Is Stob Law a hard climb?

Stob Law is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 7km with 446m of ascent and takes most walkers 2-3 hours. Ground conditions: Bracken on the lower slopes that yields to clean turf on the upper ridge.

How much drop does Stob Law have?

The drop is 67m: measured from the summit of Stob Law down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.

Where's the parking for Stob Law?

Park at NT234331. 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 Stob Law?

Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November on Stob 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 Stob 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

Submit a photo

Donald · Borders

Stob Law

Stob Law is the southern outlier of the Glensax ridge above Peebles, a steep grassy cone rising from the floor of the Manor Valley. Despite the Gaelic-sounding name, the hill sits firmly in Border country between the Tweed and the Cademuir.

Quick facts

Height: 676m/ 2218ft
Prominence: 67 m
Distance: ~7 km
Ascent: ~446 m
Time: 2–3 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NT230332
Parking: NT234331
Nearest city: Edinburgh· 41km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

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

No GPX track yet

Walked this route? Share your track to help other walkers.

Submit your GPX

Standard route

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

7km · 446m ascent · 2.1 hrs

Cleanly tackled from Glenrath Farm in the Manor valley, a short steep climb of about 7km return with 450m of ascent. Often linked into a longer Manor ridge round.

Terrain

Bracken on the lower slopes that yields to clean turf on the upper ridge. No path of note — but the gradient is uniform and easy to read in clear weather.

In winter

Steep grass freezes into hard neve on the south face after a freeze — an axe is wise. The summit area is small and exposed in eastern winds.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Stob 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 42m
Edinburgh1h 58m

Parking: NT234331

OS maps: OS Landranger 73

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 50mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:41
Sunset: 18:17
Civil dawn: 07:04
Civil dusk: 18:54

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

On a long-distance route

Stob Law sits within 5km of these named long-distance walks — useful for trail-pack rest days or section extensions.

Southern Upland Way0.3km

Got a photo of Stob Law?

30 seconds, helps other walkers.

Submit a photo

Walked it with a GPX?

From your watch or phone.

Submit GPX

Trip report?

Share what it was actually like.

Get in touch →

Around Stob 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

33km 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.

Stob Law — common questions

Is Stob Law a hard climb?: Stob Law is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 7km with 446m of ascent and takes most walkers 2-3 hours. Ground conditions: Bracken on the lower slopes that yields to clean turf on the upper ridge.
How much drop does Stob Law have?: The drop is 67m: measured from the summit of Stob Law down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
Where's the parking for Stob Law?: Park at NT234331. 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 Stob Law?: Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November on Stob 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 Stob Law?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Is Stob Law safe in winter?: Steep grass freezes into hard neve on the south face after a freeze — an axe is wise. The summit area is small and exposed in eastern winds.

Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly

One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.