Nine Stone Rig, Lammermuir Hills
Credit for this walk goes to the ‘Walking East Lothian’ Website which you absolutely must check out- his work has inspired a lot of mine, and there are still treasures on there that I have yet to explore. So I offer my whole-hearted thanks for this one, because I am not sure I would have stumbled on it without it!
This walk takes you to a pot of gold right into the heart of the heather-scattered, peat-soaked, gorse-studded, wind-whipped Lammermuir Hills. Start your journey by parking at a flat, grassy space known as Johnscleuch, just off the road that links the Whiteadder Reservoir to Garvald. You might struggle to find that on a google maps search but the what3words reference is “Vans.Swaps.Enhanced”- honestly, you cant miss it, just turn off down the farm track and park up on the grass. This in itself is a wonderful wee park up, with amazing 360 views- I believe at one time it was a popular overnight spot for campervans, but this not widely advertised and I do wonder if the local hospitality has been rescinded due to bad behaviour of the few (a signpost that used to mark the area has clearly been removed, although it does still have a ‘no fires sign’ which, annoyingly I noticed on my visit, had been recently ignored!)... If you do stop here, please ensure to leave absolutely no trace.
My van parked up at Johnscleuch
360 views all around!
Looking out of the back of the van at Johnscleuch
From your parking spot, head down the farm track and over the small bridge that crosses the babbling burn, there are plenty of hardy, horned sheep around here, and also some pretty funky-looking free-range chickens, so if you are bringing dog ensure it is kept on a lead. Not being previously aware of this, I came as a lone adult with both of my furry monsters, and also toddles. Therefore, as you might imagine, a lot of time on this stretch was spent being yanked about the place in all directions and attempting not to knock the wee man flying- it is real a shame when you are just an unfortunate height for easily being decapitated by overexcited doggies!! Anyway, take the right hand turn off and continue to follow the track towards the distant farmhouse. At some point, you need to cross the burn which runs parallel to this track on the right, it is wide but not deep or particularly fast flowing- feeling particularly ambitious, I somehow managed to drag toddles and the dogs across, literally dumping the wee guy up on the shoulder height banking, before scrambling up myself, already muddy and drenched before my walk had barely begun… and then had to drag two crazy dogs and a traumatised toddler up a steep, heather covered bank back up to the main roadway. Not going to lie, I was questioning my life choices slightly at this point but I am nothing if not determined, and this was us just getting started...
Looking back towards the direction of the van from the Ford- on the left is the bank to the roadway.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing however, particularly in the context of this blog, because what l learnt on my return route is that, actually the farmhouse maybe 50yards further down the track has it own proper Ford across the burn, and obviously this makes for a considerably easier (if less adventurous and entertaining) river crossing!!! So you have the benefit of my mistakes here to make your own informed life choices- if you are so inclined you can continue just past the farmhouse (mind the chickens!) and cross sensibly before climbing the more-forgiving sloping bank up to the main road.
The Ford. This is coming back- the farmhouse is directly in front.
Looking back down the road to Johnscleuch. The van is parked just to the right of where the road disappears at the top of the pic and the track leading up the stones is directly to the left of the pic. Johnscleuch farmhouse is just out of shot to the right.
Either way, once you get there, turn left and follow the road for maybe 50yards or so, until you spot a stoney dirt track heading up and to the right. Take this path and follow it as it winds up and onto the open moorland so characteristic of the Lammermuirs- wide lolloping hills, covered in a camouflage paint of purple heather, toughened grass and peat bog. As you follow it, the route gradually becomes less of a track and more of a grassy path but it is easy to follow. Soon the road will be long gone from sight and you will be fully released into the wild, at one with the soaring skylarks overhead. Continue until the path obviously splits, and take the right-hand fork. Continue onwards and eventually you will reach a long line of strange dug-out wooden structures forming a sort of avenue off to your right. To me they looked a lot like WW2 trenches, or possibly cross-country horse jumps, which I am sure, speaks volumes about my Yorkshire childhood(!), to a born and bred Scot however, I am sure these are easily identifiable as grouse butts! Anyway, do not be tempted to turn off down ‘Butt Avenue’- instead continue along your original track until you reach another obvious fork. Be aware that this part of the walk is particuarly boggy, and we did very almost lose a tiny trainer (in truth, almost a whole tiny leg!) to the thick black, sticky mud- I should really have known that walking boots are an absolute must here on the hills, even for tiny feet!
Marching on past the boggy section (wind turbines of Sparleton Hill in the background)
Approaching the stones
Hang a right once more, and within moments nine magical stones will come into view within a circular clearing. I would refer to them as a ‘standing stone’ circle but it is very apparent that sadly none of these stones are still standing, thought they do still form a sort of satisfying circle. They are still amazing though, in the way that all of these things are, if open your mind to a bit of magic and mystery (or even if you are just an Outlander fan to be honest!). If nothing else, this is undoubtably a GREAT spot for a picnic!
The stones appear to have been placed right in the middle of the moor, atop the ‘Rig’ which google informs me is a Scottish word for a hilltop ridge. At this spot there is nothing around you for miles, but rugged heather and distant treelines, not a single sign of civilisation, with the sheer exception of another random grouse-baiting-shed-thing thoughtfully plonked right next to the stones. Ignoring that, I challenge you to find a more exposed spot you really do get the feeling that you are at the mercy of the Scottish elements up here, thankfully we visited on a bright, breezy spring day and it was just absolutely perfect!
We spent a good half hour at the stones, just me and my littlest love, sharing cheesestrings and biscuits with our dogs, chatting about Peppa Pig and other important things, literally living our best lives! Legend has it that treasure was buried under these stones but despite recorded excavation attempts, this has never been found- which is likely to be the reason that the stones no longer stand. These precious moments are treasure enough for me.
The route described on ‘Walking East Lothian’ guides you on a circular return which takes you past another Mystical stone on this same hill. I am keen to return and check this out, but on this occasion, as always, I had to be back in time for a school run, so we tidied up all of our stuff and bid farewell to the Nine Stones before turning on our tail and re-tracing our steps- little legs finding a second wind as the return journey was mostly downhill (and obviously he was now well-fuelled on cheesestrings!). The return offers spectacular views of Sparleton Hill and one of the many windfarms which also now so entwined with nature in my memories of the Lammermuirs.
Heading back down the track towards the road- the van is parked somewhere right in the middle of the pic…
A final word of warning as you re-approach the road, Johncleuch becomes visible from above and becomes one of those mirage senarios where your car definitely moves further and further away longer you walk towards is... (or perhaps that illusion is reserved entirely for those now lugging a tired toddler on your shoulders and on a tight schedule, who knows)...