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.

• •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.