A beautiful walk that starts at the top of the impressive Talla Linns waterfall, and heads into the hills beyond. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills and Talla reservoir. You don’t have to walk far to leave modern life behind and immerse yourself in the beautiful remote Borders hills.
Top of Talla Linns
Short Walk
Start/Parking
Parking: There is a car parking area near the start of this walk just after you cross the small bridge (if coming from Tweedsmuir), round the corner on the left-hand side of the road.
The first part of the walk is on a reasonable track, although some areas are muddy and there are loose stones along the way. After the green shed, the path becomes a bit less defined and boggy. Towards the end of the track you will have to cross a burn, and there is no bridge, and avoid the wetter areas of the path. This final section requires stout footwear and a good level of fitness.
Talla Linns is the name of the waterfall that cascades impressively down the hillside.
The road here is also known as ‘The Linns’ locally, and is a steep single-track section that often takes visitors to the area unawares. It is untreated through the winter months, making access impossible during the snowy and frosty periods. A very impressive Victorian drainage gully runs down the side of the road. This was cleared and restored by a local volunteer in 2010, and has resulted in much safer driving conditions.
Talla Reservoir
From the start of the walk at the top of the Linns you can look down to Talla Reservoir. The reservoir dam was built between 1897 and 1905 to cater for increasing demand for water from Edinburgh. An aqueduct still carries the water through the hills all the way to the capital. The construction of the earthwork dam and the underground aquaduct was a major feat of Victorian engineering, and was built by an army of 500 labourers managed by the construction firm James Young and Sons, until they went bankrupt, and then by John Best of Leith. The water from Talla Water was diverted into the bed of the reservoir on 20th May 1905, and was officially opened in 28th September by Lady Cranston, the wife of the Lord Provost. The total cost of the construction was £1.25 million (the equivalent of £156 million in 2020).
The reservoir is about 2.5 miles long, and it is deepest at the dam side, at about 24.4 metres (80ft). The reservoir is now managed by Scottish Water, and draws water from a catchment of 2501 hectares.
From the start of the walk at the top of the Linns you can look down to Talla Reservoir. The reservoir dam was built between 1897 and 1905 to cater for increasing demand for water from Edinburgh. An aqueduct still carries the water through the hills all the way to the capital. The construction of the earthwork dam and the underground aquaduct was a major feat of Victorian engineering, and was built by an army of 500 labourers managed by the construction firm James Young and Sons, until they went bankrupt, and then by John Best of Leith. The water from Talla Water was diverted into the bed of the reservoir on 20th May 1905, and was officially opened in 28th September by Lady Cranston, the wife of the Lord Provost. The total cost of the construction was £1.25 million (the equivalent of £156 million in 2020).
The reservoir is about 2.5 miles long, and it is deepest at the dam side, at about 24.4 metres (80ft). The reservoir is now managed by Scottish Water, and draws water from a catchment of 2501 hectares.
Plans for the area
The Talla and Gameshope Estate is particularly special because it offers a rare opportunity for Scottish Borders Trust to restore a large area of hills and upland valleys to their natural state. This will provide habitats extensive enough to be more sustainable, in contrast to isolated areas of conservation found elsewhere. At its southern end, the property borders both the Trust’s Carrifran Wildwood and the National Trust for Scotland’s extensive Grey Mare’s Tail Estate.
Borders Forest Trust plan to restore many of the native habitats that have been lost from this valley and are currently planting 300 to 400 hectares of native woodlands. They will leave other areas open, and regenerate blanket bogs and montane heaths. You will be able to see the considerable numbers of trees and shrubs that have been planted, mostly by volunteers, along the side of the path.