Unexpected discoveries

Wednesday 20 June – Innerleithen to Carlops

Today may have been a ‘fill in’ day but it produced a couple of unexpected discoveries which made the day quite enjoyable.

There had been heavy rain overnight, which had thankfully largely eased off while we were having breakfast. We have to say that the British really have this rain thing sorted: three times now when there’s been heavy rain, it’s been organised to happen overnight! We set off in a very light drizzle, the surrounding hills still with wisps of low cloud and mist. Actually, with the village being located in a particularly narrow part of the Tweed valley, surrounded by steep pine tree-clad hills with the mist, it had quite an alpine feel.

The OS map had indicated our route would take a rather long 3km detour east and south before we could resume our northwest track to Peebles, so it was great delight that a passer-by, noticing our packs and asking about our destination, told us ‘oh there’s a new footpath that will take you straight to Peebles.’ And so there was! It was actually a rail trail, following a former railway line, level (of course!) and tarmacked the whole 10km. A great start indeed, especially as it passed through some scenic stretches and by now the rain had entirely disappeared, though cloud and a chilly wind still lingered as it would for most of the day.

On the way as we passed through the village of Cardrona we noticed a number of houses decorated in red and white bunting, a couple even with a large photo of a girl and messages such as ‘immediate entourage’. We speculated as to what this might be. When we got to Peebles we saw a few more, with the main street festooned in banners. The reason? It turns out to be another Borders festival, this one called the Beltane, marking the return of summer and featuring a parade and the crowning of a young girl as  the Beltane Queen. Like the others we’d heard about, it is centuries old, had nearly died out, and had been very successfully revived. We only wished we could have been able to be in Peebles for the parade and festival!

Peebles itself is a handsome small town, its main street lined with a large variety of shops including a butcher’s – just as we like to imagine all high streets once looked. It’s set in a wide part of the Tweed valley, with hills around it. As we left the town we both thought how much we’d enjoyed our three or so days in Tweed-dale and how much we’d like to come back.

Our route out now took us onto the Cross Borders Drove Road, a centuries-old way formerly used to move livestock across the borders and on to the lowlands. That use has now gone and now it’s mostly a mix of farm tracks and paths, but its legacy remains in a wonderful path that weaves its way around and over the hills. Because it largely follows contours rather than heading straight up the hills, it’s a gentle walk. Often, too, it still has its own right of way between fences or stone walls, but sometimes there’s just the path across wide grassy slopes. For an hour or so, we were following it around one particular set of hills above a valley, almost devoid of trees, but quite scenic and certainly very peaceful, a small brook on the valley bottom weaving its way, glinting in the occasional glimpse of sun. Definitely another unexpected bonus!

There was still some distance to go, and by the time we got to West Linton the joys of the day had most definitely been overtaken by weariness. While our route would take us on from West Linton tomorrow, we weren’t actually staying there but at Carlops village, a 4km detour to the north. Fortunately Peter’d had the foresight to organise a taxi to pick us up, one of the smartest things we’d done given how weary we were by then! Our stay was at the Allan Ramsay Hotel, a quaint old pub named after a famous 18^th century Scottish poet and artist – and yet another pub with a great whisky selection!

Distance today:  29km/17 miles. Whiskies sampled today: two!

Peebles:

Walking the Drove Road