Giant mushroom
Walk leader | Ron |
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Route | Tweedbank - Stow (by train) - Lauder Road – Girthgate – Threepwood – Bluecairn - Southern Upland Way to Tweedbank station. |
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Weather | Exactly as forecast. Overcast at first, progressively more sunny and warm. |
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Walkers | George, Ron, Sandy, Lance, with guests Jeanette and Martin. |
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Excuses | Ashley - at final Barrowburn ceilidh Bernie - in Rome Michael and Michelle - in Spain Richard and Diane - getting ready to go to Croatia Julie - in Bradford |
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Comments |
This was the longest group walk for a long time, decades perhaps, at 14 miles. We started with a short two-stop train journey to Stow on the newly re-built border railway. We saw bantam hens in gardens in Stow. It was a steep climb up the Lauder road out of Stow. We passed a camera-shy Highland Cow and several curious calves. We found a man washing his car by a cattle grid and using water from a trough. Then we turned off the road on to wet and muddy paths. Lance was in paradise on discovering several huge mushrooms (Sep, Slippery Jack, Bay Bolit), which he collected We rescued a ram trapped between a field gate and the gatepost. However, we realised immediately afterwards that we may have pushed him into a field of ewes – but we had no choice. There was a bird trap nearby. Our lunch stop was against a wall with an electric fence. There were good views of the Eildons, Cheviot and wind farms. We deviated from our plan after lunch, taking a slightly longer route, but we managed a short shortcut at Blainslie via an old saw mill. We also passed an old telephone exchange with a chimney for a wood burning stove, an alarm and a keypad entry. There was an odd signpost which gave the distance in kilometres, while all the others were in miles. Wildlife: Swallows, buzzard, butterflies (1 peacock), rabbit, lots of cows and some Jacob’s sheep. |
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Meal | ||||
King’s Arms, Melrose. Nice meal, friendly service.
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Photo Gallery |
Heathery paths |
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Look what I've found! |
Giant |
Through the rough
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View across the fields
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Southern Upland Way
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Walkers by the signpost
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The way ahead
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Distant village
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River view |
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