Trail Running > Routes > Cheviot Hills > The Schil & Hen Hole
A 27 km mountain circuit on the English-Scottish border, linking The Schil and Auchope Cairn with the dramatic cascades of Hen Hole.
Why run this trail?
This beautiful ridge run crosses the English-Scottish border, taking in a sweep of unspoiled mountain terrain and spectacular views of the Cheviots and the Southern Uplands of eastern Scotland.
Starting from the tiny settlement of Hethpool in the College Valley, the route climbs through lower pasture before joining the Pennine Way on its approach towards Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. For this reason alone, you’ll likely encounter plenty of people along the way, but very few of them will be doing this exact route.
The rolling ridge climbs up to The Schil (605 m) and continues to the high point of Auchope Cairn (726 m), delivering a succession of excellent summit experiences along the way. The route is well-marked and almost entirely free of the engineered paths and extensive peat bogs that make the nearby hilltops such heavy going.
The second half of the run descends from the high ground to explore the isolated crags and waterfalls of the upper College Valley, before following the burn as it winds its way back to Hethpool.
This is a solid half-day commitment in high, open terrain that is exposed to north-easterly weather. The rewards are a genuine sense of escape and the feeling that you’ve stumbled upon something very special in this quiet corner of the border country.
College Valley Car Park (Hethpool) to Elsdon Burn
From the car park, head back up the lane into the hamlet of Hethpool and past a row of estate cottages. Continue left around the bend and follow the lane through an avenue of trees until you reach another sharp bend in the road after 300 m. Turn left here over a cattle grid.
Continue on the metalled lane through rolling farmland with nice views of the surrounding valley. After 2 km, you’ll reach the farm at Elsdon Burn.
Elsdon Burn to Border Ridge
Follow the fingerpost for St Cuthbert’s Way: Border Ridge up into the farm and go through a gate immediately on the right after the house. Stay on the path as directed and you’ll pass through a further couple of gates into a field. Drop down diagonally across the field and cross a stream. Stay high on the field beyond this and pass through a gate on the edge of a plantation. This track follows a shallow ravine with a stream on your right hand side.
Follow the path until you emerge from the plantation and continue straight ahead to cross a stream after 100 m. Follow the onward path up to the Border Ridge on a nicely graded track through grass and bracken. After about 750 m, you’ll descend slightly to reach a drystone wall and a wooden gate on the border.
Border Ridge to White Law
Pass through the gate (into Scotland) then turn left immediately on the grass track as it hugs the wall. You’ll soon encounter a fingerpost indicating that you are now on the Pennine Way and, more importantly, see your first objective on the ridge: the shapely hump of the hillfort at Whitelaw Nick.
Continue on the track as it kinks and dips in one or two places, finally climbing steeply up to a gate and ladder stile after 1.5 km. Go through the gate – or over the stile if you’re feeling athletic – and turn left, following the border fence as it continues to climb up to the top of White Law (430 m).
White Law to Black Hag
From the top of White Law the onward route really starts to open up dramatically – rolling green hills interspersed with glacial creases laid out in clear succession. There’s a quick, satisfying descent from the top of White Law that is then repaid with a slow drag up to the next target of Black Hag (549 m).
The true summit of Black Hag is bypassed by staying on the Scottish side of the fence and dipping down briefly into an incredibly scenic bowl with far-reaching views of the Scottish hills and the grassy spine of the border ridge rising ahead.
Black Hag to The Schil
As you descend beneath the small rocky outcrops of Black Hag you’ll join another track headed up the valley from Kirk Yetholm. Bear left here (signposted Pennine Way: Windy Gyle) and your next objective, The Schil, will suddenly dominate the horizon. If the visibility is good, you should be able to make out the distinctive crags on its summit.
The path soon rises to meet a wall at the border again. Cross the ladder stile back to the English side and turn right, following the path through the heather for 1 km. The track steepens as you approach the top of The Schil where you can hop over the stile – back into Scotland briefly – and make your way to the summit proper. There’s a small clamber to get to the top of the rocks that form its high point, which offers superb panoramic views.
The Schil to Auchope Rigg Mountain Refuge
Retrace your steps back over the stile and turn right to continue. You’ll see the onward path snaking away along the ridge and eventually rising up to the silhouette of Auchope Cairn on the horizon.
There’s an undulating descent over fairly boggy ground to immediately contend with. At the bottom of the first drop, you’ll pass over another stile and pick up intermittent sections of flagstones over the roughest, wettest bogs of the route. They soon peter out and after a total of 2.5 km, you’ll arrive at the head of a small, eroded ravine (Red Cribs).
Follow the grassy track from Red Cribs for a further 300 m to reach the mountain refuge hut at Auchope Rigg.
You’ll now see the final climb up to Auchope Cairn quite clearly. If you need a yardstick, it’s worth noting that you’ve completed about 50% of the total distance and 60% of the day’s total climbing up to this point. If you need to bail for any reason, just retrace your steps to Red Cribs and take the path that starts on the left rim of the ravine down to the College Valley below.
Auchope Rigg Mountain Refuge to Auchope Cairn
Continue past the cabin and the path dips into a slightly boggy hollow before the final climb to Auchope Cairn begins. The path is steep, averaging out at 16% for the final 1.5 km up to the summit, but the surface is kind and the views are worth pausing for if you need a breather. The deep gully of Hen Hole opens out below, with the crags of West Hill towering overhead. I spotted some climbers on the rocks – tiny specks of red and blue scaling the sheer rock faces across the valley.
The distinctive, pillar-like cairns of Auchope Cairn offer a clear target and, at this point, you’ll know that the day’s climbing is almost in the bag. A final push will bring you out among the boulders and talus at the top, where a bird’s eye view of the College Valley and a 360° panorama of the border hills awaits.
Auchope Cairn to Hen Hole
Once you’ve finished at the top, it’s a fast, fluid descent back to the hollow at the base of the climb. At this point, take the subtle path through the grass on your right, heading off at an acute angle. You’ll almost double back on yourself as it quickly drops over the shoulder of the ridge into the valley below.
The track broadens out and bends left then right. At the third bend, take the small trod up over the apex of the bend to continue down to the bottom of the gorge. Follow this track, faint in places, to the bottom of the valley. After 300 m, you’ll emerge by College Burn amongst the rocks.
Follow the burn upstream, around cascades and hopping over tumbling pools of peat-tinged water to the centrepiece of the gorge, the spectacular Three Sisters Waterfall.
Hen Hole to College Valley Car Park (Hethpool)
From the waterfall, it’s a straightforward 8.5 km run down the bottom of the valley back to the car park at Hethpool.
Once you’ve left the steep sides of the gorge, the valley opens out and the path starts to pull away from the burn. Stick to the left side of the valley and the path soon widens out into farm tracks, then becomes a metalled lane, passing Mounthooly Bunkhouse and Fleehope Farm as you gradually return to civilisation.
The home straight offers easy running, allowing you the opportunity to forget those sore feet and admire the spectacular surroundings. After the exertions of the high ground, it’s a fittingly simple way to finish an exceptional mountain day.
Highlights
Know before you go
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Have you run this route? If you’ve discovered a better variation, noticed something that’s changed or have local knowledge to share, I’d love to hear from you.
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Disclaimer
All routes and GPX files are provided as a guide only. Conditions, rights of way, and landmarks may change. Always carry an up‑to‑date map and use your own judgement. See the Trail Run Disclaimer page for details.