Cairn Trail, Thornielee
2.5 miles (4 km). About 1 hour, easy.
Start: NT 402 372. Finish: NT 404 371. OS grid.
Take it with you: download the GPX file (it opens in OS Maps, Komoot, Outdooractive or a GPS unit) or open the start in OS Maps.
Up and down
About 204 m of climbing and 235 m of descent; highest point 390 m.
Facts
- Code
- SC 1556
- Distance
- 2.5 miles (4 km)
- Publisher’s page
- forestryandland.gov.scot
- Walking time
- About 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy (how we grade)
- Designation
- Regional route
- Region
- Scotland
- County
- Scottish Borders
- Total ascent
- About 204 m. Highest point 390 m
Getting there
- Car park
- Tweed Valley Forest Park Thornilee, 720 m from the start. Directions NT 403 365
No bus stop or station within a kilometre of the start. Nearest: the bus stop at Holylee, 1.3 km away (Directions); Stow station, 9 km away (Directions).
Getting back
No bus stop or station within a kilometre of the finish. Nearest: the bus stop at Thornielee Road End, 1.2 km away (Directions); Galashiels station, 8.9 km away (Directions).
What to expect
Steepest climb: about 123 m in a kilometre (1 in 8), starting 1.9 miles in.
From OpenStreetMap, where mappers have recorded it: check before you go.
Walked it? Log it
Walks nearby
- SC 1433Glenkinnon Biodiversity Trail0.9 miles, circular. Starts 2.6 miles away
- SC 1642Pirn Hill Trail0.8 miles. Starts 4.3 miles away
- SC 1505Gala Circuit17.5 miles, circular. Starts 5.4 miles away
- SC 1559Fergus's Trail, Cardrona2.5 miles. Starts 6.9 miles away
- SC 1586Pen View Trail, Cardrona1.8 miles. Starts 6.9 miles away
- SC 1529Pikes Knowe Trail, Cardrona4 miles. Starts 6.9 miles away
Sources
Checked against forestryandland.gov.scot on 12 October 2026.
- Route line: Forestry and Land Scotland, Recreation routes, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Forestry and Land Scotland).
- Facts: forestryandland.gov.scot
Something wrong or missing?
Tell us what to change about this walk: a wrong distance, a moved start, a path that's closed.