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Name:Birkscairn Hill
Hill number:1887
Height:661m / 2169ft
Parent (Ma):1845  Dun Rig
RHB Section:28B: The River Tweed to the English Border
Donald area:Manor Hills
County/UA:Scottish Borders
Catchment:Tweed
Class:Simm, Donald, Graham Top
(Tu,Sim,D,GT,DN)
Grid ref:NT 27470 33163
Summit feature:large cairn
Drop:62m
Col:599m  NT269325  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 73
(1:25k) 337
Observations:highest visible ground is 3m N of cairn but higher ground may lie under cairn
Survey:Abney level
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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Logged Descriptions  (logged by 359 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Circuit of the Glen from KirkhouseBLACKHILL17/10/2023
Started from layby in Glen Road, Peebles. Up the Cross Borders Drove Road over Craig Head, then a wee teeny path to Kailzie Hill. Back on Drove Road over Kirkhope Law and on to Birkscairn Hill. Out & back wee path to Birks Hill. Path over Stake Law then a bit boggy & peat hags before final climb up Dun Rig. Descended NE ridge on a very good mainly grass track to Glensax & out on the track & road. Murky, no views. 21km, 800m. 4hrs 40mins. No time to complete horseshoe but route was good.Lynnebe17/09/2023
From Glen Road with Rod, out drove road then up to Birkscairn Hill and on to Dun Rig. Underfoot was pretty decent in the short boggy section. Then round to Glenrath Heights and Hundleshope Heights before atv track down to valley and back to car. Phoned dentist from latter of those as a filling dropped out on the walk!SS25/04/2023
Loop of Glensax from Peebles. Craig Head, Kirkhope Law, Little Craigie Side (wandering around the wooded area to cover highest points), Birks Hill, Birkscairn Hill, Stake Law, Dun Rig, Glenrath Heights, Stob Law, Hundleshope Heights, Newby Kipps. Cool breeze but clouds above the tops and only short spell of light rain.RobertP15/02/2023
Dun Rig Horseshoe. Very windy with sunny spells and snow showers.Gary Heath09/02/2023
From NT 3057 3361, parking for 3 cars opposite the lodge. Took the CBDR track initially, then veered off up to Birks Hill and then across to here. On to Stake Law, Dun Rig, Whiteknowe Head, Deuchar Law, Blake Muir and return for an 18.6k round.jonglew03/11/2022
A clockwise circuit of the Glensax hills from the end of Glen Road, Peebles. Good path to Craig Head, Kirkhope Law and Birkscairn Hill then rather wet and boggy ground to take in Birks Hill, Stake Law, Dun Rig and Middle Hill. Finally, Hundleshope Heights and Newby Kipps were accessed via ATV tracks, then down to Upper Newby and the road back to the car. 5.15hrs total.summitter10/10/2022
With Richard, Abi & Mac Reiddunx200521/08/2022
From end of public road below Gallow Hill over Craig Head, Kirkhope, Birkscairn, Dun Rig, Middle Hill, Hundleshope & Newby Kipps. Dry and easy path until the descent from Dun Rig then a bit damper underfoot and some heather.sclater17/08/2022
Easy walk up from Kirkhope Law. Solo.Dangerous Dave27/04/2022
Yesterday I nipped down to Peebles, to do the Dun Rig horseshoe route south of the town. This is clockwise circuit with of four Donald hills starting with Birkscairn Hill (661m), then south west up to the boggy summit of Dun Rig (744m) also a Graham. Continuing south west then turning north up onto Glenrath Heights (732m) and west to Stob Law (676m). From here the route was to return to Glenrath Heights, but the re-ascent was more than I fancied, so I dropped down to the north into the Manor Valley and followed the road back to Peebles. There was cold mist with strong winds up until Dun Rig, but this burned off and the bright sunshine, actually obscured the view to the south, 07:40hrs all in.chillyman816/01/2022
https://www.strava.com/activities/6243933761Graham22b11/11/2021
From parking in layby at end of Glen Road, Peebles, following Cross Borders Drove Road S over Kirkhope Law, then continuing along ridge to Birkscairn Hill, Stake Law, Dun Rig, round the head of the valley to Glenrath Heights and along ridge to Hundleshope Heights, joining track NE over Dead Side to the small wood right at the end, before dropping down E to join the track following Glensax Burn back to the end of Glen Roadkdbennett29/07/2021
 yorkielad15/07/2021
3 of 8: From Kirkhope Law. With Karen.ChrisR17/06/2021
From Glen Road, Peebles and then a pleasant start along the Cross Borders Drove. Up onto Kirkhope Law, Birkscairn Hill, Stake Law, Dun Rig, Glenrath Heights, out to Stob Law; down via Hundleshope Heights. Cold but good air quality - views of Arran. Open gardens at Hayston on way back so got a welcome cup of tea! 16 miles, 6.5 hrs, 3513' ascent.MichaelF22/05/2021
First walk outside of the Pentlands for 5 months today after lockdown. Parked in Glen Road in Peebles and then a lovely start along the Drovers Way. Kirkhope Law, Birkscairn Hill, Stake Law, Dun Rig, Glenrath Heights, left my backpack at Broom Hill and took a side trip to Stob Law and back. Down via Hundleshope Heights. Lovely day, really clear. Could see the Eildon Hills and Arthur's Seat from Dun Rig.tsharp21/04/2021
Dun rig horseshoeSunnyAdventures19/12/2020
Trail run, Dun Rig horseshoeHuwel16/12/2020
from Peebles via old drove road; afterwards to Dun Rig.IanHHill20/10/2020
Reached whilst walking the Glensax horseshoe, route took in Kirkhope Law, Birkscairn hill, Dun Rig, Glenrath Heights, Stob Law and a detour over Newby Kipps. Fifteen miles in seven hours.WAYNE ROWLETT04/10/2020
Birks Hill, Birkscairn hill, Stake Law, and Dun Rig from Glen House parking NT303,336. Returned same way.Crib Goch10/08/2020
Easy walking along the old drove route. Less easy cutting down into valley for return route. With B and R.jenx07/07/2019
Dunrig horseshoecjo07/07/2019
With Shaky & Smithy on a windy day during a New Year week in Peebles. Parked at the end of Glen Road & walked up the pleasant track along Glen Sax just past the boarded up house at the end of the glen. The track marked on the map branching across the burn & past the stand of trees up to the fence line SW of Birkscairn Hill is now very indistinct. In the end we just heather bashed further up, getting increasingly buffeted by the strong wind. Continued over Stake Law to Dun Rig & then round the very rough head of the glen. There are ATV tracks near the white marker posts to help. Followed the fence easily on to Middle Hill & then the out & back to Stob Law, a good viewpoint. Over Hundleshope Heights & down NE to join the track running along Dead Side. Dropped to outward track & wandered back in the gathering gloom. A fine round.NotReallyABagger30/12/2018
Parking area at end of Glen Road at 259392. The 2nd of 6 Donalds & Donald Deweys climbed on a CW circuit of Glen Sax, starting with Kirkhope Law & finishing on Newby Kipps. Well-used tracks from Kirkhope Law. (S)gerrybowes17/10/2018
A clockwise circuit of the Glensax round from Glen Road in Peebles. Craig Head - Kirkhope Law - Birkscairn Hill - Birks Hill - Stake law - Dun Rig - Glenrath Heights - Stob Law - Hundhope Law - Newby Kipps. John Buchan territory: sweeping horizon views, hidden green dells in side valleys and a fierce south-westerly.Nick Down116/09/2018
Walked up track to Birks then veered left through some nasty thick heather before finding faint ATV track going past grouse butts and leading to summit ridge and good track to summit cairn. Very dry underfoot and great views from the Cheviot to Munros to the north.AndrewFinnimore25/06/2018
From Glen Road taking Cross Borders Drove Road out in a clockwise circuit to Dun Rig returning by Newby Kipps. Cloudy but a pleasant change in temperature.SS07/04/2018
Glensax Horseshoe from Peebles.davidpettit8417/03/2018
Parked at start of drive to Glen House at NT305336. Solo. Followed Cross Borders Drove Road to start with. Deviated to include Little Craigie Side. Back to CBDR and up track marked on OS 1:25,000 near a line of grouse butts. Used a path that is a continuation of this to go over Birks Hill to Birkscairn Hill. Noted that OS have 661m spot height on NE side of fence and not at cairn. Continued to Dun Rig. Beautiful sunny day feeling cold in the wind.pwbellarby18/11/2017
ghaley17/09/2017
Weather fair.MountainMac30/08/2017
With J, from Haystoun up over Kirkhope Law on Old Drove Road to summit of BH where J re-traced upward route and I continued over Stake Law to Dun Rig, then down northerly to Glensax and along track through Haystoun to meet J already at car. Weather was good but with a slightly cold wind. First visit was on 11/03/2015 which turned into a very wet day. Third visit was on 24/10/2019 from Haystoun over Kirkhope Law, where J turned around, and onto BH; looked again for tracks running down to Glensax but none found. Returned over KL to H: weather remained good all day, if a little windy.jacobus26/06/2017
Alone, circuit of Glensax.Grinner23/04/2017
An interesting curate's egg type of walk. Up the Drove road to Birks Hill (signposted with Spanish bulls instead of Scottish ones), with an inversion over Innerleithen and Peebles - nice. Nice easy path on to Birkscairn Hill. Hard snow patches on Dun Rig gave slight respite from the bogs. The summit seems to be marked with a fencepost stuck in the highest bit of bog. Down via Peat Hill (a rough thrash even on the faint ATV tracks) and a pleasant grassy climb on to Deuchar Law, which looks grassy but is capped by monstrous vegetables. Perversely, I kept following ATV tracks which went in the wrong direction, so much of the thankfully short walk along the top was a wade through deep vegetables. Bitter irony, I found a good ATV track about 5 feet from the cairn. The descent above Glenshiel Banks and Loch Eddy is utterly fabulous, and makes up for the suffering. The walk back through the Glen is also lovely, passing a mausoleum to the memory of Charles and Henry Tennant.Gill03/12/2016
2nd Donaldlojzi86062127/08/2016
with Frances More or less the reverse of route followed in 2009!langskill13/03/2016
Solo with Lily following the WH Dun Rig Horseshoe. Windy, misty but dry. Good day.alexmaclennan27/10/2015
Glensax horseshoe.ngthack15/09/2015
Had lunch on way to Birk Hill.agentmancuso14/06/2015
8th hill of 10 today on my alternative Southern Upland way route from St.Mary's Loch to Innerleithen climbing the following hills: Nether Hill, The Wiss, Ward Law, Deuchar Law, Whiteknowe hill, Dun Rig and Stake Law. Great ridge walking with lovely views. Continued on to Birks hill.Dazingdale14/05/2015
Solo: fine and frosty morning: P at entrance to Haystoun, walked SE onto ridge, over Kailzie Hill and Kirkhope Law: ca.1km (11am) from summit of Birkscairn Hill, forecasted rain arrived: spent little time at cairn and continued SSW to col with Stake Law, blowing a hooley with heavy rain - decided to return along Glen Sax track: failed to find NW path shown on OS map but descended on 314M to cross burn just short of Glen Sax farm: used porch to shelter for lunch: walked 7km in sheets of rain back through Haystoun - v wet arriving at car!trienbrae11/03/2015
6 of 8 today with GHC.Play2End15/02/2015
On Glensax horseshoe, see Dun Rig log for our account. With Pete.pwheeler24/09/2014
ghaley05/07/2014
See Dunrig.dickscroop03/07/2014
selfdavidsbatty08/04/2014
round of 4 NDrobertphillips22/02/2014
Parked passed Kirkhouse to use the Southern Upland Way to Blake Muir, Deuhar Law, Whiteknowe Head, Dun Rig, Stake Law and Birkscairn Hill before descending to Glen House Estate Farm to use the minor road back to Kirkhouse.Dugswell210/11/2013