Leave your car in the car park of Hawick’s Vertish Hill Golf Course.
Have a look at the 1514 Club Common cairn next to the car park which shows much of the land you will be walking on. The first section of this circular trail climbs steeply across Hawick Golf Course. It goes without saying that great care should be taken on the golf course particularly when crossing fairways.
The track you are to follow can be seen beyond the twelfth green on the right but go down keeping the bell and the green on your right to reach it. Pass the fourteenth tee on your left and cross the eighth fairway to go through the gate beside the famous St Leonard’s Hut. Go down through the steading with the farmhouse and white cottage on your right.
After a short distance you reach Williestruther Loch and follow the track through the field and round to go through the next gate – note the Common plaque along the wall to your right marking the site of the old race course. Acreknowe Reservoir then comes into view. Follow the path round the reservoir and proceed onto open farmland. Follow the path to the right, parallel with the electric fence and keeping to the drier ground to avoid the ditch and marshy area. The Ca’ Knowe cairn is now clear in the distance ahead. The corner of this field has the plaque to its right marking where the sod-cutting takes place every Common Riding Friday. This cermony marks the boundary of the furthest point of Hawick Common.
The Ca Knowe monument which marks the spot where the Burgess Roll was called at the Common Riding. Descend the narrow path to the road. A few whin bushes just over the fence to your left is called the Lord’s Tree. Cauldcleuch and Skelfhill Pen are now behind you, Penchrise Pen is up on your right and the top of Ruberslaw can soon be seen ahead to the right peeping over the top of Coliforthill.
The trail continues along a road before turning left through a wooded area and across open farmland. You eventually find yourself entering St Leonard’s Park or Hawick Moor race course through the gate at the top of the hill.
Following the trail you now descend over grassland before briefly re-joining the tarmac road and follow the trail to Martinshouse. With the trail now gently climbing, affording you a good view down on Parkdaill as it takes a big s-bend to go up through the whins with views back to Goldielands Tower and up the Borthwick.
At the summit you are greeted with a grand view down on the river Teviot and the Park with the Museum prominent and Sunnyhill behind. Turn left down the Crumhaughhill road with a good view to the Minto Hills, Minto Crags, Penielheugh and Ruberslaw with the recent Paterson Gardens scheme down to your right.
As you pass Crummelknowes the trail contours round the Watch Knowe on the track to the water tank. From there head down the field to go through the gate at the right hand side of the Golf Clubhouse and only a short distance down the road to the car park.