Wauchope

A woodland full of wildlife, with a picturesque burn

Wauchope Forest is criss-crossed with trails that are great for walking, cycling and horse riding. Some lead you beside a babbling burn and through mixed woodland where you might spot red squirrels in the canopy and goshawks overhead. Others take you up to open ground with panoramic views of the border country and the Cheviot Hills.

The course of the Hyndlee Burn was changed when a new forest road was built here. The burn is now carefully managed to make it as natural as possible and attractive to wildlife. Look into the water near the Wauchope Entrance car park to see how logs have been placed in the water to create still pools, which attract fish, insects and birds. Wauchope’s woods are planted with plenty of clearings to help rare and threatened wildlife feel at home. Black grouse, goshawk, and juniper are priority species in this area.

Walking trails

Wauchope route card (PDF)

Walking

Jonny's Trail

Walk in the footsteps of Jonny the forester, along the Catlee Burn and up through oak, ash, birch and larch.

Largely wide firm gravel track, with section of uneven earth and stone. Long slope with steep sections. Several bridges.

1 miles / 1.7 km

Allow
¾ hour

Walking

Cauldron Trail (closed)

A trail notice is in effect

24 January 2024: Trail closed due to fallen trees after storm Isha and Jocelyn. We will reopen access once it is safe to do so.

Climb up through the spruce to enjoy the solitude of Wauchope, before winding back down through the trees. A good leg stretch.

Mostly wide, firm gravel tracks with long moderate slopes. Includes section of narrow, uneven earth and rocky paths with short fairly steep slopes.

1 ¾ miles / 2.9 km

Allow
1 hour

Facilities and access

Walking

Mountain biking

Parking

Horse riding

Picnic area

Stay the Night

Need a bite to eat?

Wauchope is a lovely place for a picnic, with picnic tables at most of the car parks.

You’ll find a selection of places to shop, eat and drink in Hawick and Newcastleton. There are also public toilets in Hawick.

Stay the Night

We are trialling an extension of Stay the Night to run over winter this year. This means motorhomes and campervans that are self-contained and have their own toilet facilities will be able to stay overnight at this car park.

There is a £7 charge to Stay the Night at all participating car parks. Payment can be made through RingGo with details of how to do this at each car park.

To help plan your stay, please see the details below:

• Height barrier – No
• Motorhome capacity of car park – 2
• Suitable for large vehicles/caravans – No
• Parking notes – Narrow access road with passing places. Please leave a 4m gap between other motorhomes.

Please visit our Stay the Night page for full details, participating locations, best practice, and terms and conditions of use.

Stay the night

Getting here

Wauchope lies either side of the B6357, which links Bonchester Bridge and Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders.

From Hawick, head to Bonchester Bridge on the A6088. Turn right on to the B6357 south towards Newcastleton for approximately two miles. Hells Hole is the first access point to Wauchope and is on the right-hand side.

Using SatNav?

TD9 9TB is the nearest postcode.

Get directions