How difficult is Whitehope Heights?

Whitehope Heights carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 12km, 478m of ascent and a 3-5 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Smooth grazed grass and short rush make this a comfortable walk underfoot, but the broad summit plateau has limited fix-points.

What is Whitehope Heights's prominence?

109m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Whitehope Heights to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Whitehope Heights?

Most walkers start from NT103145. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Whitehope Heights?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November give the most reliable conditions on Whitehope Heights. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.

Is Whitehope Heights dog-friendly?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: Trevor Littlewood / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Donald · Borders

Whitehope Heights

Whitehope Heights (637m) is a rolling top in the Tweedsmuir massif above the Devil's Beef Tub, looking down on the A701 watershed between the Tweed and Annan. A small cairn marks the highest point of a broad grassy crown that links Annanhead Hill and Great Hill in an obvious skyline. Few walkers visit for its own sake; most pass over on round trips taking in Hart Fell or Chalk Rig Edge.

Quick facts

Height: 637m/ 2090ft
Prominence: 109 m
Distance: ~12 km
Ascent: ~478 m
Time: 3–5 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NT095139
Parking: NT103145
Nearest city: Dumfries· 40km
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%

12km · 478m ascent · 3.2 hrs

Begin at the Devil's Beef Tub viewpoint on the A701 at NT060128 and follow the Annandale Way fence northwards over Annanhead Hill before drifting east onto Whitehope Heights — roughly 12km return with 478m of ascent. The going is on close-cropped sheep grass with shallow peat hags near the summit. The escarpment dropping into the Beef Tub itself is steep and undercut — keep clear of the edge in mist.

Terrain

Smooth grazed grass and short rush make this a comfortable walk underfoot, but the broad summit plateau has limited fix-points. The fence line from Annanhead is reliable; once away from it the going gets tussocky and rolling. The Beef Tub rim is the dominant terrain feature and a useful eastern handrail throughout.

In winter

The A701 watershed catches drifting snow that can plug the road for days, and Whitehope Heights sees this same weather first-hand. Cornices build along the steep Beef Tub headwall; verglas forms on the cropped grass after thaw–freeze cycles. Stick to the fence and stay back from the rim.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Whitehope Heights. 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 43m
Edinburgh1h 29m

Parking: NT103145

OS maps: OS Landranger 78

Mobile signal: Decent up top; EE behaves well. Smooth Tweeddale 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 Whitehope Heights 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

50km 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.

Whitehope Heights — common questions

How difficult is Whitehope Heights?: Whitehope Heights carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 12km, 478m of ascent and a 3-5 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Smooth grazed grass and short rush make this a comfortable walk underfoot, but the broad summit plateau has limited fix-points.
What is Whitehope Heights's prominence?: 109m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Whitehope Heights to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Whitehope Heights?: Most walkers start from NT103145. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
When is the best time to climb Whitehope Heights?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November give the most reliable conditions on Whitehope Heights. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
Is Whitehope Heights dog-friendly?: Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
Is there mobile signal on Whitehope Heights?: Decent up top; EE behaves well. Smooth Tweeddale viewpoint.
Is Whitehope Heights safe in winter?: The A701 watershed catches drifting snow that can plug the road for days, and Whitehope Heights sees this same weather first-hand. Cornices build along the steep Beef Tub headwall; verglas forms on the cropped grass after thaw–freeze cycles. Stick to the fence and stay back from the rim.

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