How difficult is Andrewhinney Hill?

Andrewhinney Hill carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 555m of ascent and a 3-6 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Quick close-cropped grass throughout, with a sheep-trod path the whole length of the Bodesbeck ridge.

What is Andrewhinney Hill's prominence?

194m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Andrewhinney Hill to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Andrewhinney Hill?

Most walkers start from NT173095. 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 Andrewhinney Hill?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November give the most reliable conditions on Andrewhinney Hill. 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 Andrewhinney Hill 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: Iain Russell / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Graham · Borders

Andrewhinney Hill

Andrewhinney Hill (677m) rises above the Moffat Water valley in the NT11 square, the high point of the long Bodesbeck-to-Bodesbeck ridge that bounds the Grey Mare's Tail country on its east side. The cairn stands at the apex of a smooth grass ridge with the cliffs of Capel Linn falling away to the south-west and a view over the Devil's Beef Tub to Hartfell.

Quick facts

Height: 677.3m/ 2222ft
Prominence: 194 m
Distance: ~13 km
Ascent: ~555 m
Time: 3–6 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NT197138
Parking: NT173095
Nearest city: Dumfries· 44km
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 · 555m ascent · 3.5 hrs

Start from the layby at the Grey Mare's Tail visitor centre on the A708 and cross the road to gain the steep south-west ridge of the Bodesbeck range. A clear path on cropped grass climbs to White Shank, then runs north along the fence line over Herman Law and on to Andrewhinney. The whole ridge is on quick going underfoot with the fence as a handrail.

Terrain

Quick close-cropped grass throughout, with a sheep-trod path the whole length of the Bodesbeck ridge. The fence line is continuous and provides an unmistakable navigation aid. Small peat haggs near the cairn but nothing to slow progress.

In winter

Moffatdale hills hold drifted snow on east-facing slopes after westerly storms, and the Bodesbeck ridge becomes a corniced edge above the Capel Linn cliffs in hard winters. The fence keeps you safely back from the edge in cloud. Sub-zero days bring spectacular hoar frost on the grass.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Andrewhinney Hill. 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 53m
Edinburgh1h 26m

Parking: NT173095

OS maps: OS Landranger 79

Mobile signal: Signal is good; EE reliable with fine views to the Borders.

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 Andrewhinney Hill 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

41km 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.

Andrewhinney Hill — common questions

How difficult is Andrewhinney Hill?: Andrewhinney Hill carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 555m of ascent and a 3-6 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Quick close-cropped grass throughout, with a sheep-trod path the whole length of the Bodesbeck ridge.
What is Andrewhinney Hill's prominence?: 194m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Andrewhinney Hill to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Andrewhinney Hill?: Most walkers start from NT173095. 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 Andrewhinney Hill?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November give the most reliable conditions on Andrewhinney Hill. 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 Andrewhinney Hill 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 Andrewhinney Hill?: Signal is good; EE reliable with fine views to the Borders.
Is Andrewhinney Hill safe in winter?: Moffatdale hills hold drifted snow on east-facing slopes after westerly storms, and the Bodesbeck ridge becomes a corniced edge above the Capel Linn cliffs in hard winters. The fence keeps you safely back from the edge in cloud. Sub-zero days bring spectacular hoar frost on the grass.

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