How difficult is Cape Law?

Cape Law carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 592m of ascent and a 3-6 hour day on the standard route. Ground conditions: Acid grassland on a flat, peat-laced summit.

How much drop does Cape Law have?

The drop is 93m: measured from the summit of Cape Law down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.

Where's the parking for Cape Law?

Park at NT138134. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.

What's the best month to climb Cape Law?

Aim for April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Cape Law. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.

Can dogs go up Cape Law?

Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Donald · Borders

Cape Law

Cape Law links the Hart Fell massif to the Moffat watershed near Talla Reservoir, an angular fence corner at its top giving the only orientation point. The interior of the Moffats opens out from here in a long lonely panorama.

Quick facts

Height: 722m/ 2369ft
Prominence: 93 m
Distance: ~13 km
Ascent: ~592 m
Time: 3–6 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NT131150
Parking: NT138134
Nearest city: Dumfries· 42km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

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Standard route

grass moorland 80% · heather patches 15% · summit area 5%

13km · 592m ascent · 3.6 hrs

Walkers usually reach it from Hart Fell via Whitehope Knowe, or up the long shoulder from Talla Linnfoots. There are no paths — the fence line between the Borders and Dumfries does the navigating for you.

Terrain

Acid grassland on a flat, peat-laced summit. Some peat hags along the watershed but never deep. The fence is rebuilt in places with new posts; old stiles still cling to the wire here and there.

In winter

Sees plenty of snow showers but rarely deep cover; the watershed wind keeps the tops scoured. The combination of low cloud and easterly drift can put visibility down to a few yards on this dead-flat top.

Kit for this: the winter Munro kit list · which boots take crampons

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Cape Law. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS Southern Uplands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow2h 45m
Edinburgh1h 26m

Parking: NT138134

OS maps: OS Landranger 78

Mobile signal: Reliable up top; count on EE. Pentland fringe viewpoint.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 51mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:41
Sunset: 18:18
Civil dawn: 07:04
Civil dusk: 18:55

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

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Around Cape Law on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Tweedbank station

Borders Railway terminus; Eildon Hills, Melrose, Tweed Valley

47km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

Before you go

Hillwalking carries real risk and the responsibility for any day on the hill is yours. Conditions in Scotland change fast and can differ sharply from the forecast — check the weather and the ground before you commit, turn back when the day stops working, and carry map and compass with the ability to use them rather than relying on a phone.

The distance, ascent and time shown on this page are editorial estimates for the usual line, not measurements from a recorded track — that is what the ~ means. Treat them as a rough shape of the day. Your own pace, the conditions and the exact line you take will all move them.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. Access rights and responsibilities are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

We check what we publish, but we cannot check the route on the day you walk it. Nothing here is a substitute for your own judgement.

Cape Law — common questions

How difficult is Cape Law?: Cape Law carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 592m of ascent and a 3-6 hour day on the standard route. Ground conditions: Acid grassland on a flat, peat-laced summit.
How much drop does Cape Law have?: The drop is 93m: measured from the summit of Cape Law down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
Where's the parking for Cape Law?: Park at NT138134. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.
What's the best month to climb Cape Law?: Aim for April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Cape Law. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
Can dogs go up Cape Law?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Will I get phone signal on Cape Law?: Reliable up top; count on EE. Pentland fringe viewpoint.
Is Cape Law safe in winter?: Sees plenty of snow showers but rarely deep cover; the watershed wind keeps the tops scoured. The combination of low cloud and easterly drift can put visibility down to a few yards on this dead-flat top.

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