Rubers Law
| Rubers Law | |
|---|---|
 Rubers Law, seen from the edge of Hawick | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 424 m (1,391 ft) |
| Prominence | 196 m (643 ft) |
| Parent peak | Peel Fell |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Geography | |
  Rubers Law Location of Rubers Law within Scottish Borders | |
| Parent range | Cheviot Hills |
| OS grid | NT 58032 15569 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer 331, Landranger 80 |
Rubers Law is a prominent, conical hill in the Scottish Borders area of south-east Scotland. It stands on the south bank of the River Teviot, between the towns of Hawick and Jedburgh and south of the village of Denholm. The hill stands on the border between the parishes of Cavers and Hobkirk, and until 1975 it stood within the historic county of Roxburghshire.
The summit rocks represent the remains of a volcanic vent, formed by a volcanic eruption during the Carboniferous Period, roughly 330 million years ago.
Name
Law is a common word for a hill in the south-east of Scotland, especially in Lothian and the Borders. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word hlāw (tumulus or hill). The origin and meaning of the first element of the name, Rubers, is not known. [1]
Geology
Most of Rubers Law is made of red sandstones and other sediments which used to be known as the Upper Old Red Sandstone. These rocks, now assigned to the Stratheden or Inverclyde groups (undifferentiated), were formed during the late Devonian or early Carboniferous Periods from the sand and gravel deposits of ancient river systems.
These sedimentary deposits were followed by a period of volcanic eruptions which produced a series of basaltic lavas, some of which are now found near Kelso. The summit rocks of Rubers Law were formed within a volcanic vent. There is a small area of volcanic agglomerate, formed in the vent by an explosive eruption of magma from the volcano. The rest of the summit rocks are microgabbro (previously known as dolerite), the remains of a volcanic plug formed from magma which solidified within the vent. Another microgabbro plug is located among the trees of Denholmhill Wood, 2 km north of the summit. [2] [3] [4]
Culture
The poet Dr John Leyden (1775-1811), who was born in Denholm, described Rubers Law in his book Scenes of Infancy (1803). Interestingly he refers to the presence of eagles (the Erne) on the hill in his time.
Dark Ruberslaw, that lifts his head sublime, Rugged and hoary with the wrecks of time! On his broad misty front the giant wears The horrid furrows of ten thousand years; His aged brows are crowned with curling fern, Where perches, grave and lone, the hooded Erne, Majestic bird! by ancient shepherds stiled The lonely hermit of the russet wild, That loves amid the stormy blast to soar, When through disjointed cliffs the tempests roar, Climbs on strong wing the storm, and, screaming high, Rides the dim rack, that sweeps the darkened sky.[5]
References
- ^ Peter Drummond (2007). Scottish Hill Names (2nd ed.). Scottish Mountaineering Trust. ISBN 978 0907521952.
- ^ "1:50,000 Geological Maps" (Map). Sheet S017ES, Jedburgh (Solid). British Geological Survey. 1982. ISBN 9780751836998.
{{cite map}}: Unknown parameter|publisher-link=ignored (help) This map may be viewed on the "Geology of Britain viewer". British Geological Survey. or on the BGS's iGeology smartphone app - ^ "The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units". British Geological Survey.
- ^ D C Greig (1971). British Regional Geology: The South of Scotland (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: HMSO. pp. 59, 88.
- ^ "Scenes of Infancy: Descriptive of Teviotdale". University of Rochester.
See also
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
- List of Marilyns in the Scottish Lowlands
External links
- SCRAN: old map of Ruberslaw
- Gazetteer for Scotland: Rubers Law
- Megalithic Portal: Images of Ruberslaw
- Scottish Borders Council: Ruberslaw ranger-led walks
- Four Denholm Scholars: Dr. John Leyden, Sir James A H Murray, John Scott, and James Duncan
- Parish of Hobkirk and Southdean with Ruberslaw: Parish magazine