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B711

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B711
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (7)
From:  Hawick (NT481134)
To:  Tushielaw Inn (NT302176)
Distance:  14.1 miles (22.7 km)
Meets:  A7, B709
Primary Destinations
Highway Authorities

Scottish Borders

Traditional Counties

Roxburghshire • Selkirkshire

Route outline (key)
B711 Hawick - Tushielaw Inn

The B711 is a cross-country B-road through the hills in southern Scotland.

The B711 passing Borthaugh, near Martins Bridge

The route starts on the A7 to the south of Hawick and heads west, almost immediately crossing the River Teviot at the narrow Martins Bridge, before continuing upstream along the valley of the Borthwick Water. The bridge is just about wide enough for a white centre line, but this soon disappears, although the road itself is still wide enough for two cars to pass with care. A farm and some houses are passed as the road winds into the narrow confines of the valley, where the road contours along the base of the hill to the north of the stream. There are a scattering of farms in the valley floor, either side of the river which meanders back and forth, although the road never quite reaches the riverbank. After a right turn climbs away up into the hills, the B711 itself climbs away from the river, running through the hill fields before dipping back down again to Roberton, a tiny village which is nevertheless the largest settlement along the route.

After crossing the Glen Burn, the route climbs past the church and school, this time aiming for a hill pass while a minor road forks left to follow the Borthwick Water upstream. The winding ascent is reasonably steep, and has several narrow pinch points where even cars will struggle to pass. A sharp right turn at a T junction where another minor road follows the river upstream leads past the last couple of houses before the route climbs steadily onto the moors. The road is now narrow enough that passing places are provided here and there as the road climbs past patches of forestry and on across the open hillside to reach a summit of 333m. A winding descent past a lonely couple of houses leads to the forested shores of Alemoor Reservoir. After a few bends the road strides out across a causeway in the middle of the L-shaped reservoir, although there is a narrow neck to the south west hiding the western end.

Near Alemoor Reservoir

The causeway is a full, unlined, S2 road again, but quickly narrows on the further side where there is some parking available, and a stub of the old road before the valley was dammed can be seen on the right. After curving around a block of trees, the western end of the reservoir finally comes into view, with an area of boggy ground around the edges. Leaving the reservoir behind the road climbs again to go round the northern edge of another forest, reaching a summit of 312m near the farms at Redfordgreen. The narrow road runs through a shallow valley here, following wee burns up to the long level summit section across the watershed. The road is narrow and meanders with the contours. After cutting through a corner of the forest, it begins its descent to Buccleuch in the valley of the Rankle Burn. At first it follows the small Clear Burn, but this then cuts a steep gulley, leaving the road to find its way across the hillside high above, curving round the slopes of Home Law to head north west once more.

The road is now properly single track as it winds down to the riverbank, and follows the meandering burn downstream through the narrow valley. The road generally sticks to the bottom of the steep hillside, while the river meanders away and back again, but more often than not the two are running side by side as the valley winds north then west again, past patches of woodland on the otherwise open hillsides that rise sharply up above the road. The valley is followed all the way downstream to where it joins the valley of the Ettrick Water. As the tributary valley opens up, a farm sits on the roadside and soon after the B711 winds across the Ettrick, ending at a T junction with the B709 on the western bank. The Tushielaw Inn stands a little way to the right, in this pleasant hollow amongst the hills.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Junction with A7 S. of Hawick - Roberton - Tushie Law Inn





B711
Crossings
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (7)
Houses at Borthaugh by the B711 road - Geograph - 235776.jpgThe B711 heading towards Borthaugh - Geograph - 978577.jpgMartins-br1.jpgMartins-br2.jpgMartins-br3.jpg
Other nearby roads
Hawick
B700 – B799
B700 • B701 • B702 • B703 • B704 • B705 • B706 • B707 • B708 • B709 • B710 • B711 • B712 • B713 • B714 • B715 • B716 • B717 • B718 • B719
B720 • B721 • B722 • B723 • B724 • B725 • B726 • B727 • B728 • B729 • B730 • B731 • B732 • B733 • B734 • B735 • B736 • B737 • B738 • B739
B740 • B741 • B742 • B743 • B744 • B745 • B746 • B747 • B748 • B749 • B750 • B751 • B752 • B753 • B754 • B755 • B756 • B757 • B758 • B759
B760 • B761 • B762 • B763 • B764 • B765 • B766 • B767 • B768 • B769 • B770 • B771 • B772 • B773 • B774 • B775 • B776 • B777 • B778 • B779
B780 • B781 • B782 • B783 • B784 • B785 • B786 • B787 • B788 • B789 • B790 • B791 • B792 • B793 • B794 • B795 • B796 • B797 • B798 • B799
Earlier versions: B705 • B706 • B707 • B708 • B713(E) • B713(W) • B714 • B715 • B716 • B724 • B727 • B730 • B734
B735 • B736 • B739 (S) • B739 (N) • B743 • B744 • B746 • B752 • B761 • B762 • B763 • B765 • B773 • B783 • B785 • B789 • B791 • B795
Anomalous numbers: B77


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