Miles walked today 13.4 miles cumulative 974.2 miles

I haven’t done any multi day walks since lockdown so although I have only been walking 3 days I planned a rest day because I was unsure how I would feel after two 20 mile days. In fact, I think I would have been fine to carry on. The weather was a bit drizzly so it worked out rather well.

On Saturday I started my day off by walking upriver through a waterside park and through a wood to Neidpath castle

There was been a fortified tower house here since about 1190 but the first one was burnt down by the English. The current castle dates from the late 14th century although it needed partial rebuilding after it was attacked by Oliver Cromwell. You may have seen the castle if you watched the BBC series “Merlin” you may recognise the castle.

I returned to the town and visited Cross Kirk. A cross and a stone urn were found on the site in 1241. It was believed the urn contained the remains of St Nicholas (who died in Turkey) and Alexander III arranged for a friary to built on the site. It is now ruined and there was no access today.

Peebles is a pleasant town. There is a park in front of the river. The wide high street has a lot of independent shops and some attractive Victorian buildings. It was good to see people using a “real” butcher and baker and I took the opportunity to get lunch for tomorrow’s walk. I then popped into a cafe for lunch and after an afternoon’s sleep and the entertaining Portugal v Germany match I was ready to resume the walk.

Sunday dawned a bit brighter and I set off early. It was another day following the old drove route and my last full day in the Southern Uplands. The path quickly climbed up the side of Hamilton Hill with good views back to Peebles and the hills that I had crossed the day before.

In general, the walk was at a lower altitude than yesterday. There were still great views of the surrounding grassy hills but for most of the morning I was walking between fields with grazing sheep and cows. For the first time since the first day, I noticed some traffic noise as the A703 ran through the valley below.

I descended to the remote farms at Stewarton. There was then a short boring climb through a thick pine forest, the trees planted in close rows so there was no undergrowth, before I emerged at the abandoned farmhouse at Courhope.

The path descended through open forest to emerge at the Flemington burn. It then wound round the hillside to the Fingland burn which the Cross Borders Drove Road web site describes (justly) as a highlight of the route.

The path ascended gently towards the trees on the left in the distance. I passed the only other person that I saw today a fell runner. There was one family about a quarter of a mile ahead but they turned off my route before I caught them up.

I took one last look back at the valley before entering the wood, crossing a col and descending through farmland at Rommanobridge. I passed a group of bullocks who expressed an interest in chasing me. For once I felt in control as they were on one side of the fence and I was on the other.I don’t think they would deliberately hurt me but they are big and stupid.

I then had a short walk into West Linton. I could see my next target, the Cauldstane Slap in the distance

I could see West Linton on the map but where was East Linton? Up until the mid 18th century there were two Linton villages, the other lies about 35 miles to the east. This caused confusion to the new postal service so the villages were re-named west and east. West Linton is one of the oldest Burghs in Scotland and was an important stopping point for the drovers.

Miles walked: Today 11.9 miles Cumulative 970.8 miles

A short day today. The weather was mainly cloudy but dry. For the next few days I will be following the Cross Borders Drove Road. This path runs from the foot of the Pentland hills, above Livingston to Hawick. It was the route drovers used to take cattle from the markets around Falkirk south for sale in North England.

My ear worm for the day had to be “Queensland Overlander” (Australian for drover). I discovered this song on a field trip to my next door neighbour’s record collection in Hall of Residence. It was on an album by the Bushwackers Band, amazingly still available on ITunes. The band was formed when its members wanted to go to a folk festival and realised if they played they would get free entry. Their claim to fame was the invention of the “lagerphone,” essentially beer bottle tops nailed to a piece of wood that would be tapped up and down to the beat.

I left Innerleithen by the road to Traquair. I detoured through the grounds of Traquair House. This is a Manor House that claims to be oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland .

The owners were originally Catholics and staunch Jacobite supporters. After the failed 1745 uprising they swore that the Bear Gates would never reopen until a Stuart once again sat on the throne. They are indeed still shut and access is by a drive to the right. There is little chance of the gates re-opening as there are no known living direct descendants of the Stuart line.

I turned on to a lane that followed the Traquair Water up to the moor. The cross borders drove road has an interesting logo, best described as an artists impression of a bull

I left the lane after the gates to the Glen Estate and climbed steeply up the flank of Birks hill. I was passed by a couple of mountain bikers but there were no other walkers out this morning. As I gained height the views of the surrounding hills opened up. From the top of Kirkhope Law I thought I could see the Pentland Hills to the north. These form the barrier between the Southern Uplands and the Central Lowlands.

My descent was along the ridge in the middle ground. On the way I passed a couple out for a day hike. We agreed that the Southern Uplands are remarkably fine walking country. They said the walk up from Peebles kept them sane during lockdown. I was lucky too, (and I am not being ironic) I had the Mersey Valley and the Trans Pennine trail to keep me amused. I felt sorry for people stuck in the middle of towns or cities with minimal green space. I wasn’t even tempted to drive to the Lake District to test my eyesight. By the way, if you suspect your vision is impaired why would you drive 25 miles to test it? And why put your family at risk by having them in the car?? One rule for those in power and one for everyone else….

Just before a Peebles I crossed a burn in Gypsy Glen. This was a popular stopping point for the drovers. The drove would consist of up to 1000 cattle, one man would herd up to 60 cattle helped by dogs. The would use places like this to rest and feed and water the beasts. They would sleep around the herd with just their plaids for shelter from the elements.

Miles walked: Today 21.9 miles Cumulative 958.9

Today was perfect walking weather: Temperature in the high teens, a bit of cloud so I didn’t get too hot and a mild cooling breeze on the moors. Visibility was excellent.

Today and tomorrow I am working my way up the Tweed valley. Today I followed the Tweed at the beginning of the walk, then took to the moors on the south side of the valley. I was following part of the Southern Upland Way which runs coast to coast from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath.

I can recommend Burts hotel in Melrose. Last night’s dinner was excellent, my bed was comfortable and everyone’s cooked breakfast looked nice, I had my customary porridge. I started off walking down to the river past the abbey.

The Abbey was founded by David I as a Cistercian abbey. It didn’t open until 10:00 so I could only look at it from outside the fence. It looks larger than Jedburgh but was sacked several times by the English so was rebuilt in the late 1300s, only to be laid waste again by Henry VIII in the 9 years war.

Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried here. His body is buried in Dunfirmline. He wanted to go on crusade but was too infirm so, after his death, his heart was removed and mummified. It was taken on a (failed) crusade to expel the Moors from Spain and on return it was buried in Melrose. The location of both the body and heart were lost but 1921 archaeologists found the heart. Earlier, the royal tomb was discovered in Dunfirmline Abbey. When the tomb was opened the skeleton inside had a split sternum….

I then joined the riverside path. The Tweed was flowing slowly and reminded me of the Severn. I got into a lethargic mood and was happy to stroll along or sit in the sun and watch the river go by. Not a good idea on a long walking day. Eventually I girded my loins and sped up and followed the river to Tweedbank

In Tweedbank the path left the river to go through the town. As I walked alongside the railway a Geordie voice called to me from behind. He was doing Lejog, and started this year in Cornwall, there are at least two other people doing the trail who are in the Borders at the moment.

He left me as we rejoined the Tweed, the path passing through a wood between the river and the A7. I took a short cut across the southern slopes of Bala Hill, the official route detours into Galashiels. There were good views back to the Eildon Hills

The path then crossed a ridge to rejoin the Tweed several miles upstream. I passed two women out for a day hike. One of them eyed my rucksack. “I suppose you are walking to John O’Groats as well?” “Er, yes As a matter of fact I am.” Now I am about two thirds of the way I am more prepared to admit to my daft scheme. However, almost apologetically I always explain that I am doing it in stages.

Now the hard work of the day began. I crossed the river at Yair bridge and entered a coniferous forest. The path climbed relentlessly. There were no views because of the trees and so I just got my head down and climbed. On emerging from the forest the views were spectacular. The hills of the Southern Uplands are grassy and rolling, rather than mountainous. Imagine the Howgill fells or the Yorkshire Dales but on a much grander scale. You will have seen them if you travel up to Scotland on the M74. I am usually on my way to the Highlands but what a treat I have missed. Yet another unmissable treat of Lejog.

At the top of the hill are three large cairns, the three brethren

These were built in the 16th century to mark the boundary of three estates. The views from the top are fantastic,

While I was admiring the view and eating some food a runner paused for breath. He is planning to do Lejog pushing a wheelbarrow

The next eight miles were amazing. The path, sometimes grassy sometimes stony, followed the ridge with great views. I crossed the top of Brown Knowe which, at 523 metres, will be the highest point on my Scottish route. I could see back past the Eildon hills as far as the Cheviots. (The forest in the mid ground is the route up to the ridge, the three brethren are just off camera to the right.)

Most of the descent to Traquair is through forest. At the edge of the trees I saw a backpacking tent, I presume this was the walker I saw earlier. I entered the forest and was pleasantly surprised. Many of the mature trees had been harvested and the new plantation was only a few feet high so my views over the hills continued. Innerleithen came into view, nestled in the valley

Many of the paths in this area are old drove roads and the path I will follow tomorrow, the Cross Borders Drove Road, joined the Southern Upland Way. I passed a spring called the Cheese Well. This is said to be inhabited by fairies and travellers would leave offerings of food hoping the fairies would ensure a safe passage across the moor. It is said the fairies were partial to cheese.

Further down the hill there is an art installation called “Point of Resolution ” by Charles Paulson.

From this viewpoint the circles cut in the heather look circular but as you walk down past the piece they are actually large ovals.

Rather tired, I arrived at the road in the hamlet of Traquair. The oldest inhabited house in Scotland is here, but hidden from the road by trees. I crossed the Tweed to enter Traquair. The river was placid again here and I saw my first salmon fisherman

I knew this would be a tiring walk so I booked into the first pub I would come to when reaching the village. The Traquair Arms was a good stop.

Miles walked: Today 20 cumulative 937

I thought 20 miles was too far for my first day so about 2 months ago I drew some short cuts on the map. Unfortunately today I thought they were wet weather alternatives so I walked the full distance. I wasn’t even put off by the couple who said to me : “That’s a long way, it’s over 20 miles.” Anyway, I made it.

The day was dull with occasional drizzle but it was warm. I stopped at Queen Mary’s house, where she stayed when she visited Jedburgh in 1566. It is closed because of COVID but the outside is impressive.

There are some pear trees in the garden. Pears were introduced by the Augustinian canons when they arrived from France and they thrived in the climate of the Scottish Borders. They were highly sought after in the 19th Century, but their popularity waned after the Victorian era.

I decided to leave Jedburgh by joining St Cuthbert’s Way (see day 69 for an explanation) and retraced my steps to Dere Street which I first met on the Pennine Way. Bad move! That added an extra mile, I should have walked down the road. At this point Dere Street is a farm track that descends to the Jed water. I followed the stream through woodland to the river Teviot. I walked along the river, past a swan sitting on her nest, to a relatively new, but wobbly, suspension bridge. I then passed through the mixed woodland and rhododendrons of the Monteviot estate and crossed a road to rejoin Dere Street.

Almost immediately there was a cafe that had been recommended to me by one of the guides at the Abbey yesterday. The cake was indeed perfect and, as it was stuffed with raisins and had a sugar icing, I claim I ate it for medicinal reasons, to boost my carbs.

Suitably refreshed, I continued in a dead straight line along the Roman Dere Street. This was now a very pleasant grassy path passing between fields and woodland over gentle hills. To the left, on top of a hill about a mile away, I could see an old Victorian mausoleum which is meant to be well worth a visit. After a couple of miles the path passed Lady Lilliard’s Stone. The inscription is worn but is reproduced on a metal plate:

Fair maiden Lilliard

Lies under this stane

Little was her stature

But Muckle was her fame

Upon the English loons

She laid monie thumps

And when her legs were cutted off

She fought them on her stumps

Legend tells of a woman who fought in the Battle of Ancrum in 1544 (in the Nine Years war, see yesterday’s post). She fought the English, some say by the side of her lover, and was grievously wounded but continued to fight on. However, in the Ballad of Chevy Chase there is a verse describing a squire who suffered a similar fate at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388 (recounted in the ballad of Chevy Chase) so it may not be true. An information board near the memorial suggests that even if there was no Lady Lilliard it is an appropriate memorial to all the women who were brutally raped, killed or both in the border wars.

Eventually Dere Street joined the A68. Here I could have taken a short cut along the road but decided to continue along St Cuthbert’s Way. I passed a small church at Maxton that had a stained glass window that was impressive and then had a very pleasant walk along the River Tweed. I had hoped to see Dryburgh Abbey which is on the other side of the river but the ruins were obscured by trees.

I walked through St Boswell that had an interesting monument to commemorate the establishment of a freshwater supply in the mid 19th century

My final barrier of the day drew closer. These are the Eildon hills. My path passed over the col between the middle and right hand hill. There is a Roman fort on the right hand hill, Trimontium. Important finds are displayed in the National Museum of Scotland and there is also a small museum in Melrose.

Just before the Eildon Hills I walked through the village of Bowden. Here there is a Pant Well, one of only 2 remaining. Pant wells were constructed in the early and mid 1800s, water was diverted from a spring or well through a pipe to avoid contamination. Interestingly, this well was built before Snow’s report linking the cholera outbreak in Soho to a contaminated pump in Broad Street; so it appears that the importance of isolating a clean water supply was becoming appreciated at several sites, at least, in the North East and Borders.

I climbed up to the col in the Eildons but I was too tired to go to the top. The cloud cover was heavy and it started to drizzle. Even so, I could see back to the Cheviots and forwards towards the moors that will take me to Peebles.

I continued down a steep path into Melrose. This was a very enjoyable day’s walk through varied countryside. I am staying in Burts Hotel After a long soak in the bath I went down to the bar for some lamb rump and a couple of pints of Timothy Taylor. Recommended.

So, with lockdown partially lifted, I am off to try to complete Lejog. I am currently on the train back to Jedburgh, where I ended my walk last year, the mountains of the Lake District just coming into view. I decided not to camp this year and my route will follow the “classic” route adopted by many Lejogers.

The Firth of Forth provides a major obstacle to a direct trek north. There are only two crossing points, the Forth Bridge, which entails walking through Edinburgh. Nice as the city is, urban walking doesn’t tick the right box for me. The second alternative is to cross at Stirling but this involves a lot of road walking, again not my cup of tea. The preferred route by most is to head west, turning north between Falkirk and Glasgow.

So, tomorrow I will continue my walk through the Scottish Borders, using what promises to be an excellent walk on a variety of long distance paths in the Southern Uplands. I will drop down to the central lowlands to reach Linlithgow and then follow the Forth and Clyde canal and John Muir trail to the West Highland Way at Drymen. The West Highland Way will take me to Fort William and, if fitness allows, I will bag a few Munros on the way. I then will walk through the Great Glen to Inverness. Finally, if I am not devoured by the Loch Ness monster, I will follow the nascent John O’Groats Trail and finish the walk as I started with coastal and cliff walking.

This route will mean that I can always find a B & B or a pub to sleep in. On the way I hope to learn some Scottish history, from a Scottish point of view, by reading Magnus Magnusson’s book “Scotland: The Story of a Nation.” and I am sure some of what I learn will find its way into the blog.

After arriving in Edinburgh I took the local train to Galashiels, one of the few lines to re-open after the Beeching cuts in the early 1960’s. The line runs along the Gala valley which was very pretty. I then caught the bus to Jedburgh. This gave me a preview of tomorrow’s walk, which looks good. I was tempted to get off the bus in Melrose when we passed the pub I am saying in tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking round Jedburgh Abbey

This was one of four Abbeys built by David I in the 12th Century, the others being at Kelso, Melrose and Dryburgh. Jedburgh was built for the Augustinian order. It must have been a magnificent building, it was attacked many times by the English before being reduced to a ruin by Henry VIII during a series of wars in the 16th century. Walter Scott called them the “Rough Wooing” as Henry’s army carried out a bloody campaign to try to force the young Mary Queen of Scots to marry his son Edward (later Edward VI). The conflict is probably more appropriately named the Nine Years War as it was particularly brutal and was really about an attempt to force Protestantism on the Catholic Scots as well as trying to impose English rule.

I wouldn’t have fancied being a monk. A display at the Abbey describes the canon’s day: up for prayer at 3:30am and one meal a day, usually vegetable stew is not my idea of the good life. They were allowed fish or fowl once a week but red meat was forbidden as it is conducive to sin. Talk was forbidden at mealtimes, the only sound was a canon reading from a religious text. If you wanted more potato you used sign language.

Jedburgh was also the birthplace of James Thompson who wrote the words of Rule Britannia in 1740.

Jedburgh was originally built at a crossroads with narrow alleys, called Closes, leading to courtyards. Some of these had very low entrances. They reminded me of the Wynds in Shrewsbury

The town was really quiet. I ate in Belters Bar (recommended, extensive burger menu including meat, fish, and veggie) and the landlord said that tourism hasn’t picked up yet in the Borders. Indeed, many of the bars appeared to be closed on a Tuesday, only opening from Thursday to Saturday, maybe this will change as we get into summer. There were only 4 small groups (including me) in Belters this evening.

I returned to my B and B to sort out my maps for tomorrow. I edited the blog during lockdown and noticed I often grumbled about pain in my left hamstrings. I decided to do something about this after the Pennine Way. I joined a gym and a personal trainer, Conor O’Hanlon , has been working on me. Previously I thought all I needed to do was a few walks to build up the relevant muscles and a bit of stamina. He impressed on me the importance of balanced training and a strong core. During lockdown he set me a routine I could do at home, although the weights were limited to a couple of kilo bags of rice and I have trained hard since the gyms were allowed to reopen. I feel much fitter and I felt much more comfortable on the walks that I did this spring.