Time – allow 1 hour – 90 minutes
Distance – 5 km/3 miles

A short circular walk from Carlops to Kitleyknowe and then along a little used footpath across to Rutherford Castle, crossing the A702 and back to Carlops on the Old Roman Road. The route is mostly on good, level tracks, with the central section across open ground with no obvious path to follow, but is well marked for most of the way. There are short sections on quiet public roads..

Route: Start/finish – Carlops

Park in the car park opposite the Carlops Village centre and under the rock. At the exit to the car park turn left towards West Linton then immediately left into the field and walk round behind the stone barn – follow the cinder path across the field and over the footbridge [1] then ahead up the road towards Kitleyknowe.

At the top of the lane, the road turns 90 degrees right up a slope [2] (signposted ‘Harlawmuir or South Mains’). Follow the road up and past the houses at Kitleyknowe, then straight ahead, with the road becoming a farm track.

Follow the track for 1km, to emerge on a public road [3] (the one that runs from Carlops over to Macbiehill). Turn left and walk along the road for 400m until you reach a house on the right, [4] just past which is a footpath to the right signposted ‘Rutherford and to Biggar Road A702’.

Go through the metal gate and straight ahead across rough ground, following the way markers attached to the two rows of telegraph poles , the left-hand row first, then switching to the right hand row. After 300m, the path reaches a wooden fence next to a rusty shed. There is a stile over the fence [5] – cross this and follow the perimeter of the housing development, by a dry stane dyke, until you reach another stile. Cross this onto the housing development access road, then turn right and walk up to the A702.

Cross the road here [6] and go up the track opposite and slightly to the left signposted ‘Carlops or West Linton’. Turn right at the top of the track [7], continuing along past the riding stables at Windy Gowl Farm and back to the A702 just north of Carlops [8]. Cross the road to walk back along the pavement back to the car park.