Scotland
Cockburn Law
325M
1066FT
About Cockburn Law
Rising steeply above a loop of the Whiteadder Water, this prominent Lammermuir outlier offers a characterful ascent near Duns. Its conical profile is capped by a prehistoric hillfort, while the lower slopes hide the rare remains of Edin's Hall Broch, making it a hill where archaeology is as rewarding as the summit.
Key Statistics
Rank
770th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
123m
Nearest Town
Abbey St Bathans
Geology
You are walking over a base of hard granite and layered sandstone. These sturdy rocks create the rugged terrain of Cockburn Law.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT765597
Latitude
55.8304°N
Longitude
2.3756°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old English 'hlāw', meaning a rounded hill or burial mound, while 'Cockburn' likely identifies a stream where woodcock or blackcock were once common.
- •The hill's northern slopes host Edin’s Hall Broch, one of the very few Iron Age brochs found in southern Scotland, measuring an impressive 28 metres in external diameter.
- •The summit offers a clear, elevated perspective over the Merse—the rich agricultural heart of Berwickshire—extending south to the Eildon Hills and the distant Northumberland Cheviots.
- •The Whiteadder Water creates a deep, dramatic trench around the hill's base, making the climb feel significantly more substantial than its modest 325-metre elevation suggests.
- •While the Iron Age residents built elaborate triple-rampart defences to keep people out, the modern gate system is somewhat less formidable, provided you have opposable thumbs.