112 The Catrail, or Picts-Work-Ditch, by James Small. 



The distance, soutliward, between the Catrail on Whitehope 

 and the Catrail on the north of Grirnwood farm, where the shires 

 of Selkirk and Eoxburgh meet, is twelve miles, "across country." 

 Mr Craig-Brown and I spent two long days on the reputed track 

 of the Catrail in this locality, or rather on the first nine miles of 

 it southward of Whitehope. "We had with us written accounts of 

 its track, and maps old and new to guide us ; and we had also the 

 company and guidance over a goodly part of the distance, of 

 farmers or shepherds who had known the district from boyhood ; 

 but, sad to relate, the Catrail has now totally disappeared from 

 that wide stretch of country. We at times, but only two or 

 three times, came to lines that we thought might turn out Cat- 

 rail ; but in no instance were we satisfied that we had really 

 found it. Our first day was spent on the track between Ladhope 

 and Gilmanscleuch on Yarrow and Ettrick waters respectively ; 

 and the next day we traversed the same district from Sundhope 

 to Gilmanscleuch ; and from Gilmanscleuch southward to Clear- 

 burn Loch. We faithfully and literally wandered, often zig- 

 zag, over these fine hills ; and had both weather and guides in 

 our favour for finding the ancient way ; but it is not to be found. 

 Seventy years ago, Dr JJouglas was told by the farmers in 

 Ettrick Forest, when he was tracing the Catrail, " that the re- 

 mains had greatly diminished in their remembrance, and that 

 the traces were becoming less visible every day. Nearly ninety 

 years passed between Gordon's survey and that of Dr Douglas." 

 Most of the land in the part under notice is very soft, hence the 

 tendency of the Catrail to become so rapidly less visible ; and 

 here it has at last disappeared. 



The line from Whitehope to Clearburn Loch ran through Cat- 

 slackburn. Yarrow Eeus, then crossing the Yarrow it ascended 

 Sundhope Height, and after " crossing the very top of Singlee 

 Burn it descended and crossed Inch Burn, and Gilmanscleuch 

 Burn, and entered the Ettiick at the School. It then ascended 

 the west side of Deloraine Burn, and passed near the foot of the 

 Stanhopelaw over to Clearburn Loch, also on the farm of De- 

 loraine. 



Erom Clearburn to Henwoody, on the north of Girnwood, 

 the distance is somewhere about three miles. In Gordon's 

 time, even, there seem to have been no traces left of the 

 Catrail in this part of the country ; for he says " passing hence 



