Scotland
Skelfhill Fell
533M
1750FT
About Skelfhill Fell
Rising above Teviotdale in the Roxburgh hills, Skelfhill Fell offers a classic Borders walking experience of steep, grassy slopes and wide horizons. While less famous than its jagged neighbour, Skelfhill Pen, the summit provides a clear perspective over the remote headwaters of the River Teviot and across to the rounded bulk of Cauldcleuch Head.
Key Statistics
Rank
248th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Roxburgh
Prominence
?
27.4
Nearest Town
Billhope
Geology
The ground beneath you is part of the Hawick Group, a foundation of muddy sandstone. These rocks form the sturdy base of the fell.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT454018
Latitude
55.3081°N
Longitude
2.8615°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Old English 'scelf', meaning a shelf or ledge, describing the terraced appearance of the slopes in this part of the Teviot valley.
- •The hill sits in the historic heartland of the Border Reivers; the farm of Skelfhill at its foot was once a strategic holding in a landscape defined by 16th-century clan rivalries.
- •It is frequently paired with the nearby Skelfhill Pen, a lower but more distinctive rocky outcrop that provides a sharp contrast to the Fell’s broad, grassy dome.
- •The summit offers a clear view south towards the Anglo-Scottish border, where the skyline is dominated by the sprawling forests and high ridges leading toward Kielder.
- •It is the kind of solitary height where the local Cheviot sheep usually outnumber the hillwalkers by at least a hundred to one.