Scotland
Notman Law
734M
2408FT
About Notman Law
Situated on the high ridge between Dollar Law and Willow Bank, this rounded Southern Upland dome offers a classic sense of solitude. The terrain is largely grassy and peat-flecked, making for easy high-level walking in fair weather. From its 734-metre summit, you'll find clear views across the Manor Valley towards the distant Moorfoot Hills.
Key Statistics
Rank
21st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
20m
Nearest Town
Meggethead
Geology
You are walking over the Queensberry Formation. These slopes are built from compressed layers of ancient sand, silt, mud, and pebbly rock.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT185260
Latitude
55.5212°N
Longitude
3.2924°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Law' comes from the Old English 'hlāw', a term widely used across the Scottish Borders and Northumbria to describe a prominent, often rounded hill. 'Notman' is a long-established local surname, suggesting the hill was named after a specific family or landowner in the Manor Valley.
- •The hill sits adjacent to the 'Thief’s Road', an ancient heritage track and drove road. This high-level route was historically used by cattle drovers and Border Reivers to move livestock across the uplands while remaining hidden from the settlements in the valleys below.
- •The summit offers an excellent perspective of the massive bulk of Broad Law to the south-west; easily identifiable by the large radio mast and aviation beacon on its 840-metre plateau.
- •Despite standing at a respectable 734 metres, Notman Law lacks any official 'bagging' classification, meaning you are far more likely to share the summit with grazing sheep than with other hillwalkers.
- •Navigating this particular stretch of the Manor Hills in thick mist is less an exercise in mountaineering and more a masterclass in the nuanced textures of saturated peat hags and identical-looking tufts of bent grass.
