Deuchar Law is one of the Manor Hills and supposedly has great views from its smooth rounded summit, but not this time. The walk to the top starts in Kirkhouse and follows the valley of Quair Water, known as The Glen. The route passes Glen House, seat of the Tennant family, and the memorial to two of their sons who both died of AIDS related illnesses. Once past Loch Eddy the walk heads up a quickly narrrowing steep sided valley.
In John Buchan's spy thriller The Island of Sheep, the last novel to feature his famous character Richard Hannay, part of the action is set in a country estate called Laverlaw and features a dry gorge which Buchan calls the Raxed Thrapple (which means a stretched windpipe in Scots, probably associated with hanging). Laverlaw has been identified as The Glen, and the dry gorge above Loch Eddy as the Raxed Thrapple.
Once through the impressive valley and up the steep slopes the route heads to the tiny summit cairn of Deuchar Law, before picking up the well trodden Southern Upland Way to head back to the start.
6 июл 2024
