Hill walk routes to climb in SW Scotland - also coastal paths and National Scenic Areas with maps, pictures and other useful information based on extensive local knowledge
Comb Law, Rodger Law, Ballencleuch Law and Scaw'd Law hill walking route
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View of the Potrail Water catchment area while descending into it from Scaw'd Law View of the Potrail Water catchment area while descending into it from Scaw'd Law View of the Potrail Water catchment area while descending into it from Scaw'd Law
22 Above is the view as I start to descend into the Potrail Water catchment area. You can see again the rectangular walled area down there where we will pick up a vehicle track (which you can also see) that will take us up onto the old Roman road, below Well Hill. That Roman road comes up a track from the fortlet near Durisdeer This track through from Durisdeer is know as the Well Path and is one of the major ancient tracks through the Scottish Borders on the pilgrimage route to Whithorn. So not only Romans but Kings of Scotland have travelled this route to pay homage to St Ninian.
Near the top of Scaw'd Law there was this bird trap that you see in the second picture. It is of a design that I have not come across before.
The third picture shows how it works. The birds are tempted down through the space in the top with bait left in the trap and when in they find it impossible to get back out. You can compare this with the older versions that we have found on Glenleith Hill in November 2000 or on Steygail in October 2003. There were no birds in this trap but when I got down to the rectangular walled area before coming up to the Roman road I found another trap with a solitary bird in it as you can see on page 24 again of this new design.
Bird trap near the top of Scaw'd Law
Bird trap near the top of Scaw'd Law - detail
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