From the front line....drove up with several friends in 3 vehicles Monday lunchtime in order to complete the final 65 miles of the Southern Upland Way over 4 days.
Monday late afternoon a quick warm up 6 mile circuit of the Eildon Hills from Melrose.
No alcohol drinking inside bars, hotels, restaurants, but being served outside.
Meals being served inside, but tables have to be vacated by 8 (ish). Unless you are a resident, when for the past 4 nights we sat down to eat at 7:15 in the places we were staying and were still there a few hours later. I won’t name names just in case.
We were served at the bar and could take alcohol to our rooms.
Arrived on the E coast today...ate in a pub 7 pm, but didn’t leave until 8:30. No alcohol but no rush to get us out.
Back to our B & B where mine host was happy to let us consume our own beer & wine post dinner in the lounge.
The next two days we’ll be walking the Berwickshire Coast Path, about 35 miles, before driving home Sunday evening.
Happy to give recommendations re our accommodation en route..email me.
Cold, bitterly so at times when exposed on high ground, mixed weather, rain, hill fog, sleet, hail, but odd sunny spells and glorious this afternoon.
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My cottage in the Borders is about 1 mile from the SUW - is like the Highlands with a bit more population and less inbreeding.
Also Dunbar at the East coast is a great spot for scenery and a mooch around - North Berwick is generally over-run with Edinburgers since foreign holidays stopped.
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Finished SUW at Cockburnspath late afternoon. Easy 16m in good weather.
Now staying in Eyemouth. Great B & B but bit of a dump of a place.
Bus to Berwick upon Tweed tomorrow AM and walk north toward St Abbs.
That’s another National Trail ticked off.
Locals friendly to date.
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As a teenager, I once or twice went diving at St Abbs. Wonderful underwater scenery. Damn cold though. Colder than a cold thing on the coldest day.
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>>I once or twice went diving at St Abbs
When I was roughly 13 or 14(1960)I knew a reporter for the local paper - I delivered papers. He worked for "a modest wage" but it was obvious he came from a Dundee monied family - TR3a then a TR4 and a string of young ladies - fast cars & fast women?
Well into diving & photography on dives - 2/3 times a month from April to October it was off to St Abbs. The photos were magic - all I had ever seen was B&W TV pictures with Cousteau +Hans & Lotte Haas. He had colour photos blown up to sometimes around A3 size & framed - it looked like tropical waters with the clear water and the colours.
He was into trying to sell the pictures but production costs were high and the buyers were few & far between. No internet in these days to get to an audience - phone calls from Scotland to London were around 10p per 2/3 minutes (20/21p would buy a gallon of petrol) - that is if you could get a line - "lines are busy please try later"
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>> Now staying in Eyemouth. Great B & B but bit of a dump of a place.
'tis that but the chippie in the middle of town is pretty reliable.
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Two chippies. Mackays and Giacopazzis.
Ate at Ship Inn last night.
Oblo Bistro tonight.
Personally I’d eat F & C whilst sat on the seawall, but I’m in posher company.
Almost cloudless all day..mooched around Berwick mid morning then return coastal walk, about 11 miles, to Eyemouth in shorts and tee. I decided to remain in the garden of the B & B mid afternoon, full sun, paper, beers, whilst my chums walked another 4 miles to St Abbs.
Very attractive coastal scenery...not always like it has been today with a gentle breeze, matching blue sky and sea.
15 miles tomorrow up the coast to Cockburnspath, where we completed the SUW yesterday then drive home, collecting Henry in Kendal.
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Bright sunny early AM in Eyemouth. Short drive up the coast to St Abbs before the masses arrived. Left our cars in NT cp. By 10:30 it was lashing down with a strong bitterly cold wind. Three layers and full waterproofs. Pretty grim for an hour. Cleared away early afternoon, waterproofs off, met taxi at Cockburnspath after passing through Pease Bay which was a zoo with large crowds and brave surfers. Collected cars, cross country drive home via Kelso then A7 from Hawick, down M6, collected my car in Kendal, home 4 hours later.
Love Scotland when it’s nice weather
Hate it when walking long distances over high ground in sideways rain and hail for several hours.
B & B in pubs, hotels, even with shared accommodation isn’t cheap. Add on evening meals, a few drinks and Spain, even with car hire and flights, is a cheaper option, by a fair margin, for a week or so renting a nice villa if a few of you.
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Scotland tourist report - Lygonos
