Buxton – Greenhead – Lindean

An enjoyable circular exploring the north-east area of the town following old tracks with great views of Selkirk.

This route passes the high school and Pringle Park before moving on to farmland where you will be on old tracks by hedgerows teaming with small birds and old dry-stane dykes patterned with lichen.
There is an option to extend your walk and visit Lindean Church’s ruins. It is claimed this is the site of an abbey founded by David I in 1110 which later moved to Kelso. It is said to have been the first reformed order abbey in Scotland. The old church here was abandoned in the early 17th century when the minister moved to Galashiels. Fragmentary ruins and an old graveyard remain as echoes of the distant past.

1. Leave Scott's Place car park by the steps at the opposite end of the car park entrance. Turn right and immediately left into Dovecot Park. Make your way uphill past the High School on the right and the playing fields on the left and continue into Goslawdales.

2. Follow the road as it narrows and leaves the town precincts, and continues uphill past the houses at Buxton on the left.

3. After Buxton the road narrows to a track, and after crossing the Dean Burn, you pass through a hunt gate and bear left along the side of Bell Hill; a pleasant walk on a track lined by hawthorn.

4. Leave the track and follow the Borders Abbeys Way signs, as they take you left into a field, and onto the minor road just below Shawmount.

5. Continue along this road for a few hundred metres and turn left through a gateway onto a farm track, you leave the BAW at this point. After passing through a second gate, there is a stony descent to where the track turns left.

6. Continue for a short distance to where you have the option of turning right to visit the ruins of the old Lindean Church or carrying straight on. If you visit the church ruins you may choose to return to Selkirk town by the river path.

7. Past St Helens, follow the track, initially with the wooden boundary fence on your left. Continue through the small wood, through a gate and onto the open hillside and follow the track with the hawthorn hedge on your right.

8. After passing through a gate, follow the track as it swings to the left and passes another gate and then drops down to a minor roadway between the houses at Broomhill.

9. Turn right and continue downhill past a variety of mature hardwood trees, including oak, beech and chestnut until you reach a road junction.

10. Turn left at the junction and continue along this road until you enter the town precincts. Walk up Bleachfield Road into Scott’s Place and back to the start point.