascent up West Knowe, was worse, as there is decent zig zag path up Cat Shoulder. From it was easy over Loch Fell, Wind Fell then Hopetoun Craig and one final pull up Ettrick Pen. Which had the first proper summit feature of the whole day, a large cairn. 
Dropped down to the NW to pick up the forestry track, then past Over Phawhope bothy and back to the car 8hrs after setting off. | chillyman8 | 31/07/2022 |
Started from the turning circle at the end of the minor road leading to the head of the Ettrick valley and followed the SMC route taking in the summits of Ettrick Pen, Hopetoun Craig, Wind fell, Loch fell, West Knowe, Croft head, Capel fell, Smidhope hill and White shank. A tough and long walk taking seven and half hours for the Twelve and half mile with 4000ft of ascent. Route finding was generally easy following fencing but a brutal descent of West Knowe is needed to reach the valley floor. | WAYNE ROWLETT | 01/05/2022 |
Ettrick Head Horseshoe is a great walk for wide open views in lots of directions across to hills by Grey Mares Tail, Cheviots, Pennines, Lake District, Criffle, Dumfries and Galloway and Lead Hills. 10 miles. Start at the end of the road past Ettrick. Up White Shank, Smidhope Hill, Capel Fell, Wind Fell, Hopetoun Crag, Ettrick Pen. Did not see anyone all day, with Sally. | Victor | 09/04/2022 |
Set off from Selcoth following tracks initially then straight up to Capel Fell. Then followed tracks to Wind Fell, Loch Fell, West Knowe and Croft Head before heading back to Selcoth. | jigglybones | 16/10/2021 |
The object of our walk today. Long ranging views from here and didn't see anyone all day. | Walker Dan | 20/09/2021 |
Parked at empty Selcoth fish farm car park. (Saw nobody else on the hills all day.) Filling in second last Donald in the Moffat area: Capel Fell. Up the forestry track, then… Broken Back, Sailfoot Law, Capel Fell, Smidhope Hill, White Shank, before returning to the col NE of Capel Fell. No point ascending again, so followed the wall line down NW to end of forest track at 1629 0753. Great views to sea and hills. Cows loose on northern tops, so stuck to wall lines. | Toby-and-Dion | 11/09/2021 |
Steep descent down by fence posts. | johninthehills | 04/09/2021 |
From Potburn in Ettrick Valley along SUW then easily up by fence. | Lionel Bidwell | 26/08/2021 |
From turning circle at road before Potburn, walking on track past Potburn to Over Phawhope, then along tracks to E, becoming intermittent path, to summit of Ettrick Pen, continuing over summits Hopetoun Craig, Wind Fell, Loch Fell, West Knowe, then steep pathless descent to sheepfold on col to NW, climb up good zig-zag path to Croft Head, return to sheepfold, NE along Southern Upland Way to the col at Ettrick Head, then NW along fence line to Capel Fell, continuing by fence and wall to Smidhope Hill and White Shank, descending through rough grassland around edge of forestry to Potburn and back to turning circle | kdbennett | 15/07/2021 |
after Scaw'd Fell via SUW | jef | 18/05/2021 |
From end of public road at Potburn (NT 1893 0928). Took the track running N of Potburn toward Fauldside Hill, bypassing it for White Shank, then Smidhope Hill and along the county line to here. On to Sailfoot Law -> Broken Back -> Croft Head -> West Knowe -> Loch Fell. | jonglew | 09/04/2021 |
From fish farm up track then atv to Capel Fell. Out to White Shank then back to Ettrick Head and up Wind Fell and on to Hopetoun Craig. Retraced steps then down SUW to sheep fold and decent path back to car. Weather was perfect. | SS | 02/03/2021 |
from Wind Hill via Ettrick Head, round from Potburn via Ettrick Pen. | IanHHill | 22/10/2020 |
P Selcoth Fish Farm, track & SUW to county boundary & up by fence. On to Smidhope Hill. | agentmancuso | 02/10/2020 |
yorkielad | 19/09/2020 | |
Solo. From end of public road at NT189093. After ascending Croft Head returned on SUW to a little east of Rae Grain before ascending to the summit of Capel Fell. Followed fence and wall to Smidhope Hill and White Shank. Went down Little Smid Hope (rather rough) to reach forest road and back to road end. Nice weather and good views. | pwbellarby | 31/08/2020 |
6th of the day clockwise and from West Knowe. Steady climb to the summit. Good views. NNE to Smidhope. Solo. | bolton | 20/08/2020 |
Parked at road end and set off at 06:15 by moonlight with a temperature of-4C. Ettrick Pen (beautiful sunrise), Hopetoun Craig, Wind Fell, West Knowe, Loch Fell, Scaw'd Fell, Gateshaw Rig, Croft Head (met a badger), Capel Fell, Smidhope Hill, White Shank. Returned at 14:45. | PGCE | 19/11/2019 |
Circuit from Potburn via Over Phawhope: Ettrick Pen, Dob's Craig (with a rising traverse back to the main ridge), Hopetoun Craig, Wind Fell with its idiosyncratic summit marker, Capel Fell, Smidhope Law, White Shanks, descending between the burn and the forestry to the track just West of Over Phawhope. A fox led the way on the ascent from Over Phawhope, and hail and snow showers alternated with bright Autumn sunshine. | Nick Down1 | 26/10/2019 |
part of ettrick horseshoe | alanm9 | 17/08/2019 |
White Shank, Smidhope Hill, Capel Fell, Loch Fell (camped overnight by summit), West Knowe, Broken Back, circuit from Bodesbeck. | RobertP | 29/06/2019 |
Capel and Croft from Sailfoot. Forestry tracks to 490m then faint quad track. Descended SE ridge and S face to SUW. | Topographer57 | 24/05/2019 |
With Ikuko a long day over three Marilyns! | GWR Chris | 21/05/2019 |
Capel Fell then Croft Head, from Sailfoot, up via zigzag forest roads then on to hillside. Between two hills by heading to small bridge near Ettrick Head then following SUW to good path up Croft Head | willyross | 14/05/2019 |
From Croft Head. Stopped by the picturesque bridge to fill my water bottle and felt the extra weight and the increasing heat as I toiled to the summit. On to Smidhope Hill. | Wycombe Wanderer | 20/04/2019 |
From Selcoth, with three other Marilyns (+ 2 non-Marilyn Donalds). Breezy, some sunshine, cold. Time excludes breaks. | Rounsfell | 23/03/2019 |
CK | SheilaS | 30/12/2018 |
Continuing from Smidhope Hill, solo, reaching summit of CF in strong W wind. Descended along regional boundary fence SE to meet SUW at Ettrick Head and continued into forest for a sheltered lunch. Concluded walk down track ( met other walker intending go over CF and down to Selcoth) past Over Phawhope bothy to P beyond Potburn. Weather remaind fine for walking. First visit was with J and MB on 25/07/2009 on the third Graham of that day. | jacobus | 25/09/2018 |
From Ettrick Head on grassy slopes. | trimarc2 | 25/09/2018 |
From Croft Fell via SUW; easier than it looked! | MichaelF | 25/09/2018 |
8 of 8: From Smidhope Hill. | ChrisR | 08/08/2018 |
From Wind Fell, felt like a hard grind back up (unfit). Overcast but warm and breezy. | iangalbraith | 05/08/2018 |
Parked at end of public road at 18909 & up Ettrick Pen, Hopetoun Craig, Wind Fell, Loch Fell & West Knowe. From West Knowe, over fence & down NE spur intending to cross Selcoth Burn at footbridge shown on current 1:25,000 map. Bridge has been washed away, but fortunately water level low & burn easily crossed (New bridge about 250yd downstream 165062). Up to col & then decent path up side of boundary fence to summit. Continued to Smidhope Hill & White Shank. (S) | gerrybowes | 21/07/2018 |
Moffat taxi to Birkhill. Herman Law, Trowgrain Middle, Mid Rig, Andrewwhinney Hill, Bell Craig, Mid Rig, Nowtrig Head, Whiteyaud Head, Bodesbeck Law, Pot Law, Fauldside Hill, White Shank, Smidhope Hill and Capel Fell. Them Southern Upland Way to Moffat | Mountain Goat | 07/07/2018 |
Capel Fell and Croft Head with David Alexander on very hot sunny day. From fish farm (11:35), followed track on N side of valley then steeply up S ridge and fence to Capel Fell summit. Down to bridge on S Upland way past deep defile and then new 'alternative route' track up very steep ridge to Cfort Head. Descended NW ridge all the way to the Settlement. Finish 17:50. Leisurely day with long stops. Good views all round. | dbb | 25/06/2018 |
From end of public road Ettrick valley. Followed Southern Uplands Way to Over Phawhope then track up Ettrick Pen over Wind Fell a Donald. Not easy to work out which bump is which hill. Down to Ettrick Head along fairly boggy SUW to excellent zig zag path up Croft Head. Back almost to Ettrick Head & followed fence to Capel Fell summit. 7 hours 35 in snow. | rogreeves | 06/04/2018 |