Yair Hill Forest

Yair Hill Forest is managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, as are many such areas in the Borders, and is a very popular venue for outdoor enthusiasts.

It is situated on The Yair estate by the River Tweed two and a half miles north-west of Selkirk. The estate itself is centred on Yair House, which, like the nearby Yair Bridge, is a category A listed construction. The forest can be located to the south and west of the house on Craig Hill and on Three Brethren, which is named after three stone mounds built in the 16th century by the lairds of Yair, Philiphaugh and Selkirk to mark the boundaries of their lands. The Southern Upland Way descends from Three Brethren and crosses Yair Bridge and the Sir Walter Scott way follows the same route.

Part of the forest is Lindinney Community Woodland, which is being restored from coniferous to native woodland by FCS and the Borders Forest Trust. Below Yair, on the River Tweed, is the Fairnlee slalom site, which is used for canoe slalom, and the Tweed is also popular for salmon fishing. Yair House, by the way, is not open to the public, although the gardens are occasionally accessible in the cause of charity. If you are intrigued by the name ‘Yair’ it is derived from the old Scots word for fish trap.

More information:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk