26/05/17 – We started from Lauder on what proved to be as hot a day for walking as I can remember in a long while. Bit too hot to be honest (yes, I know I shouldn’t really grumble). Following the Southern Upland Way, we headed NE past Thirlestane Castle (looks impressive) to the start of the wood just after Wanton Walls. From there we headed north through Edgarhope Wood and on to Dabshead Hill (hillfort & standing stone here). No access problems.
Borrowston Rigg stone circle is about a mile NE of Dabshead Hill. It’s an easy stroll across. Once away from the hillfort, the feeling of the landscape changed to one of a peaceful open moorland with big skies and gentle bird song as we walked along. Head for the old sheep pen, visible from a good distance and the circle is just beyond.
Listed as having 30-32 small stones. We did a quick count and got to 20. Too sleepy to look for more, it was enough. I just wanted to sit down and relax by the stones in the sunshine. It’s a lovely setting and makes for a nice visit on a good weather day.
Quicker access is from Burncastle if needed. Well worth the trip. I was very taken with the whole place.
"The setting of these stones is an example of Thom's Type II egg-shape, though the ten surviving upright stones are inconspicious, some barely showing above the heather. Many more fallen ones are visible and some buried examples were located by probing. Most of the stones lie on a true circle 41.5m in diameter. The west segment is formed of an arc of a circle 25.6m in the diameter, the circumference of which passes through the centre of the main circle. The perimeter is completed by straight lines which join the arcs of the two circles."
"A plain circle 41.5 by 36.6m on WNW-ESE axis. Of its low stones, none more than 0.6m high, one lies exactly at the N, 3.1m inside the circumference, like an inlier at Cairnpapple. Thirty-seven metres NW, two stones may mark an alignment on Capella."
"Situated on level, though boggy ground in an otherwise undulating area, this egg-shaped circle is generally described except that its overall stone-centre dimensions are 48.0m WNW-ESE by 41.0m transversely. Of thirty stones found, five by probing, fourteen appear in-situ uprights up to 0.5m high, and the remainder are recumbent. The SE arc crosses an overgrown and boggy area where further stones are probably buried. The alleged inlier on the N side is an inconspicuous flat stone, and no significant stones were noted to the NW of the circle."
An entry from Ancient Stones, an online database that covers most of the standing stones, stone circles and other stones found in South East Scotland. Each entry includes details, directions, photograph, folklore, parking and field notes on each location.
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