Continuing the theme of my last three Tuesday hikes, once again this morning re-tracing the steps of James Hogg, The Ettrick Shepherd (1770 to 1835), this time along the Captain's Road, an old sheep drover's track over the hills from the Ettrick Valley at Hopehouse to the Yarrow Valley at Tibbie Shiels Inn. On the Ettrick side the road will have changed little since Hogg's time but on the Yarrow watershed the hillside has been planted with trees and the old road has become silted up and boggy in places and now only offers close up views of tall conifers.
Ettrick Hall, monument to James Hogg at the site of the cottage where he was born in 1770.
The Captain's Road
Looking back down the valley of the Hopehouse Burn towards the Ettrick Valley. Here the modern access track which goes up only as far as Shepherdscleuch shares the valley with the traditional route.
Shepherdscleuch, the last habitation before climbing up to the watershed.
The eastward view along the Captain's Road, high in the Ettrick hills, will have changed little since Hogg would have tramped this way.
. The biggest thing I miss about the Borders is the hills. Not too many in North Germany.
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