Day 42 - Happy and Glorious Day

 

I had expected the route from the end of the Pennine Way to the West Highland Way to be little more than a means to an end, but it has been some of my favourite walking so far. Today's first seven miles from Innerleithen to Peebles were pretty plain sailing along the tarmaced National Cycle Route 1, an old railway line that runs alongside the River Tweed. The Tweed has been a constant feature since I reached Jedburgh and it turns out to be the 12th longest river in the UK. It is also a leading salmon river, although the two chaps in the photo below could have been after frogs for all I know.

There were a few oystercatchers around today but the most prevalent bird was the sand martin. At least, I think they were sand martins: white body, black head, flying low over the river. It was only later when I read in the guide book that sand martins were occasionally seen in the area that it occurred to me this is what they may be. Until then, I thought they were just some kind of gull. Any bird expert clarification would be welcomed.

I'd arranged to meet Suzanne in Peebles for a coffee, her journey made easier because eldest daughter Sian arrived last night as a last minute guest. I think it is the lure of the coffin bed above the motorhome cabin that attracted her. Sian's car was particularly useful today as my walk finished at West Linton, about 15 miles from our camp site at Biggar. 

I left Peebles at 11:00am to the sound of the bells ringing to celebrate the coronation and lots of the shops were decorated in red, white and blue. From Peebles, I followed the Cross Borders Drove Road, waymarked by what appeared to be a long legged rat but turned out to be a young bull, which did make a little more sense. The track skirted Hamilton Hill and then entered a dark forest plantation, much darker than the picture above shows. Again, I never saw another person for a couple of hours and that forest grew a little spookier with every step.

Finding a buttock-shaped log on which to perch myself for lunch, I spotted a stoat peering out at me from the grassy bank opposite. We stared at each other for a good 15 seconds, his head quizzically on one side. It took me back to my schooldays and my career-defining Wind in the Willows role as Alfred the Horse (front legs). The stoat scooted off, apparently disinterested in my corned beef and pickle sandwich. More fool him.

It was easy walking on some lovely paths and I'd really recommend the last couple of days to anyone who fancied a hiking weekend away. Base yourself in Peebles and use public transport to get to or from a start/end point in Galashiels and West Linton; if the weather is in your favour, you'll have some really varied walking and without bumping in to too many other tourists.

I hadn't realised how close I would be walking to Edinburgh (about 25 miles away) and it was only when looking at a map of Great Britain today that I realised that the Scottish capital city is further west than Manchester. Over the last few days, I have been largely walking westwards (to the south of Edinburgh) but tomorrow I make big strides northwards - 27 miles of strides - as I head for Linlithgow en route for Loch Lomond. Even on fairly flat ground, that will still take 10 hours; I can't even have an early night in preparation as I need to watch Wolves win on Match of the Day first.