The Merrick, or simply Merrick, is a mountain in the Range of the Awful Hand, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The summit elevation is 843 metres, making it the highest mountain in the Southern Uplands and southern Scotland.
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas. The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills and mountains within this region. An overwhelmingly rural and agricultural region, the Southern Uplands are partly forested and contain many areas of open moorland - the hill names in the area are congruent with these characteristics.
Broad Law is a hill in the Manor Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The second-highest point in the Southern Uplands and the highest point in the Scottish Borders, it has an elevation of 840 metres, a prominence of 653 metres and an isolation of 81 kilometres. It is only 3 m (10 ft) lower than its parent, Merrick. Like many of its neighbours it is smooth, rounded and grassy, although the surrounding glens have very steep sides — country somewhat akin to the Cheviots or the Howgill Fells. The hill is most easily climbed from the Megget Stane to the south, beginning at an elevation of 452 m (1,483 ft), but is also frequently climbed from the villages near its base, or as part of a long, 50 km (30 mi) trek across the local area between the towns of Peebles and Moffat. On the summit is the highest VOR beacon in the UK, and also a radio tower.
Scotland is the most mountainous country in the United Kingdom. Scotland's mountain ranges can be divided in a roughly north to south direction into: the Scottish Highlands, the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands, the latter two primarily belonging to the Scottish Lowlands. The highlands eponymously contains the country's main mountain ranges, but many hills and mountains are to be found south of these as well. The below lists are not exhaustive; there are countless subranges throughout the country.
Under Saddle Yoke is a hill in the Moffat Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Despite its name, it is 10m higher than its neighbouring top, Saddle Yoke. Located in a dramatic position on a small, grassy ridge in between two deep glens, Blackhope and Carrifran, it awards excellent views into the rest of the Moffat Hills and the Ettrick Hills opposite. Although incomparable to the Scottish Highlands and not particularly precipitous, the ridge between and atop the Yokes is the narrowest summit ridge in the Southern Uplands. The electric fence that comes out of Blackshope and crosses the ridge to the north of Saddle Yoke and then continues down into Carrifran hasn't worked in 40 years. A popular round known as the Hart Fell Horseshoe begins near Blackshope and normally ascends Nether Coomb Craig first, then passing over Swatte Fell, Hart Fell and looping round Hartfell Rig to the Saddle Yokes before the descent.
Blackhope Scar is a hill in the Moorfoot Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies to the northeast of the town of Peebles and is the second highest of the Moorfoot Hills after Windlestraw Law.
Hart Fell is a hill in the Moffat Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies north of the town of Moffat on the border with the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
Dun Rig is a hill in the Manor Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the highest hill in the northernmost cluster of the Manor Hills, south of the town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders. A sprawling summit, it is usually climbed as part of the Dun Rig Horseshoe from the Peebles side and provides great views into the Moorfoot Hills, Pentlands, rest of the Manor Hills and the central Borders. It is the historic county top of the former county of Selkirkshire.
Windy Standard is a hill in the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies in Dumfries and Galloway, south of the town of New Cumnock. Once a remote hill to the northeast of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, its summit area and slopes are now home to a series of expanding large windfarm sites, the earliest of which used to be the largest windfarm in Scotland.
Gathersnow Hill is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies west of the village of Tweedsmuir on the border of the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire. The second highest of the Culter Hills after Culter Fell to the north, the two Grahams are often climbed together.
Windlestraw Law is a hill in the Moorfoot Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the highest peak of the range, and lies north of the town of Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders. A large and boggy peak, it is usually climbed from either its western slopes or the longer route from Tweeddale to the south.
Millfore is a hill in the Minnigaff Hills, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies northeast of Newton Stewart in Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries and Galloway. One of the less-visited of the Galloway Hills, it nonetheless provides excellent views from its summit over its neighbours and Loch Dee. Isolated from its westerly neighbours by the White Laggan glen, it is frequently climbed on its own from Clatteringshaws Loch to the east.
Andrewhinney Hill is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the highest summit of a ridge that runs parallel to the A708 road on its southern side, with the Grey Mare's Tail in the Moffat Hills directly opposite. The northwestern slopes are designated as part of the 'Moffat Hills' SSSI and SAC.
Wind Fell is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The Dumfries and Galloway-Scottish Borders border lies across the hill. Close to the Southern Upland Way, routes of ascent frequently incorporate its track and it is almost always climbed along with the neighbouring hills.
Bodesbeck Law is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the primary west-south-western terminus of the ridge that runs parallel to the A708 road along the Dumfries and Galloway-Scottish Borders border, occasionally titled the "Bodesbeck Ridge".
Whitehope Heights is a hill in the Moffat Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The lowest Donald hill in the range, it is separated from Hart Fell by a steep grassy cleuch known as The Gyle. Like its neighbour, the Dumfries and Galloway-Scottish Borders border runs along its summit. The southern slopes of the hill are part of the Corehead hill farm, an area owned by the Borders Forest Trust for the purposes of habitat regeneration; as a result, a large deer fence lines the boundary. East of the Devil's Beef Tub and Annandale Way, it is most frequently climbed from this direction, but ascents from Hart Fell are also common.
Bell Craig is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is part of a ridge that runs parallel to the A708 road on its southern side, with White Coomb in the Moffat Hills directly opposite. The northern slopes are designated as part of the 'Moffat Hills' SSSI and SAC - the summit marks a corner of the area.
Herman Law is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the terminal northeast Donald of a ridge that runs parallel to the A708 road on its southern side, also being the last to share the Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders border. It is the least prominent Donald, just qualifying for the necessary 30m of prominence. Usually climbed with the neighbouring hills of the ridge, the most common start point is Birkhill Farm to the west.
The Rhinns of Kells are a range of hills in the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The most easterly of three parallel ridges, they are neighboured to the west by the Range of the Awful Hand and the Dungeon Hills. The eastern portion of the Minnigaff Hills range lies immediately southwest of the range. In total, these four ranges are part of the Galloway Forest Park. The ridge is located entirely within Dumfries and Galloway, with the base of the western flanks being a northwestern boundary of the county.
The Ettrick Hills are a range of hills, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. They are neighboured to the northwest by the Moffat Hills and are located mainly within the Scottish Borders, however the Dumfries and Galloway border covers the south and southwesterly flanks.
