Captain's road

The “Captain’s Road” is an ancient hill road linking the upper reaches of the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys which, in times past, formed a vital route for people, livestock and goods to move between the two communities.

It acquired its name from a French prisoner of the Napoleonic wars who stayed in the Ettrick valley and regularly used the road to visit his sweetheart near St Mary’s Loch. However the actual road was probably in existence long before then.

In recent years the route had fallen into disuse and, eventually, a crucial section was completely destroyed by forestry planting in the 1970s and the road became utterly impassable.

This project re-established the ancient road by constructing a new section to replace the missing part and forming links through the forestry plantations, working in conjunction with Scottish Borders Council, the Forestry Commission and the forestry management companies along the route.

With new signposting in place, the re-established route was reopened in 2019 and provides a stunning walking, riding or cycling experience which promises to be extremely popular with residents and visitors alike. Catering and car parking facilities are available within a short distance of either end of the walk.

EYCDC would like to thank Paths for All, Scottish Borders Council and the Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council for their financial assistance with this project.