West Highland Way and South Scotland

Monday 20th April  Fort William to Kinlochleven

West Highland Way on forest tracks and hill paths
14 miles approx

It was already warm and fairly sunny as I started through Fort William in the morning. I was starting the second stage of the walk which gave me both a high and a low feeling. The low because I was now on day one again and am leaving the familiar surroundings of Fort William, the high because I now am starting the second chunk of the walk and am already over 250 miles into the 700+ miles to home. I sent the North of Scotland maps back home from the post office in town before heading off to the roundabout where the West Highland Way officially starts and ends at the small road into Glen Nevis. After a mile or so of roadside footpath the way heads on tracks into the forest on the opposite side to the Ben ascent.

Intially the forest track has been recently re-made using a bulldozer and is more for forest vehicles than for walkers. It’s a real monster of a track. After a couple of winding miles, I left the track to walk up to Dun Deardail on a made footparth. This is a bronze age fort on perched on top of a small peak with great views down into the glen and over to Ben Nevis. Standing on its embankment it seemed that it would have been a perfect place to live, but when you consider the weather in winter and the fact that the people who lived here must have had to fight to defend it, I guess it wasn't ideal. To visit the fort is a bit of a detour and has to be backtracked afterwards too. It is most worthwhile for the views and the sense of history. The way then drops off the monster track down into the trees on a footpath. The trees helped to cool things down a bit. The day was very warm with no wind and the sun begining to break through the milky sky. Large areas of the marked-on-the-map forest had been felled. This helped give to great views back of the Ben.

Apart from the climb up at the start, todays walk wasn't too hard with only a few ups and downs. I met quite a few people walking north. They were on their last day of the West Highland Way. After not meeting anyone for several days on the North section of the walk, and seeing over 15 people today, this seemed to be a busy path. After following a track through the glen for several hours, I dropped down to Kinlochleven and found the Blackwater campsite near the old aluminium site. It cost the just £6 and is not a bad site. There are shared showers, a drying room (I left my clothes in here over night with the heater on, worked a treat), and only it is only 200 meters from the shops. I walked into town to find the chippy shut on Mondays. Hmmm. I was looking forward to a chippy. I had to make do with cold pies from the COOP. I was expecting a long day tomorrow and the forecast was for bad weather too. I got my head down early and was woken with the rain as it arrived in the night and then again just as my alarm sounded in the morning.

Tuesday 21st April   Kinlochleven to Tyndrum

Following West Highland Way on hill paths and tracks
26 miles approx

I was up and away by 6:15am and walking back into town following WHW signs out through a small housing estate on the other side of the river. The path then turns back round the back of the campsite. I crossed a bridge and met a guy who was walking his dog in town. He had walked through the campsite. Hmmm I could have saved 20 minutes and just left the campsite the other way. A forest track follows the water pipes up the hill for a time. There are about five parallel pipes bringing water from the reservoir down to the aluminium works. The track weaves steeply up the hillside to a building next to the pipes at the top. This is set up for mountain biking too with barriers and signs. There was noone here this morning.  At the top, there is a badly maintained sign directing you along a path that leaves on a hill path over heather and rock towards the Devils Staircase. At this point the clouds were building up and I could see rain in the near distance. There was still some climbing to do up to the ridge at the top of the Devils Staircase but the walking was fairly easy going until the rain came in and came in hard. As I crested the ridge looking down the staircase, Stob Dearg and Glen Coe were still a sight in the heavy cloud, wind and rain. It pleased me that I was somewhere familiar again. I descended the devils staircase which didn't seem all that bad really, not compared to the climb that I had done out of Kinlochleven on the other side. The main A82 road through the glen was busy even in this weather and at that early hour, with drivers zooming along in the rain and probably wondering what I was doing.

Walking now towards the Kings House Hotel, which sits alone in this great open landscape, I met the first walkers of the day, heading north. They were surprised that I'd already walked their days walk and it was just after 9am. They asked me about the Devils Staircase, as they were worried that it would be the finishing of them. I reassured them that it wasn't all that bad. Further on, there were quite a few people leaving from Kings House, most of which were camping outside. The hotel itself wasn't open being so early. I pressed on through the rain on a track (that is probably the old single track road) as it crossed the main A road and headed out towards the ski centre on the other side of the glen. From now I was on a metalled track, with slippery wet stones making walking a bit harder still.  Reading one of the plaques this was the route of General Wade's military road but was resurfaced by Telford some 100+ years ago. It certainly does make for easier walking than clambering through the miles of boggy wild moorland that it drives through.  It was a bit more up and down than I had expected. For some reason I kind of thought it would be fairly flat. I don't know why? I crossed the Ba Burn on the Ba Bridge. I was almost as wet as the Burn itself. Graham, a friend from work had told me to look out for this beautiful place, and that he had suffered sun stroke when he walked the WHW several years ago. There was no risk of the same happening to me today. I followed the track for several more miles to where it became tarmac near Loch Tulla. After crossing the Victoria Bridge, there followed a steep climb up and then a drop down through trees to the Bridge of Orchy. At this point there was some blue sky showing through. I didn't stop, wanting to press on to get showered and dry at Tyndrum, some miles further on. I did have a quick look at the station as it was featured in the Mountain program with Griff Jones. The track from here to Tyndrum follows the railway line pretty much as it heads through the glen. I had a quick stop to dry off in the warm sunshine, sat on a rock looking at some of the huge bolders that had been left by ice flows many thousands of years earlier, and wondered what they had witnessed in the years since then. All the cloud was moving away north. I followed the track past some magnificent mountains, highland cattle and then right along side the railway line. At one point I missed a crossing over the line and ended up in a bog between the road and railway and had to climb the fence to cross the line - disregarding the warning signs to rejoin the track on the other side. The path then dropped into Tyndrum. I stopped in the village store for some curry pies then headed to the 'By the Way' campsite which is by the railway and the West Highland Way. It was a busy little campsite with lots of way walkers heading north. I was surprised to find that most were just aiming for Bridge of Orchy in the morning. Perhaps I was pushing too hard having walked nearly 30 miles today. I pitched my tent in a corner an got showered before zedding out. Noisy owls were scrapping and screeching in the trees and woke me a few times in the night. It did rain a little too. 


Wednesday 22nd April   Tyndrum to Beinglass Farm (Invershin)

Mainly tracks and some hill paths on WHW
12 Miles approx.

With a shorter day today I decided to have a little lie in. There was quite a lot of condensation on the flysheet, so I lay there and let it dry in the morning sun. There was a large party of walkers heading north, but as they were only heading as far as the Bridge of Orchy they were having a late start too. I packed up and was on the way again by 10am. For the first part of the day I was walking by the river and an area set out for people to potter about. There are information signs about the old lead mining industry and how the land is still polluted where the mining took place with not much growing even today. A bit further along there is a small lochan near Dalrigh. This is reputedly where Robert de Bruce threw his sword whilst fleeing a battle. This is a bit Arthurian and I gess the story holds as much interest to a Scotsman as the great King Arthur and Excalibur has to an Englishman. For the tourist, a stone bench beside the water has a sword carved into it. The way then crossed the A82 again at Holy Pool. I took a quick detour to the pool. It is said that people used to be baptised in the water where a natural ridge of rock divides it. This allowed men to go in on one side and women on the other. On then to the national trust farm at Auchtertyre. This is a working visitors farm and has camping too. It actually looks nicer than the site that I stayed at. I stopped for a bacon butty and a coffee at the cafe/shop and had a chat with the guy running it. We discussed the weather and how nice it has been these last few weeks. I would recommend to anyone reading this that staying here for camping would be a better choice as the views are open and wonderful. The facilities here are nicer too. The sun was already really warm as I walked on towards St Fillans Church. This is now an old ruin, but is lovely being covered in trees and buttercups. The way now goes over the river and through a little field before it crossed over the road again and climbs through trees up above Crainlarich. This was quite a climb too, with some very steep ups and downs. The path became quite busy here at times with groups of people heading North. Some lads walking with huge backpacks. Bigger than any I have ever seen whilst walking. Out of the trees the path splits, one way heads down to Crainlarich the other into Glen Falloch. It was Into the glen for me as this boad valley leads down to the biggest fresh water lake in Great Britain, Loch Lomond.

The path had recently been resurfaced as I headed down through large heard of highland cattle. They were adding further resurfacing to it in places too. At Carmyle Cottage the way crossed the road and then goes under the railway line using a 'Sheep Creep'. This creep (underpass) may be great for sheep, but was far too low for people walking with rucksacks on. I managed to scrape through. There followed a long walk up and down a broad track from here. At one point it wasn't at all clear which way I had to go and I ended up in a messy farm area at Derrydaroch. I knew it was the wrong way  when I found myself stuck in a complex of rusty sheep pens, and came to a dead sheep lying, stinking, in one of them. Nice. I backed up to the track and guessed that I should take the left fork. Its strange but the way takes you high above the falls of falloch which looks to have a car park for road users. A couple of miles more walking and I was at the Beinglass farm campsite. This was a nice little place, and caters well for the WHW walkers. It has a bar which served food, it has good showers with a turn knob instead of a push, push, push knob - so it stays on until you turn it off, and there is plenty of camping space. The laundrette was being used by the staff though so I wasn't able to give my gear a good wash.

Just as I arrived at 3:30pm the cloud had started to build. I had a nice curry and a pint of Tenants Extra Cold. While I was eating a couple of people walked into the bar. One guy was cleary Scottish and the other told me he was from New Zealand. I discovered as we got talking that he too was walking end to end. He, Ron, was walking south to north and doing it in stages over a few years. He was following a route from a book and was hoping to make to the end at John O'groats this time. We talked about our experiences so far. Ron is 62 (doesn't look it) and has family in Liverpool. He gave me some pages out of his book, showing an alternative route tp take in bad weather to join the WHW with the canal joining Glasgow and Edinburgh. My route was to go over the Campsie Fells which would need good weather, whilst his went round them on a disused railway line. It was nice to talk with someone who was looking to complete this mamoth walk. He had a few tales to tell of his experiences in the south and most notable the bad weather on the pennines.

I headed for the tent and called home before listening for the weather on the radio. The forecast was for rain in the night and morning. I woke in the night with the rain. It was heavy and loud but the tent held it out. Its kind of nice to be warm in your little tent with all that weather just millimeters outside. Its not nice, thinking that I will be walking in it in a few hours. I was planning a long day tomorrow too.
  
Thursday 23rd April Beinglass Farm to Gartocharn

Mostly wet lochside paths, with some track and a little road
Approx 27 miles

Today I was heading to stay at a friends Aunt and Uncles house, just off the West Highland Way. Ive worked with Roy for nearly 9 years and when I told him I would be walking on the WHW he said that I should stop at his Uncles place. It was going to be a long day so the alarm was set for 5am. It was still raining so I made the decision to wait an hour but it was still raining at 6am. I got up and quickly took down the tent and took everything to the shower room. I hung the tent up to drip dry whilst I had a shower. There was lots of room so I was able to pack things up in here. As I finished the Scottish guy and Ron came in. I said my goodbyes and was quickly on my way. I put the cape on as the rain was quite heavy. The walk up to the north shore of Loch Lomond was quite easy going, if only a bit slippy and muddy in parts. I passed the little jetty where you can summon the small ferry from Ardlui. By now I was getting warm in all the waterproofs and the sun was trying to break though the cloud. After Creag a' Mhadaidh the path got more difficult. With the cape on I was struggling to clamber over slippy rocks and roots as I progressed along the tree covered shore. Luckily the rain had gone off so I was able to lose the cape not too much further on. At some points the path brought me right up to the waters edge. At Rob Roys cave the rocks were far too slippy to investigate it properly. I scrambled around some huge bolders but couldn't find what I would call a cave. I headed back up to the path and had to climb up some very slippy stone steps above the cave. This was a bit unnerving. The paths from here up to Inversnaid Hotel were easier. The hotel didn't look busy with just a few cars parked up front. I passed accross the car park and took a small footbridge over the waterfall. I was now back in the trees and the path quickly got back to its usual form, quite difficult to very difficult going. At one point there is a bit of a Bad Step, where a bolder has to be crossed with a straight down drop of about 15 foot above the water. There is a very narrow, boot width, ledge cut into the rock. I was wet, the rock was slippy, the pack was heavy. Hmmm, I could be swimming, but with a quick dash I was over. Further along there had been some wooden steps put in to get you over similar obstacles. This made for easier progress but I hope they don't do this all along as sometimes bits like the bolder dash give you something to remember about the experience.

This hard walking went on for another six miles before I came to a car park at Rowardennan. From here you can walk up Ben Lomond. I would have liked to do this but with such a long day and given that I was staying at Roys Uncles tonight, I pressed on. At the YHA I sat on the beach beside the loch and called Roys Aunty just to be sure that they were expecting me. The sun was out now and really warm too. At Carraig I followed the road for a while to Anchorage Cottage. At Balmaha the WHW climbs steeply up to Craigie Fort where you get great views across the loch. The village has a shop and an Inn. I bought a few drinks and an Ice Lolly before pressing on down the road, following the WHW alternative route for a while to a track just before Milton of Buchanan. This track is typical of Scotland. There is no footpath signs but you are ok to use it due to there freedom to roam laws. Maggy Lapslies Walk (Track) would then take me to the road into Gartocharn. I crossed some well worn stepping stones over the Burn of Mar then continued on the path to Woodend Lodge. Here an old Iron bridge crosses the river. You can walk over it but a sign warns that it is an unsafe structure. I survived the  crossing to the lodge for the old Buchanan castle. I followed the old driveway to a gatehouse on the roadside. Now followed a mile walk into town on a fast and busy A road. More busy with rush hour traffic. I walked carefully along the grass verge, where there was one, and was soon in the village. Roys Uncle, John Crawford, has a house that is set back from the road and has great views down the glen to Ben Lomond. A really nice place to live. His wife Helen runs it as a B&B so I had my own room with shower. We talked a bit about my walk and I headed off to the Hungry Monk pub across the road for dinner. After dinner I called home then sat talking with John and Helen in the living room, drinking whisky until quite late.

Friday 24th April    Gartocharn to Milton of Campsie

Mostly paths on old railway line, with some road
Approx 22 miles

I woke several times in the night being too warm and having a lot going through my mind about the route I would be taking in the morning and where I was heading as the days destination. I got up at 6:30 and studied the maps further. Had a chat with John over breakfast. He has a fairly strong Glaswegian Scotish accent and I found it difficult to follow him sometimes. The strangest thing was that he told me that he couldn't understand me at all. When I went to pay, they refused. How kind they are. After buying a few bits from the post office I crossed the road and took a small side road next to the Hungry Monk pub. I was walking off my maps now but maps that I had looked at overnight showed me that this road went to and crossed an old railway line that at some point becomes a cycle track (route 7) that cut across to join the West Highland Way under Drymen. That was a lot of off map walking but I was ready to give it a go rather than walk on the main road again. Anyway the sun was out, the road was quiet and I was feeling good. I called Roy and thanked him for the stay at his Uncles place. He was sat at his desk at work,trapped on the tredmill. While I was doing something that was for me. Making me. After about three miles on the road I came to a humped bridge that crossing the old railway line. At this point it was totally overgrown and incorporated into the local farmers fields. I stayed on the road passing some strangely shaped hedges and nice properties. I could see the route of the railway line following along side the road. Eventually I found a sign for cycle route 7. I took the track and crossed an aquaduct which was basically a walkway over a large pipe where at one time a railway bridge would have crossed the valley and river below. It was a bit airy but added some interest to the walking. Shortly after the route joined the WHW at the road into Gartness. I met a couple of guys walking north. They asked if I was heading south and were impressed when I told them that I was walking from end to end.  They asked how long I had been walking. Wow it had been three weeks, and I had at least ten to go.

Back on the West Highland Way, but only for a few miles. After Gartness the way takes an old railway line toward Dumgoyne. There were a lot of people on this path, all heading North and all with big packs and just starting out on the way. I came to a couple of gates at Dumgoyach Bridge. This is where the way heads right but I continued to follow the old railway to the canal at Kirkintilloch via Milton of Campsie. I was now following hand drawn sketch maps from Rons book so I had no idea of the distances that I'd be covering. As I opened the second gate I could see people looking at me and talking to each other. I'll bet that they thought I was going the wrong way as it was the opposite way to the WHW. This section of the railway was very muddy to begin with, and it got worse too where it was obviously being used by horse riders. I looked over to Dumgoyne and the Campsie fells, they are very steep, and good looking hills. They looked inviting but the clouds were building over them and I had made the decision to take the low route given rain on the weather forecast. I guessed that by staying low I was doing the right thing. I will have to explore these lonely hills some other day. The path I was on stayed bad until it emerged at Strathblane. I asked a local looking guy how far it was to Lennoxtown, he replied with a cockney accent, that it is about four miles further on and was very helpful by telling me how to get through Strathblane and rejoin the path. The path, again on the old railway, was now covered in tarmac. This made for quicker walking and I was soon in Lennoxtown. This place was typically Scottish in so far as it was full of grey pebble dash blocks of flats and houses. It looked so out of place in this remote landscape. I quickly found my way back to the path with just 1.5miles to Milton of Campsie and my hotel. I stopped to clean my boots on the old platform at Milton, then I asked a woman for directions for the hotel. It was about a mile out of town, but in the right direction for tomorrow. The Kincade House hotel is a lovely and posh old country house. However someone decided to surround it with naff looking housing estate. Thats Scotland for you. The room was nice. I went to the bar for dinner and a couple of pints of Tenants. After a nice bath I watched some TV and looked at my maps and notes. I had a long day planned for tomorrow and to begin with I was still walking off my map. I had heard that the canal from Glasgow to Edinburgh was a horrible walk. Some websites give this impression and Roys Uncle told me stories of how yobs chuck cans at you whilst you make your way along it. Not something to look forward to.


Saturday 25th April    Milton of Campsie to Linlithgow

Mostly canal towpath and old railway
Approx 28 miles 

I woke early and had a bath before a full breakfast. I was away by 8:30am. I had decided to continue down the road to begin with. Not too far along I found a path that was signed as a route to Kirkintillloch. Following this path, I soon rejoined the old railway line which took me into town. Kirkintilloch is a bit of a dreary looking place. It was early and people were walking or driving to work. Just over the road I found the Forth and Clyde canal. I decided that this was now the time to just yomp it out. I would be on this towpath all day with over 24 miles to go. To my disbelief the canal was really nice. It cut through a very rural landscape, with the Campsie and Kilsyth hills on the left and fields and trees on the right. I was averaging a quick 4mph along this towpath, and found myself passing the few canal boats that I saw.

The towpath got busier over the day with cyclists, runners, other walkers and the odd guy fishing. It is really popular in certain places as you near any town along its route. After a few hours I reached the Falkirk Wheel at 12:30pm. I had made really good time. This place was really busy, family day out stuff, with a little funfair and visitor centre. It seemed that you could pay to go on a boat up and then back down the on the lift bridge. After an ice cream I walked up to the top of the lift and followed the now Union Canal towards Falkirk. The sun was out and really strong now so I stopped to put cream on. Just two miles further on I was at the Falkirk tunnel. This can only be described as the highlight of the day, and one of the best parts of the whole walk. It is a hand carved tunnel, with dripping water and atmospheric lighting. It goes on for ever too. There is a hand rail to help stop you going in the canal as people squeeze past you with bikes. When I eventually emerged at the far side the light was blinding.

I now had just over six more miles to walk to Linlithgow. I came off at bridge 45 and walked down the road to a coaching inn, the West Point Hotel. I was told by the landlord that it was going to be a noisy night as the pub was also a club and it was saturday. I walked to sainsburys just down the road and bought some supplies for the next day or so. I had dinner downstairs in the bar. It was quite a busy place with lots of people eating. The food was really nice, I had steak and onion rings. Mmmm. I returned to my room and watched some TV. I tried to get some sleep with another long day tomorrow. The pubs and clubs were emptying at 2am and the streets were alive with noisy Scots. I didn't get a great nights sleep.    
Sunday 26th April    Linlithgow to West Linton

Some canal towpath, road, and footpaths through the Pentland Hills
Approx 26 miles

Even with having not much sleep, I was up at 7am and having a great breakfast at 8am. I was jaded and I had a long day ahead. I walked into Linlithgow in early sunshine. It was already warm. There were not many people about this early on a Sunday so I had a walk into the centre and had a look at the old palace. There are a lot of really nice old buildings in town but someone allowed them to build horrible concrete ones next to them. Again thats Scotland for you. I walked up past the Star and Garter hotel (which I called yesterday to find it full) and the railway station to rejoin the canal. The path was still quiet so I was able to pace it out again. From the towpath I could see the forth bridges in the distance. I was already that close to Edinburgh. I'd almost walked from Glasgow to Edinburgh in one day. Phew. As the morning progressed I came accross a few cyclists and people jogging. I came off at Winchburgh for supplies. This is another new housing estate kind of place. I found a COOP and bought a few supplies then rejoined the canal at the next bridge. I was now passing Niddry Castle which was covered in scaffold, so it was not worth a detour for a look. The canal now took me past some old parafin spoil heaps, which were actually overgrown with trees and flowers and are starting to look nice. A lot of End to End diaries and books describe these and the next section of the walk through Broxburn as an eyesaw and a place to look out for yobs. For me this was not bad at all. Broxburn is just like many towns, with houses, shops and people. Yeah, it was modern and a bit untidy but not all that bad. I cut through Broxburn and followed a couple of minor roads and a bit of a dirt track that came back to the canal not far from the Lin's Mill Aquaduct. This one is higher, and longer than the one I had crossed coming into Linlithgow yesterday. The canal continues in to Edinburgh but my path took me off at the far end of the aquaduct where I cut down some steps and under the canal and up a track following Lins Mills Leat. This was a popular track (being Sunday) and took me into Almondell Country Park before coming out on the edge of East Calder. I now joined a cycle route that cut round the back of the town and to a junction on a busy A-Road. Across the junction I took a small B-road to Ormiston Mains then on to the next A-Road, the A70. This road is signed as the scenic route to Edinburgh. I had little choice here but to walk along the road, through some roadworks,up to the small carpark at Little Vantage. There is not a lot here but a car park and sign post.

The sky had some serious clouds building over the hills by this point and I knew that I had to climb and cross the Pentland Hills before the end of the day. There is a 7.5 mile path from little vantage to West Linton that follows the route of a really old pack horse trail. In fact its so old that I could hardly see it at all. Its known as the thieves road due to cattle thieves back in the day when this borders area was a dangerous place to be. The hills looked dark and moody. Being covered in peat and heather they are a bit like the Pennines. I headed out over the moors aiming for a low point in the ridge. This is the Coulderlain Slap. As I gained height, looking back I could see the Forth Bridges again. I was heading south again now and it felt good. I eventually made the crest of the ridge and could see that I still had a long way to go. The path had now become a landrover track. Further down I came across well over fifty highland cattle, spread across my way. Some were bulls and they were really big monsters with terrifying horns. I was quite tired and wanted to get to my hotel so didn't slow down. I just gave a couple of the bigger ones a wide birth as they looked up at me and were not too happy to see me. They were kicking their front legs into the dirt of the track. I know these giants can run too.

The track turned into a road by some houses by Baddlinsgill Reservoir. The sign here read three miles to go. By the time I reached the A-Road at West Linton it felt more like I'd walked thirty. The Gordon Arms was just in front of me, I needed that, I was done in. Its a really nice place, with great service. The landlord really made me feel welcome. Just what I needed. The last few long days had started to tell on me now. I was done in. The room was great, with a bath. Wow. I had a great, if not too big, Steak and Ale pie and chips for dinner. Everything about this place was good, I highly recommend it to anyone walking this way. The weather came in over night, and watching the forecast it was set to stay for the week ahead. Oh well.

Monday 27th April    West Linton to Peebles

Some road, hill path and forest track into the Border Hills
Approx 12 miles

I had a lie in with only a short day in mind. I started theday with a nice bath. If your staying in a hotel you may as well make use of the luxuries. It was raining quite heavy against the window so the forecast was right. As with the meal last night the breakfast was great. Having a nice slow start so I left the hotel at 10am and headed into the village. I was thinking about my progress so far as I walked down the wet streets. I'd been walking for just three weeks and had on my reckoning still about seven weeks of walking ahead. I was tired today, having put so many long days in, but I was really happy with the walk so far. The weather had been great, the route had been better than I could imagine, I was healthy and right now I felt close to home as I headed into the border country. Initially I was forced to stay on the road, following the B7058 towards the A701 Edinburgh to Moffat road. I was hoping to find an off-road route along the way but nothing that could have been on the map was obvious on the ground. Still with the rain, walking the road is quicker anyway.

At the A701 I noticed some serious road works so I crossed the road and followed a track towards Halmyre Deans (some houses), this track came back to the road a bit further on, but before it did I cut through a small modern group of houses to find a marked pathway heading up in to the hills behind. The old drovers track headed up the hill and was signposted for Peebles. It was nice to see a signpost to confirm my route. Initially the path climbed up through some trees and open grassy slopes. At the edge of some dense plantation I came to a gate. Looking on from the gate I was now about to enter rolling rounded typical border hill country. It was still raining but the grass on these hills was bright and gave a sense of sunshine. I dropped down between the grass covered large rounded mounds and even though it was raining hard, I felt really positive now. I love this type of country. The path soon joined a forest track again and I headed up through some lovely green pine trees then out again to the national trust farm of Upper Stewarton. These paths are all well marked and if you go on the web and look for walks around Peebles you can download a guide. I could see White Meldon now. A prominant, fort topped, hill that seperated me from peebles sat in a valley on its far side. There was a bit more track and some back-road walking to get me to Hamilton Hill where I followed a steep track down to the Rosetta carvan park. This is where I would be pitching for the night. The lad at the campsite asked about my walk. He was impressed at the distances I was covering. I had to cover another distance to the top of the site where the tent field was. All up hill too. Being still early, and given that the rain had just stopped I decided to venture into Peebles. It is a lovely old town, not ruined by thoughtless modern buildings like so many British towns. I walked up the high street and bought some bits from Boots and went to a chippy for Scots Pie and chips. I headed back to the tent and made use of the laundry facility. A couple of other groups arrived on the site, two bikers pitched right next to my tent. They were on a motorbike ride holiday around the west coast of Scotland and were heading to Oban in the morning. I had a long day planned taking me over some steep hills to Melrose.
 
Tuesday 28th April    Peebles to Melrose

Some mainly hill paths but some off-path walking and forest track
Approx 28 miles

This was always going to be a tough day. Heavy rain woke me several times in the night but it had stopped by the morning. I unzipped the tent and was up at 5:45am to get a shift on with a lot of miles to cover. One of the motobikers that were camped in the pitch next to me was already up, he had left his jacket out on his bike overnight and was heading to put it in the tumble drier. I showered and packed away before heading down into town again this time to cross the Tweed bridge. I followed a small road which was to become the old drove road up on to Kailzie Hill. These drove roads allowed cattle to be taken all the way to London and were in placed to allow them to be move quickly through these troubled and rustler strewn hills. I still had a few pages from Rons book (the guy walking North on the West Highland Way) in these pages the author suggested an altrnative route down to Traquair through the plantation forests on Wallaces's Hill. I decided that I would try this out. Walking the drove road up onto the hills took longer than I thought and I was soon walking in very dense mist. I took a wrong turn at one point thinking that I was much further on than I actually was. As a result I ended up climbing to the top of Craigs Head. I carried on and upwards. The wide wall lined path made navigation easier and given the mist I was glad. As the walls ended the path headed off to the right following the long high hill ridge which was my original route onto Kirkhope Law. Following the book I turned up what can only be described as a sheep trail though the heather on to the top of Lailzie Hill. When I reached the tree line I crossed a broken stile in the wall and walked down a very wet and boggy path that ran beside the trees. There were a few watch tower stations. I guess these were for fire control. There was a weather station too. The path went on for ever, the book maps were totally not to scale. Squelch, squelch, squelch as I walked on to a junction in the wall. Here I crossed into an open field that showed as woodland on the map and headed steeply down hill. Hard steep down hill. There was no path, very long and wet grass, and it was very steep. I decided that this was a bad idea. After a very steep final bit, I ended at a stream that had to be crossed. The guy who wrote this book needs his head checking. Once across, I was on forest tracks. This was ok, other than the fact that they took me uphill. Climbing uphill to the height that I'd just lost. I didn't find any fort either, even though there was one showing on the map. I followed named forest tracks, but again these names aren't on the OS map. I noticed a sign that told a story about an old tower and its bats. At this point I realised that I had taken a wrong turn. Lucky there were no flesh eating hillbillies on this walk. I hadn't walked too far off route but the tower was on a path  that was heading back to Peebles so its a good job I saw the sign. Back-tracking, I eventually made it to the B7062 road to Traquair. A lesson had been learnt. Ignore that s**ing book. The road was quiet and fairly direct. I stopped to take a look at the Bear Gates at Traquair Lodge that have never been opened. A car slowed down to have a look too and a 4x4 behind blew his horn and screeched round him giving him the vees. Thats what driving does to people, its all about speed rather than where you are its where you're going. You don't hear of walking rage. Walking allows you to look at and take in where you are. Traquair seemed to be just a small collection of houses. I thought that there would be some shops or something. From here I would be following the Southern Upland Way. The way takes another drove road up onto Minch Moor. It started to rain now, and heavy rain too. I put on the waterproofs and carried on uphill. It was now very misty and raining. I guess its what you'd expect of a moor.The track climbs up through miles of trees and there wasn't much to see in the mist, but it looks like its a more popular route than the paths that I'd been following recently. I carried on over Little Mich Moor and up and out of the trees onto Hare Law and then Brown Knowe. I guessed that the views here would be great, but not to be seen today. The rain had stopped and I could see a bit of sky here and there. I met a couple of lads walking the Southern Upland Way but only doing short days. Again I wondered if I was pushing too hard. The mist started to thin at last and I now had some views down the hillside. I climbed up to the Three Bretheren, a hill that has three large cairns on it, then down through trees to the road at Yair Bridge. The path was a bit busier here given that there was a car park. At Yair bridge I noticed a signed local path that followed the river Tweed. On my map this looked to save me a few miles so I left the SUW for a time and followed the river. The path skirted some green fields, grazed by sheep, as it made its way to the old Tweed Bridge. Here I joined a tarmaced track, cycle route 1, that kept me off the busy A road in to Melrose. A few miles on I decided to stop in a park and have some lunch. I went to put my rubbish in a bin and saw a couple of little mice at the bottom. The bin had a lid on it so all I could do was put some long sticks in the bin to allow the mice to climb out (if they wanted). I chucked in a couple of biscuits for them. A little further on I re-joined the SUW as it headed into Melrose on an old railway track. Behind Melrose the clouds were building over the Eldon Hills. I paced it out and was soon in town. Its a really nice old town and is well looked after with lots to see. As I arrived it started raining and I needed to get to my hotel. The Kings Arms hotel is ok. I had dinner at night which wasn't so good as there was just one guy doing everything and I had to wait quite a while. The volume on the TV didn't work and there was a half drunk can of larger in the wardrobe. Still I got everything dry which was the main thing. 

Wednesday 29th April    Melrose to Jedburgh

Some road, and field path on the St Cuthberts and Borders Abbey Way
Approx 15 miles

It rained in the night but had stopped by the time I got up. After a nice breakfast I headed out of the hotel. I bought some tablet from the local bakers after a guy on the street told me, out of the blue, that they make the best butter tablet in Scotland. I then walked back to the river tweed to see the suspension bridge and the Abbey again. I took a small path that runs beside the Abbey to get out of town. This was signed the Abbeys Way, and headed out to Newstead. From here I took a closed road that skirted the Eldon Hills and dropped down to Newton St Boswells. At this point I was joining the St Cuthberts Way as it followed the river Tweed to St Boswells.

The riverside path was still wet and there was a stong smell of wild garlic. I left the riverside and walked along some quiet lanes before rejoining it at a ruined church. Following lanes again now allowed me to get to the beginning of a long straight walk along the old Roman road of Dere Street. This was in most parts a wide grassy drove road with lovely old beech and oak trees lining both sides. I passed the Lillards Stone where a sign tells the storey of many battles fought between the English and Scots in this border region. At Monteviot house Dere Street disappears and the way goes round the house and grounds.

The path crosses the Tweed on a suspension footbridge then after a bit of field walking it crossed the busy A698. Here Dere Street takes off again but I was heading to Jedburgh for the night so turned off to follow a small back road. Where it joined the main road I had to double back to find the campsite. This was a really nice campsite with a very friendly guy managing it. I set up the tent and had a shower before heading in to town for some dinner. Its about a mile down the road but I bought supplies a had a look round at the Abbey and Mary Queen of Scots house in the old town. I found a chippy and bought pie and chips for dinner then walked back to eat them at the tent. Rain was expected for tomorrow and possibly overnight, but it stayed dry.   I would be leaving Scotland and entering England and the Pennine Way tomorrow. Scotland has been great.


Thursday 30th April    Jedburgh to Burness (ENGLAND)

Field and hill paths following Dere Street and the Pennine Way
Approx 22 miles

There was a sprinkle of rain on the tent in the early morning. I made a quick getaway at 7:30am and retraced my steps towards Dere Street. I followed a steep road uphill to cut a corner and then a muddy path through the aptly named Roman Wood. This was a really nice little woodland walk. It was very quiet and peaceful, almost ghostly quiet. I could almost feel the roman soldiers watching me and whispering with the wind in the trees. I found Dere Street at the end of the path. It travelled an almost straight line and passed between grass, gravel and even tarmac for some sections. It was once a very wide road, probably about 20 metres. A few miles along as the road climbed I turned and could see the Eldon Hills now a long way back. The tarmac ended on Cow Hill where a dirt track turned Dere street out in the direction of the Cheviot Hills and the border with England. Standing here you can imagine the romans marching this road nearly 2000 years ago, where the native Britains lived in and defended hill forts like the one still partly visible on Cunzierton Hill. The roman road runs right along the bottom of this hill. The romans would lay seige to these forts and starve the inhabitants out. This area is full of history with hill forts, stone circles and barrows.  As I approached the roman camps at Pennymuir the track had been churned up into a mud bath by tractors. I found it funny that signs on the gates requested that you take care not to erode the path. A bit more tarmac walking brought me to a junction where Dere Street takes a steep climb up to Woden Law. This is another hill fort where evidence of seige platforms are still visible. It is This is the Cheviot hills proper now. I was getting very close to the border and strangely it started raining to the point that I needed the waterproofs on.

The path along the back of Blackhall Hill made for difficult walking as the wind was strong and here Dere Street has collapsed down the steep flank of the hill. Add to this it was raining hard. I came across a herd of black, devilish, Cheviot goats enjoying the green grass and paying me little concern. After less than a mile of squelchy path and I was at the border Gate. Two steps more and I was in England. I'd walked the length of Scotland and it felt good. It would have felt just a little better if the sun was out but anyway I was now on the Pennine Way and in England. I've done the Pennine Way before and I've done this section quite a few times. I cut through the roman camps at Chew Green and here the heavens opened, the wind howled and the ground became very boggy and wet. This is England after all that sun in Scotland.

It remained very wet and windy as I traversed the whole ridge along to Burness Hill. Just half a mile to go and the rain stopped. I clambered down through the rocks and trees to the A68 and Burness village. The Cafe at the petrol station was a welome stop off. I was wet and now feeling cold. I was the only person in the cafe as I ordered Sausage, Chips and Beans. I brought some supplies for tomorrow from the shop and as I left it started raining again. I followed the Pennine way through the trees to the campsite about a mile further on. The site was very quiet, almost deserted. I pitched on a boggy bit of ground by an unused caravan. This was the most dry bit of ground that I could find. I had a shower then called home as it started raining again. I guessed that this was going to be the weather for a while now. I listened to music and went to sleep.  More rain was forecast for tomorrow. Ah well, I had just two weeks walking to get me home and about a week to get me to the half way point.