LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

It was a lovely morning as I drove from the B&B, Stroma, to Newtown St Boswells, the start of the walk. I parked in the car park by the Co-op store and walked down the High Street to the crossroad by Cook's Van Hire and Baillie Hall, then continued on St Cuthbert's Way, along Langbrae. I walked under the old railway bridge of the dismantled railway to a steady ascent along the lane after Whitelee Farm, then continued straight along the green track of St Cuthbert's Way. I followed Bowden Burn upstream through the woods to where the path turns right down a flight of wooden steps to a wooden bridge over the burn. Soon after the bridge I passed a lone scraggy sheep in a field which looked like the farmer had forgotten about it for some time. I continued uphill from the path into the village of Bowden, taking care crossing the A6398 road past the war memorial and the small village green. From the village it was uphill again towards the impressive Eildon Mid Hill of the three Eildon Hills. The view was excellent in the pleasant sunshine with the bright yellow gorse bushes in clusters scattered over the hill. I chatted to several dog walkers on Bowden Common where I commented on the good condition of the finger post. The dog walkers agreed that the finger post had been installed within the past week. At the entrance to Bowden Common a sign asked horse riders 'Please keep to the rough grass to avoid cutting up the footpaths and play park.' that was definitely a first for me, but I was on foot so no problem. In the wood just before a wooden staircase to Glenburnie Burn, I met a walking couple from Vancouver, Canada and we had a long conversation and eventually continued by walking in opposite directions. After the burn I reached a very long length of straight steps with a sign post at the bottom. Instead of being tempted to use the steps I turned right along St Cuthbert's Way and followed a good level path through the trees of Greenside Plantation. I turned left at the end of the path for a steady but long ascent through Broad Wood. When the wood eventually ended at a farm gate (please keep shut) the ascent continued. However, the view was transformed with magical views of Eildon Mid Hill on the left and Eildon Hill North on the right. Again the views were greatly enhanced due to the bright yellow blooming gorse bushes, a wonderful sight. I soon reached the saddle between the two hills with the vista of the Tweed Valley opening up in front of me. That was a doubly wonderful sight with the towns of Melrose and Galashiels easily visible below. The River Tweed could not be seen because of the abundance of trees in the area. I passed more walkers but this time it was their turn to struggle uphill. I reached a bench with a nearby finger post where I stopped for refreshments. It was a perfect place amongst the gorse bushes for a rest and to enjoy the scenery of the valley below. Unforgettable. As the steepness of the hill eased, the fields were reached, with a good gated path down to Melrose. There was a very long wooden staircase at one point with, would you believe, two benches installed at two points with no break in the sequence of steps, as the benches were constructed on a platform, each to the side of the steps. Seeing is believing. I encountered another first as I reached the houses of Melrose: there was a sign asking walkers to use the scrapers and brushes to clean their boots before walking past the houses. A good idea. I walked down Dingleton Road, under they A6091 bypass to the roundabout at the centre of Melrose. I continued straight ahead to Abbey Street, past the bus stop to the abbey, the end of St Cuthbert's Way.  I stayed on the A6361 until I reached the right turn at a lane and a sign left to Chain Bridge Road. I turned left up the lane to the chain bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge. I crossed over the bridge to the opposite bank of the River Tweed, then walked upstream on the 'Southern Uplands Way' to the A6360 on the edge of Gattonside Village. It was a short walk away from the village to a green lane towards Lauder Village. There I back-tracked towards Melrose, with my eyes peeled along the river for herons and other wildlife. I returned to the bus stop in Melrose to catch Bus 67 to return to the car in Newtown St Boswells. A fantastic day's walking in the Scottish Borders which was varied along good paths. Not to be missed. When I arrived back at the B&B Stroma, Charlesfield, the landlady said that a couple from Canada would be joining us. Sure enough, it was the same Canadian couple I chatted to on the walk. A good evening was had by all.

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