Today was another wonderful windy day, especially atop Wide Open Hill which marks both the half way point, and the highest elevation reached on Saint Cuthbert’s Way.  It was a short day of walking, only 11 km, and as I entered Kirk Yetholm at the end of that distance at only one o’clock in the afternoon, I wished that I could keep on going to the next destination.  It was such a beautiful day of mixed sun and cloud, with a bit of wind-blow rain, and so much wind on the hilltops I had to fight to keep my balance.  And the views were stunning!

I set off from Morebattle climbing up and away from the town on a paved road.  Here’s a view looking towards Wide Open Hill, zoomed in.

The section of paved road was short and I soon turned onto a field and the path started to zig zag up a hill, and then it climbed straight up the grassy slope steeply.  There were cows directly in my path, and a sign at the bottom had said that mother cows can be unpredictable when they have calves.  Also, the young Dutch hiker that I had met had told me that he had been chased by a bull on this trip, and I had a strong feeling that this was the place!  I surrounded myself with an aura of calm and serenity (that was barely masking fear!) and proceeded at a slow but steady pace past the cows without making eye contact.  Phew! No running away needed!

Here’s a view looking down after I’d climbed higher up the hill.

And here’s a view looking west, and my last sighting of the Eildon Hills, centered on the far-distant horizon, before they were obscured by the fast-moving clouds.

The path continued to climb steeply until it reached this ladder over a stone fence.  From atop the ladder, I took photos of the views to the south and the west, looking back from where I had travelled.

And this is the view to the east, as the path continued up towards the summit of Wide Open Hill.

And here’s the summit. It was so incredibly windy!!

 

After the summit, the path descended steeply until it reached another ladder over another fence, and after that it began to climb again, up towards the top of Crookedshanks Hill.

After crossing Crookedshanks Hill, the path carried on along the ridge, the views pulling me forward and the wind trying to knock me sideways!

I didn’t want it to end! Sooner than I wanted, I was starting the last descent off of the ridge, onto a steep farm track, and finally onto a paved road, still with lovely views in every direction, until I arrived at Town Yetholm.

 

Walking into Town Yetholm, I came across the my first thatched cottage on this trip, and then in Kirk Yetholm, a half mile further on, there was another, with a red telephone booth beside it!

 

It was too early to check in to my accommodation, so I visited the Kirk Yetholm church, had my lunch on the grassy village green, and then spent some time in the Borders Hotel chatting with some other walkers and enjoying a cola and some fries while I got caught up on email and started on my blog for yesterday’s walk.  The hotel bar was crowded with walkers as Kirk Yetholm is also the terminus for the very popular Pennine Way.

 

After my afternoon at the Border Hotel, I walked the short distance to the Mill House bed and breakfast (so nice!), where I relaxed in the lovely room, skyped with Daniel, and did some reading and blogging.

I’m so looking forward to tomorrow’s walk to the beautiful College Valley, with more hill climbing, and hopefully more of that wind! Sadly, I’ll have to say goodbye to Scotland as I cross the border into England, but I’ll also happily say hello to Northumberland.  Goodnight from the Borders!

 

 

I woke up in Jedburgh to the sound of a steady rain outside.  I lingered over breakfast and my packing, hoping it would start to let up, and then I decided to call a taxi to take me to the point where I had left Saint Cuthbert’s Way to join the Border Abbeys Way into town.   That would eliminate three kilometers of uphill road walking, but would not be a “cheat” as I would not miss any of Saint Cuthbert’s Way.  The taxi driver said that she gets “Americans and Australians” who ask her to drive them further along the Way, and they say, “You won’t tell anyone will you?” She laughed and said to me, “I tell them who would I tell? I don’t know anyone in [America or Australia]!”

All kitted up with my rain gear on, and happy to be walking, I regained Dere Street for a short uphill  section before the path turned into a wood with views of the nearby fields.

The path alternated between stretches in woods and stretches along fields as I turned left and right and left and right, heading generally uphill in an easterly direction.

 

I crossed a stream over a solid wooden bridge, feeling gratitude for the people who created and maintain this wonderful trail, and then I followed a curving path up an exposed hill with the rain now being driven sideways into me by the blustery wind and the clouds scuttling quickly past the top of the hill.

 

Some of the wooded paths went through conifer plantations, mostly of pine, with lots of bracken ferns as the understory.

 

I walked up along the edge of this newly ploughed field and watched two tractors working on the opposite side of the field.  Besides these two farmers, I did not see one person for the entire 12 km walk, until I began to arrive into the town of Morebattle, the site of my accommodation for the night.

I climbed up over a stone fence, and then followed the trail along the fence, waist-deep in tall wet grasses and nettles, towards a distant plantation that had a somewhat spooky air about it, in a Hans Christian Anderson sort of way.

 

But, the trail veered left instead of entering the wood, and carried on down a farm track and past beautiful fields with some now far-reaching views.  It was approaching noon and the sky had finally started to lighten and brighten, thanks to the heroic efforts of the sun.

This view, below, across a beautiful field features Cessford Castle (a little indistinct) in the center of the photo.

The farm track descended to a paved road which which turned and then rose uphill in the direction of the castle which was built in the mid 15th century by the Ker family.  Only 8 miles from the English border, it was built with defence in mind and some of the walls are nearly 4 meters thick! The castle was besieged several times in the 1500s, and then abandoned in 1607.  Here are some photos I took as I walked up to the castle and then circled around it.

Unfortunately, these photos do not give any clue as to the strong, blustery and invigorating wind that was blowing atop the castle hill!  I loved this old oak tree, which added to the drama of the scene, and I decided to name it The Cessford Oak.

This is my favourite photo of the day I think, of a field just below Cessford Castle and of the distant hills.

I said good bye to the castle behind me, and followed the road downhill.

 

Finally, after several kilometers of pleasant road walking I reached Morebattle, a very pretty town with a charming primary school.

 

And here’s my accommodation, the Temple Hall Inn, where I received a warm reception (that included a free half pint!) and a cozy room with a lovely view of the hills I would be walking in the next day.  Till tomorrow then!

 

 

I arrived in Jedburgh yesterday evening fatigued and with aching feet, but I was excited to arrive at my lovely accommodation on Old Bridge Road in the center of the historic old town.  Here is the “old bridge” over Jed Water, and just on the other side of it is my small apartment!

 

And here is the interior, a comfortable place to relax, spread out, drink tea, cook a meal, and wash my clothes!

 

After a restful night, I woke up to some morning rain which provided a good excuse to linger over breakfast.  The blustery wind soon blew the clouds away, at least for a few hours, giving me a chance to visit a few sights in Jedburgh.  Just across the river was the Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Center, located in a 16th century tower house typical of the Borders region.  It is believed that Mary lodged here during her visit to Jedburgh in 1566.

I enjoyed viewing the rooms and displays that chronicled the tumultuous life and times of Mary Queen of Scots, and I am always keen to learn more about her. When the rain started up again in the afternoon, I spent some time at my apartment reading more about the relationship between Mary and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I and about the letters they exchanged over their long association as rival queens.

 

After visiting the museum, I made my way to the high street where I took a few photos on my way to Jedburgh Abbey.

 

Jedburgh Abbey is the most complete of the four Border Abbeys, all of which suffered multiple attacks and destruction by the English over the centuries.  It was founded in around 1138 by King David the First of Scotland.  He founded many abbeys in the region, including Melrose and Dryburgh, both for religious and political purposes.  By creating magnificent abbeys so close to the English border, he was making a statement of his power and claim to the land.  There was an excellent audio guide that provided so much interesting and well-presented information about the creation of the abbey, its architectural, social, and political changes over time, and the life of the Augustinian canons who worked, worshiped, and lived there. The abbey is stunning!

Here are some other images from the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey.

 

And also some close ups of the intricate stone carvings. So much devotion to a task!

 

After visiting the Abbey, I walked up to the top of the high street for a quick photo of the castle, as well as one of the high street and distant hills taken from in front of the castle gate.  The rain was starting and I was ready to return to my comfortable little apartment for some more rest and relaxation before resuming my walk tomorrow morning, up and over those hills beyond the town.

Goodnight from historic Jedburgh.

 

I had a magnificent walk today from St. Boswells to Jedburgh, with the blustery wind my constant companion, the most stunning scenery along an ancient Roman road, and blissful solitude.

I left my accommodations at St. Boswell’s early and stopped a few blocks up the High Street to have coffee and carrot cake for breakfast at this somewhat famous Borders book shop and cafe that hosts many top authors.

After my quick breakfast, I only had to walk several blocks through town to reach this lane, and then turn down a drive to a golf course that bordered the river.

I walked along the edge of the golf course, enjoying the early morning quiet, the cool air, and the fresh wind that scattered the first of the yellow leaves about.  When the golf course ended, the trail was once again right beside the river.  I am so impressed by the routing of this trail!

The trail followed the river for a good long way and it was so peaceful to hear only the river, birds, and the sound of the wind through the leaves in the trees.  There were several lone fishermen spaced along the river, enjoying their morning meditation of casting and pulling, casting and pulling.  After a while, I finally encountered three of my brethren, fellow Saint Cuthbert’s Way walkers, who overtook me, but we were all intent on the start of the day and we didn’t say much more than a hello.

The trail passed by an old mill on the opposite bank, and then under a pretty bridge.

And then the trail carried on for another kilometer or so along the river’s edge until it finally turned away from the Tweed at this beautiful spot to climb steeply up the bank to the village of Maxton.

I felt sad to leave the river, but was also very grateful that so much of the trail had followed its banks yesterday and today.  From here, the river will continue to flow eastwards to enter the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed.  I won’t visit it there on this trip, but perhaps on another as I now have a great fondness for this river!

The church at Maxton, just above the river, is dedicated to St. Cuthbert.  There is reputed to have been a place of worship in continuous use on this site for almost 1000 years.  From the church, there began a section of road walking along several quiet country lanes lined with hedgerows, with occasional patches of blackberries that provided a reason to stop for a few moments.  Tiny bursts of flavour, nutrition, and happiness!

The roads rose and fell, providing ever-changing views.  I love this image of a wheat field, with the Eildon Hills far in the background and a beautiful sky.

I love this kind of landscape! There are so many curves and lines and shapes formed by the fields and hills and trees. And, I love how you can see so far in the distance – it  gives such a feeling of possibility.

Then I turned onto Dere Street which follows on the path of the Roman road, built around the year 80 AD, that travelled north in a straight line from York to Edinburgh.  At first, the trail on Dere Street went through a wood, but then it opened up and travelled between farm fields, up and over long hills, with meadow grasses and great oaks and beeches and ash trees scattered along the path. It was so beautiful it made me dizzy with happiness.  And the wind was blowing constantly, bending and waving the meadow grasses and leaves and moving the clouds overhead.

Here are a few photos from my wonderful walk along Dere Street.

And three more because the beauty just kept going on and on! I had not passed one person since I left the river.  All of this was just for me.

Eventually, the path left Dere Street and entered a somewhat dreary and dark wood, approaching Harestanes (though I did spot two grouse!).  A bit off-trail, it was where I had planned to buy my lunch.  But, by now my feet were starting to feel sore, and without the excitement of the views of Dere Street my pack started to feel rather heavy.  I was hungry, but I didn’t feel like proceeding to Harestanes and having to backtrack again to Saint Cuthbert’s Way.  It wasn’t a long distance, maybe around two kilometers, but Brent knows how I hate to backtrack!

So, I decided to skip lunch and I found a spot to have a brief rest, take off my boots, drink some water and eat a handful of nuts.  Somewhat restored, I retraced my steps and was soon out of the dreary wood and onto a path that led to my third pedestrian suspension bridge of this trip, this one over the pretty Teviot river.

The trail followed the river downstream, with a beautiful field of ripe barley on my right.  (The lady walker in Melrose had mis-identified wheat as barley.)

I plucked a stalk and munched on the seeds as I walked.  It was quite a day of wild eating, with blackberries, wild raspberries, wheat and barley seeds, and tangy sorrel leaves all found alongside the trail.

After leaving the river and crossing a main road, the trail regained Dere Street for a long steep section.  I was excited and somewhat relieved to finally reach the sign indicating the turn off into Jedburgh along Border Abbeys Way, and I took one more photo from there of the Eildons, barely visible near the center of the photo because they were now so far away.  I had walked from all the way from there to here!

But my excitement was rather short-lived as the trail down to Jedburgh very quickly joined a paved road which went on and on much longer than I expected it to.  My feet were extremely unhappy (though my knees did well thankfully), and I just about limped into my accommodation.  Almost 20 km with my pack, and close to seven hours of steady walking!

What a day! A Roman road.  Solitude.  The wonderful wind.  Time to think and space to breath, and treasures on the trail.

Goodnight.

 

I said goodbye to Melrose this morning and headed up past the High Street and onto Saint Cuthbert’s Way.  I was a little disappointed that there was no one nearby to take a picture of me at the start of my walk, but that was a small thing, soon forgotten as I began to climb.

 

It was another beautiful day, with some early morning mist, and I turned to take my last photo of Melrose below.

I climbed slowly but steadily towards the saddle between the hills.

 

And reached it sooner than expected – easy peasy!

I headed down the other side and was soon descending gently through a lovely shaded woodland.

I enjoyed the quiet of the walk, with not another soul in sight from the moment I left Melrose until I exited the woodland at a pretty meadow at the edge of the small village of Bowden.  I exchanged cheery calls of “good morning” with two dog walkers, and snapped a few photos of Bowden as I passed through.

 

Then, I was alone again on paths beside farmers’ fields and then through another woodland as I walked along the Bowden Burn.

 

I emerged on a paved road where a break through the hedgerows provided a look back at the Eildons from which I had come.

After the section of paved road, I soon arrived to the edge of the town of St. Boswells. So quick! Luckily, after crossing a main road and walking along just a few streets, Saint Cuthbert’s Way once more became a wooded trail which followed another burn down to the River Tweed.

There was a pedestrian bridge over the river, and I took pictures from the middle of the bridge both upstream (featuring the requisite salmon fisherman) and downstream.  I stayed for a while and looked for salmon in the water but I was not lucky enough to spot any.

Soon after crossing the bridge I arrived at the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey.  At first I was disappointed to learn that there was no audio guide as I had planned for this to be a big learning visit.  But, after a brief rest on a sunny bench where I aired out my feet and boots, and had my lunch, I was ready to just enjoy and appreciate the serenity of the ruins and the beautiful grounds.

Dryburgh Abbey was established in 1150 by Augustinian monks. It was the smallest of the four Borders abbeys, and like the others it suffered greatly over history from British attacks, particularly in 1385 by Edward II (the Scourge of the Scots), and in 1385 by Richard II.  It was again attacked, and finally abandoned in 1544.

In 1786, the Earl of Buchan purchased the abbey ruins and transformed them into a place of romance and beauty that was so well-loved by Sir Walter Scott that he chose to be buried here.  Here are some images from the beautiful ruins of Dryburgh Abbey.

 

The grounds were also beautiful, with lawns, meadows, seating areas, a mature arboretum of trees, and a path down to the Tweed where I saw an otter swim from one side of the river to the other and back again!

 

I became enamoured of the seeds of the beech tree which are spiky and rather dull on the tree, but when dry and open they are beautiful!  The outer cover opens in four parts to resemble the petals of a flower and the two seeds inside rise up like stamens and have three smooth sides that dip inwards. Beautifully geometric and symmetric and lovely to the touch!

I also enjoyed photographing the fanciful seeds of the lime tree, and the flowers and flower heads of Queen Anne’s lace that dominated the meadow grasses.

 

Here is a photo of the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, adjacent to the Abbey grounds.  Quite posh! I had originally made a booking here, but decided to stay in St. Boswells’s instead in order to have a shorter second day of walking  (19.5 km) to Jedburgh.

So, after several peaceful hours at Dryburgh Abbey, I made my way back to the pedestrian bridge and crossed it over the Tweed to regain St. Cuthbert’s Way.  I was happy to find that the trail progressed again for some distance alongside the river, with increasingly beautiful views as I walked along in the late afternoon sun.

The trail crossed another burn, and then climbed steeply up to the town.  I emerged very near the village green, with my accommodation, the Buccleugh Inn (pronounced buck-loo I finally learned!) just across the road.

 

A lovely inn, and best of all there was a bathtub!  A wonderful opportunity to get clean horizontally!

Now, I’m in the restaurant having finished the first really nice dinner of my trip. (My breakfasts have been so huge that I’ve been keeping the bacon and toast and jam for lunches and have still not been very hungry at dinner time.  Last night my “dinner”, bought at the Melrose Co-op, cost me 62 pence! 10 pence for a banana (potassium) and 52 pence for a pint of milk (calcium for my bones, protein for my muscles, B vitamins for my brain)).  It’s a bit of a feast tonight though – a small sirloin steak on salad, with yam fries and a delicious cider called Aspalls. I’ll keep my eyes open for that one again!

Well, a longer day of walking is ahead of me tomorrow, and the forecast is calling for  rain so I had better start getting ready for bed.  I had a wonderful first day of walking on Saint Cuthbert’s Way and visit to peaceful Dryburgh Abbey.  Thank you for joining me on the journey.  Goodnight!

 

Yesterday evening, after blogging, I was looking again at the Melrose area walking map and I noticed that I could arrive at Dryburgh Abbey by way of the Border Abbeys Way instead of St. Cuthbert’s Way.  That route was several kilometers shorter, and skirted around behind the Eildon North Hill instead of  climbing up and over the saddle. Hmmm, I thought, I could go that way. Easier, and no one would be the wiser!  I was sorely tempted with the idea, both last night and again momentarily this morning, but I also knew that if I went that way it would likely be the first compromise of many.

There is a wonderful young English woman online named Abbie Barnes who has become a bit of an inspiration to me.  She is a long-distance walker and a lover of nature and wild places, and she uses her walking as a way to help herself deal with some mental health issues of anxiety and depression.  She has a beautiful smile and a great manner (and accent!) and she is so personable and easy to watch.  She creates videos of her walks, and provides advice on how to to gain health benefits from walking and being in nature.

She is an inspiration to me because of her earnestness, generous spirit, and basic goodness, but also because she can walk well over 20 miles daily, and she camps too!  Now, I know that the 20 plus miles a day is beyond my knees and feet, and I’m quite happy with my comfortable bed and breakfasts (though I feel I could camp).  But, if Abbie can do what she does, then I can darn well start as I mean to go on and do the entire Way as planned, even if feeling challenged.  Abbies’ words of wisdom that really resonated with me are, “It takes a brave heart and a courageous soul to commit to the unknown.  Now all you have to do is decide that you want it more than you’re afraid of it.”  

I  highly recommend watching the first two minutes of her video “Learning to Thrive, 100 Miles Along the West Highland Way” to hear that quote and to get a great introduction to who she is and what she is about – even if you’re not all that interested in walking!

Now, on the subject of young and inspiring long-distance walkers, yesterday I spoke for a while with a handsome young Dutch man who I met on the way down from the Eildons.  He couldn’t have been more than 21 or 22, was tall and very slim with long legs and a loping walk – super friendly and with a great smile. He is doing a 470 mile walk, the Scottish National Trail (not all in one go!). On this holiday he is going from Kirk Yetholm in the Borders to Loch Ness (he has already done the West Highland Way section).  The Scottish National Trail terminates at Cape Wrath, an isolated, wild, and truly stunning place (take a look on google images!).  The young man carries his camping gear, like Abbie, and he was just so positive and enthusiastic.  I can imagine how proud and ecstatic he will feel at the culmination of his journey when he stands at the edge of Cape Wrath, overlooking the wild North Atlantic.  It was such a pleasure, and an inspiration, to meet him.

I set off this morning for an easy 4 km walk along the Tweed to see and photograph the striking Leaderfoot Viaduct and to enjoy the river.  It was a beautiful morning, and I walked along the peaceful path, alone and happy.

I passed only one gentleman and his three dogs, and one lady walker who told me, when I asked, that the grain in this beautiful golden field is probably barley, grown in this area mostly for the production of whiskey.

The trail just got better and better, with fields and the Eildon Hills on my right, and the river on my left.

After about 2 km, the trail left the river and climbed a short distance to the small village of Newstead, said to be the oldest inhabited village in Scotland and once home to the stone masons of Melrose Abbey.  Here is a very charming cottage in the village, and then a collage of village scenes, including a very friendly speed limit sign!

 

 

Past Newstead, I followed a hedgerow-lined lane up and across a hill, and along the way were many educational signs that gave details about Trimontium, a Roman fort which was built here beginning in the year 79 AD.  Trimontium means “place of the three hills” and takes its name from the three nearby Eildon Hills (my photos have so far only shown two of the hills). It was once one of the largest Roman forts in Scotland, but was not long-lived, as described on this marker.

I continued along the road and enjoyed the sight of a few late-blooming roses in the hedgerow, some pink and some white, but most of their cousins had already turned into glossy rose hips.

 

 

After a short while, I got my first glimpse of the impressive Leaderfoot Viaduct in the distance, and then again as I got closer. The Viaduct was built between 1862 and 1865 for the Berwickshire Railway, and stands 126 feet above the river at its highest point.

Here are several photos of the Viaduct, taken from down at river level.  The morning sun highlighted the warm, rich colour of the stone.

Just down stream from the viaduct are two other bridges, the Drygrange “Old” Bridge, built in 1779, and a modern steel and concrete bridge that carries the current A68 highway.  Archaeologists believe that this is also the place where the Romans built a bridge across the Tweed as part of their road north from York to Edinburgh.

I returned to the road above the riverbank and headed towards a path from which I hoped to access the south end of the Viaduct in order to walk across it.  I had seen two figures walking on the Viaduct, visible in the center of this photo which I took from the Drygrange Old Bridge. (And that’s a lady angler, fly fishing for salmon in the center of the river).

When I got to where the Viaduct begins, I was disappointed to find the way blocked by a steel fence, topped with barbed wire.  I looked for a way to get over or around the fence (not having seen any sign threatening possible imprisonment!), but there were no horizontal bars upon which to get a foothold. Here is a picture of where I couldn’t go, taken from between the bars.

So, I turned back but my effort to get to that point was not totally wasted because nearby was a view of the Eildon North Hill which made me pause and consider climbing that hill today instead of retracing my steps along the river path  to Melrose as I had planned.

All day yesterday and again on this morning’s walk I’ve been glancing up at the Eildon Hills with no small amount of trepidation as that is where St. Cuthbert’s Way will take me tomorrow, albeit only to the saddle between North Eildon and Mid Eildon. Over the last two days, the hills have seemed to get taller and steeper with each glance! That led me this morning to think seriously about “cheating” by asking a baggage transfer company to transport my big pack for me tomorrow.  But, if I climbed the hill today, without my pack, I could go all the way to the top, higher than the saddle, for the best views, as well as hopefully allay my worries as to whether or not the climb would be too challenging for me on the morrow. So, decision made, I used a map provided by walkmelrose.org.uk, to find the find my way around some fields and under a highway and up onto the proper path to lead me to the top of Eildon Hill North.  I’m so glad I did!

I reached the flat, grassy top and looked over the other side to see Eildon Mid Hill (which is actually slightly taller than the hill I am on) and then the smaller Eildon Wester Hill.  There’s a dark line curving across the left half on the photo which is the remnants of rock walls and from the Iron Age hill fort.

I took two photos of the view down towards Melrose where I could clearly see both Melrose Abbey and the Chain Bridge over the River Tweed (the second photo is zoomed in).  What a patchwork of greens and golds, and such a beautiful sky!

I decided to stay on top for awhile so I choose my favourite view towards Black Hill and had a lovely, quiet time resting and enjoying the warm breeze and the sight of swallows zipping and zooming about.  I had a snack, took off my boots, and maybe had a snooze (I’m not quite sure!). I had the hill top to myself for a good while before some other walkers arrived and we chatted together about how great Melrose is as a center for walking, with multiple circular trails of varying lengths that start in town, as well as being on the path of three long-distances walks:  St. Cuthbert’s Way, the Border Abbeys Way, and the Southern Upland Way.

Soon it was time to descend to the saddle and turn right down towards Melrose. Tomorrow I’ll be coming back up and then going down the opposite side.

I arrived in town, happy that Melrose is a “Walkers are Welcome” town, as well as a very pretty one.  Thank you Melrose!

 

I’ve just reviewed my last two posts, and as my son Daniel would say…”too many words.”   So my goal is to aim for more brevity, starting today.

Although I loved my two busy days in Edinburgh and appreciated the vibrancy, creativity, and friendliness of the city during the Festival, I was very happy to board a train this morning to travel south, through beautiful rolling countryside, to the town of Tweedbank, and then travel by bus a short distance to the pretty Borders town of Melrose.

Here is my lovely B&B at Dunfermline House, and I was lucky to have an early check-in so I could drop my bags and spend several wonderful hours at the historic Melrose Abbey, just steps away.

 

Melrose Abbey is one of the four famous Border Abbeys in Scotland.  It was founded in the early 12th century by the Ciscertians, a Catholic order of monks who follow the rules of Saint Benedict.  Their ethos was to be a self-sufficient community in a quiet and isolated place, to live in austerity and silence, and to work, pray, and give reverence to God.  Supporting the monks were the lay brothers who wished to live and work as part of a religious community.  They were the carpenters, farmers, builders, blacksmiths, millers, weavers, brewers and bakers who helped to support the life and economy of the abbey.

There was an excellent audio guide provided which detailed the life of the monks and the lay brothers, as well as the history of the abbey itself.  It was so interesting!  The abbey has undergone many changes over its 900 year history, and was damaged and rebuilt many times due to war.  Most of the structures that are standing today date from the between the 14th and 15th centuries, but some small sections of the original 12th century abbey remain.

Here are some exterior views of the beautiful ruins of Melrose abbey.

 

 

The photo above shows some of the excavated foundations of various outbuildings used by the monks and lay brothers.  The following two photos show remnants of the great ditch which brought water from the River Tweed to the abbey and priory, and of the lavatorium.

 

 

Here is a field adjacent to the Abbey, looking north.  The afternoon was so warm and peaceful, and the landscape here is so beautiful. I could see why the monks had chosen this place in order to feel closer to God.

On the other side of the Abbey lie the Eildon Hills.  (The tallest of the two was home to the largest hill fort in Scotland during the Iron Age.) My hike along Cuthbert’s Way will take me up and over the saddle between the two hills.

Next are some interior photos of the abbey.  The first is of the great East window, and a section of the magnificent roof.  There are horizontal iron bars supporting the very tall and thin stone columns that once held glass.  The iron bars were added only 100 years ago, but the stone columns stood strong on their own for 500 years before that!

 

 

A wonderful surprise was the opportunity to climb up a worn spiral staircase to have views from the rooftop.

 

 

After my educational and inspiring time at the abbey, I had a restful coffee break in the quiet of my room…

and then I headed back out to visit the Priorwood Gardens which are adjacent to the abbey.  It was another serene and beautiful place, and I had it all to myself except for the company of some bees and butterflies.

 

 

The Priory Garden is a informal walled garden with curved paths, shrubs, yew hedges, pretty flower beds, and some special spaces to sit and rest.

 

 

There was also a meadow and orchard, with many varieties of apples, and a lawned area with a view of the abbey, perfect for picnics.

 

 

After visiting the garden, I strolled along the High Street and some side streets of the small and tidy town of Melrose, and then I made my way to the banks of the river Tweed to see the Chain Bridge which is a beautiful pedestrian suspension bridge built in 1826.

Here are some photos taken from the south side of the river.

I crossed to the center of the bridge and took photos both downstream and upstream.

 

 

Then I walked for a while on the north side of the river, enjoying the late afternoon light and the sounds of the river.  Here is a view of the bridge from the north side, with the original toll house at its end, and one of the Eildon Hills clearly visible.

Then, I crossed back over, with a great view of both hills.  I was careful to follow the rule (original to 1826) posted at both ends of the bridge that said “No loitering, climbing, or intentional swinging of the bridge. Contravention is a fine of 2 pounds or imprisonment.”

My last photo of the evening was this sign which is the first of the St. Cuthbert’s Way signs that I will follow on my long distance walk.  The trail officially begins just in front of the abbey, and only a few steps from my B&B.

Now, if you have read this far (!), I know that you are probably thinking, “This post is not shorter!!” I agree, and it’s almost midnight (!) and I’ve been blogging since after dinner so I am too tired to go back and change the title and introduction, as well as add in some photos of Melrose to justify the “pretty Melrose” part of the title!

So, this non-shorter post will have to stand as it is. I will try harder for brevity tomorrow, I promise.  Goodnight!

 

I woke up fairly tired this morning, thanks to my unfortunate decision to have a cup of coffee and giant chocolate cookie yesterday evening while blogging.  It meant that I was too jittery to fall asleep until well past 2:00 a.m. Oh well, I had planned on a quieter day today in any case…

After my delicious and hearty breakfast at my B&B, I headed off on foot towards the National Museum of Scotland, about a kilometer or so away, zigzagging along  lovely residential streets of large, warmly-coloured, stone houses fronted by stone walls, and much greenery.

 

I aimed for “The Meadows” which turned out to be a huge area of playing fields (with multiple kids’ Saturday soccer games in progress), playgrounds, tennis courts, and a small community garden and orchard.  There were also Festival event tents set up, and many families and groups were arriving intent on enjoying the start of the weekend and the lovely warm weather.

 

I soon reached the National Museum, but after admiring the Grand Gallery (featuring a beautiful dioptic lighthouse lens at one end) I very quickly realised that both my feet and my brain were not going to function very well today.

 

I skimmed through the Animal World, Living Lands, and Patterns of Life galleries,  and then found myself (surprisingly) slowing down in the Fashion and Design gallery – the textiles and garments (some very simple and some quite ornate) were stunning, both at a glance and then with closer study of the lines, shapes, textures, and details. I was very taken by them.

 

Next, I went to the Kingdom of the Scots gallery.  I was greatly looking forward to seeing the Lewis Chessmen, a set of 12th century chess pieces, beautifully carved from walrus ivory and likely of Nordic origin.  The pieces were found in a sand dune at Uig Beach, on the Isle of Lewis and Harris.  I visited there with Brent, Sophie and Daniel several years ago, and I have very fond memories of that wonderful trip and that wild and beautiful place.

 

Also on display was a beautiful wooden sculpture of St. Andrew, and I learned that St. Andrew’s saltire (x-shaped cross) is on the Scottish flag.  The cult of St. Andrew came to Scotland’s eastern shores from Europe and differed from the early Celtic church which came from Ireland.  By the early 14th century, St. Andrew was recognized as the “patron and protector” of Scotland.

Other beautiful objects which caught my interest were:

After some focussed time in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery, I felt the need for some fresh air and so left the museum to visit the nearby Greyfriars Kirk.  Completed around 1620, Greyfriars Kirk is one of the oldest surviving buildings within the Old Town of Edinburgh, and it was the first post-Reformation church built in Scotland.  Unfortunately, the church was closed due to a choral rehearsal, but here are a few photos from the atmospheric grounds of the church and its graveyard.

 

Returning to the National Museum, I stopped to enjoy a Festival event, which was basically a large group of Festival goers who had been convinced to put on some headphones, follow a leader, and sing and dance their way down the street to tunes like “YMCA” and the “Everybody”  (“Backstreet’s Back, Oh ya!”).  The participants were having so much fun, singing, dancing, and laughing, and the crowd, and I, enjoyed it as well.

I re-entered the Museum, determined to find my second wind and do some serious learning, but my brain still wasn’t able to focus so of course food was the answer to my problem.  I got a Mediterranean veggie wrap from one of the museum cafes and took it outside to eat on the shady front steps of the museum.

In front of the steps, performing for a crowd, was a busker who was perched on a skateboard on top of a high, shaky pedestal composed of various items.  He was a Canadian performer named Piper and he had perfected all of the funny lines and excellent comic timing that the best street stunt performers have.  He stood up on the skate board, juggled three machetes, then somehow got himself down so he was riding on the skateboard.  He then proceeded to continuously spin a large case on his knuckle while changing positions multiple times!   He had a very impressive act and I felt very grateful to have had the opportunity to see it.

After his show, I went back into the museum where I again tried to engage in the exhibits.  Finally giving up, I decided to purchase a ticket for a 3:00 p.m. performance in the Museum’s auditorium, a one-women comedy show called “The National Trust Fan Club”.  Then, I returned to the Grand Gallery to sit and enjoy a free musical performance – two young women with angelic voices singing atmospheric and moving Scottish songs, some in English and some in Gaelic.  They were wonderful!

Next I attended the play which was also excellent – well written and performed and very funny – and also well-themed for my visit to the U.K. and for my interests and stage in life.   I was the lucky winner of a prize (a tray of two scones, with jam and cream) for correctly identifying that the “official” answers – as determined by some “unofficial committee somewhere” – to the widely-disputed questions of: (1) scone (long o sound), versus scone (short o sound), (2) plain scone versus fruit, and (3) jam first versus cream first.  The answers were: scone with a short o, fruit, and jam first.  It was my first cream tea on this visit to the U.K., and very fun to win it as a prize and consume it during the show.

After the play, I briefly considered trying one more time to view items in the museum, but soon decided to just head back outside and wander about.  The late afternoon air was warm, and everyone in the city seemed happy to be out and about for the Festival.

 

I stopped one more time to listen to a dynamic duo of musicians, one on electric guitar and cymbal, and the other playing a washtub base.  Their name was Diablo Yo and their music was original and fun, with a rockabilly vibe.  After their set, I popped into a nearby Sainsbury’s to buy a microwaveable dinner of Aloo Saag (potato and spinach curry), as well as a small can of pre-mixed gin and tonic.  Dinner and a drink for under 4 pounds!

Heading homeward to my B&B, I zigzagged my way back the way I had come in the morning, a tiny bit disappointed that I had not been able to do justice to the treasures of the Museum as planned, but mostly happy that I had caught the Festival bug and had taken the time to enjoy some of the entertainments on offer.

I took several photos of flowers in a lovely garden on the way home, as my last photos of the day.

 

And that’s it then.  The Festival trumped the Museum, and a nice curry and gin and tonic were the perfect way to end my day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I arrived in Edinburgh early yesterday evening after having flown through the night from Vancouver to Glasgow, with a brief layover in Reykjavik.  The transport from Glasgow to Edinburgh went smoothly, and then I found my way to my accommodation at lovely Dunstan House, about a kilometer outside of the city center.

 

 

I was tempted to take a walk in the pretty residential neighbourhood, but was feeling whoozy from lack of sleep so I just relaxed and stayed awake as long as I could (which was not very long!). Of course, I woke up for several hours in the middle of the night, but then managed to fall asleep again in order to to wake up refreshed and ready for a beautiful, warm and breezy morning of light cloud and blue sky.  Perfect for a day of sightseeing.

I adore google earth (yes, adore!), and thanks to google earth I already knew that I could make my way from my accommodation to my first destination of Holyrood Palace by way of nearby trails through Holyrood Park.  What a spectacular walk!

The walk was so inspiring with views of the city, happy walkers and joggers passing by, magpies and gulls flying overhead, and lovely golden grasses, dotted with purple thistle, some of which was turning to seed.

 

 

My walk ended by crossing Queen’s Drive to arrive at the very modern new buildings of the Scottish Parliament which is across the street from Holyrood Palace.

 

 

And here is Holyrood Palace, which has been at the center of Royal life in Scotland for over 900 years.

After viewing the quadrangle, the excellent audio tour guided me into the palace where photography is unfortunately not allowed.  What a wealth of stories and treasures this palace holds!  I spent several hours viewing magnificent rooms decorated with elaborate plaster ceilings, beautifully tiled fireplaces, carved woodwork and furnishings, medieval tapestries, historic portraits, and objects that belonged to the likes of Mary Queen of Scots, James the First, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Queen Victoria, and other monarchs up to and including the present Royal Family.  The palace is a must-do when visiting Edinburgh!

Upon exiting the palace, the tour continues to the interior of the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

And then out to the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After viewing the palace, I decided to wander up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle.  Now, Edinburgh is massively busy this weekend as the hugely poplar Edinburgh Fringe Festival is on. I overhead one couple say that there are over 3500 shows, plays, concerts, and other events to choose from all over the city during the run of the Festival from August 2nd to 26th.  Typically I avoid crowds, but luckily for me, my dose of morning nature in Holyrood Park gave me the fortitude to brave the masses, and it was so much fun!

I walked up the Royal Mile, enjoying the historic buildings and the multitude of bars, cafes, restaurants, and also shops offering quality goods of whiskey,  woolens, and Celtic-inspired silver jewellery, as well as inexpensive kilts (for the whole family!) and Scottish-themed momentos and kitsch.

 

 

I took a moment for a brief respite when I saw the sign for Dunbar Close Garden and felt compelled to go in.

 

 

Then I continued up the Royal Mile, part of which was closed to traffic and was crowded with tourists, locals, buskers, and lots of enthusiastic young people handing out flyers to advertise Festival shows.

I took another brief respite from the crowds by stepping into the quiet and calm of St. Giles Cathedral, pictured above.  I had never visited this Cathedral, and plan to spend more time and take a guided tour of it the next time I am in Edinburgh. Here are a few quick shots from the beautiful interior.

 

I finished my tour of the Royal Mile just before the entrance to Edinburgh Castle where I stopped for a good while to listen to a wonderful quintet of young and talented musicians from the Netherlands (Ragazzi Quintet) who played a fun and diverse repertoire that included their own arrangements of “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins, Will Ferrell’s “Happy”, a tune from the Buena Vista Social Club, and Irish folk tunes, among others.  They have a tiny presence on Youtube (I became their sixth subscriber!)

Another fabulous busker from the day was this rather impressive looking piper who most definitely twinkled his eyes at me!

I descended from the Royal Mile, down Ramsay Street to the Princes Street Gardens, enroute to the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, taking pictures along the way.

I was warmly welcomed here by a volunteer with the “Friends of St. Cuthbert” who has previously walked St. Cuthbert’s Way.  It is a very community-oriented church and they help house the homeless during the coldest months of winter.  The interior is beautiful.

Now, it was late afternoon and I had been on my feet all day.  I was finally starting to feel hungry and tired so I jumped on a bus on Princes Street to take me to the Pollock Halls residences area of the University of Edinburgh, which is very near Arthur’s Seat.  I had a light dinner at the campus conference center, and then headed back out to climb Arthur’s Seat which is an extinct volcano that dominates Holyrood Park.  The beautiful views started early and just got better and better.

It was beautiful and windy and invigorating at the top of Arthur’s seat, and I greatly enjoyed the late afternoon light and the happy atmosphere that was created by everyone who had made the climb on such a glorious afternoon.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect Edinburgh day!