Tibbie Tamson’s Grave

A most attractive and emotive circular up to Tibbie’s grave (buried by the people of Selkirk in 1790, possibly a suicide) through woodland and farmland.

This route starts on the Corbie Linn track that is lined with a magnificent stand of Douglas fir. Corbie is a Scot’s word for crow. Near the reservoir the landscape opens up crowned with the hills along the Minch Moor. There is an option to go out to the summit of Harehead Hill.

The story goes that Tibbie, a simple minded woman and resident of Selkirk, was caught stealing yarn. She was so distressed and embarrassed that she hanged herself. Being regarded as a criminal, she could not be buried in consecrated ground, but some townsfolk who had sympathy for her laid her to rest on the side of the hill.
The grave is marked with a stone with the inscription ‘Tamson 1790’. There is a plaque, which bears the sign of an acorn and oak leaves and the inscription:
Where the curlews cry and wild birds fly > Tibbie thro’ the centuries lies > The stone is cracked yet bears the name > A witch, perhaps, but who’s to blame

1. Leave Philiphaugh’s Corbie Linn car park and follow the rough track up to the left towards the Corbie Linn. Corbie is a Scots word for a crow and linn is a waterfall. As you climb you will see the white-washed shepherd’s cottage down on the left.

2. Continue on this track between plantations of Scots pine, larch, Sitka spruce and Douglas fir. The Douglas fir is grown for its timber, known in the construction industry as Columbian or Oregon pine. The foliage has a distinctive lemony smell when crushed. Both red and grey squirrels live in the trees. After about 1km you come to a junction of tracks.

3. Take the track on the right and continue uphill for a further 800m until you come to a small reservoir on the left. This reservoir often has swans, ducks and other water loving birds on it.

4. Before the reservoir turn left and pass over the burn and stile. Follow the line of the fence round the reservoir and then climb up the hill with the old dyke on your right.

5. At the top of the hill, pass over the stile on your right and you will see the grave on your right.

6. After viewing the grave, retrace your steps back over the stile and turn right, passing over a second stile into a wood. Follow the path down into the wood for a few yards and at a junction of tracks carry straight on.

7. At the bottom of the hill turn left and follow the track as it swings round to the right. After a short distance you come to a gate on the left. Pass through the gate and turn left. Keeping the dyke on the left, follow the field edge as it bears right uphill.

8. After passing through a second gate, continue to follow the line of the wall as it swings to the right until you come to a stile over the wall. At this point you can continue across the open ground to the summit of Harehead Hill (triangulation pillar, trig point, 324m) which commands a splendid view over Selkirk and the surrounding countryside. From the summit, return to the stile.

9. Pass over the stile onto a track and follow this track downhill through a conifer plantation for about 1km.

10. After passing the white painted shepherd’s cottage on the left, continue for about 400m until you reach the track/road junction. Turn left here and return to the car park.