Heriot between Gala Water, the ridge and the Borderloop

Heriot lies at the upper end of the Gala Water valley. The valley provides a clear starting point for planning your trip: the long ridge and the watercourses offer additional orientation. If you are looking for a hotel in Heriot, you can shape your stay around your interests—walking, cycling or archaeological sites. The following landscape and route references offer different starting points for exploring the area.

Valley, ridge and archaeological sites

The Heriot community area has extensive areas of mature commercial woodland. Corsehope Rings is on the summit of Mid Hill. The long ridge runs between Heriot Water to the northwest and Corsehope Burn to the southeast. Here, a ridge is not just a single summit but a longer stretch of higher ground between the two watercourses; this geographical relationship defines the monument’s setting. The remains of six ancient hill forts are also located in the Heriot area. These features differ in scale: the woodland and hill forts relate to the area, while Corsehope Rings is located on a particular summit.

Walking on the core path network

Walkers in the Heriot area use the core path network. The Scottish Borders Council provides a downloadable map for Heriot Area 12. There are two separate steps to planning your walk: use the Council map to find your way around the core path network, and check path conditions before setting out. This lets you combine the overview provided with a current assessment of the paths for your visit.

Cycling and the Borderloop

Heriot is on the route of the Borderloop, a circular cycle route on the quiet roads that cross this region. For cycling visitors, Heriot is part of the Borderloop, a regional circular route on quiet roads. The January 2019 community plan gives the Borderloop’s distance as 250 miles; newer map versions may show a different distance. For your ride, check the current version of the map rather than treating the older distance as a permanent figure. The January 2019 community plan also showed the Heriot area on the route of the “Tour de Lauder” event. If this event is important to your travel plans, check whether it is taking place in your chosen year and what route is planned.

Getting there and planning your trip

The Borders Railway runs through the Heriot community valley and alongside the A7. Check current passenger services if you are planning to travel by train. According to current information, the X95 bus from Edinburgh to Carlisle via Galashiels and Hawick is the only scheduled bus that stops in Heriot. Bus routes and timetables can change; check current services before you travel. Check passenger services for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Ashkirk, Duns, Galashiels, Gordon, Ednam, Kelso, Traquair, Newcastleton.

Return to the main travel overview: The Scottish Borders.