Scotland
Black Knowe
549M
1801FT
About Black Knowe
Tucked away in the quiet Ettrick Hills, this 549-metre summit offers a classic Southern Uplands experience of broad, grassy ridges and peat hags. It serves as a fine viewpoint for the surrounding moorland, looking across the deep Ettrick Valley towards the higher tops of Ettrick Pen and Capel Fell.
Key Statistics
Rank
186th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
126m
Nearest Town
Scottish Borders
Geology
The ground here is made of sandstone and mudstone. These rocks were hardened and transformed by heat and pressure to form the fell's rugged foundation.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT225109
Latitude
55.3859°N
Longitude
3.2237°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Knowe' is the Scots word for a knoll or a small hill, derived from the Old English 'cnoll', used throughout the Borders to describe these rounded, glaciated landforms.
- •From the summit, the view south is dominated by the steep-sided Ettrick Pen, while looking north-east reveals the glistening waters of St Mary’s Loch nestled in the neighbouring Yarrow Valley.
- •The hill is often crossed as part of a high-level circuit from the Ettrick Valley, typically linked with the slightly lower White Mire to the north-west via a ridge of undulating moorland.
- •In this part of Scotland, 'Black' usually denotes a hill dominated by heather or peat; on Black Knowe, the name is a fair warning of the boggy ground that awaits any walker straying from the driest lines.