Total miles: 16.4
Elevation gain: 1,717 ft
Time walking: 9:15am – 8:15pm
Miles to date: 951.5
Today was one of those days that would have been easy to not enjoy. It was cold and windy, wet, we changed our route which took us along roads and cycle paths and pitched in the rain. But it was a great day, for multiple reasons.
We woke to a misty start after a cold and windy night. I had been perfectly snuggly and warm in my sleeping bag but I was worried Anneliese would have been cold as she was chilly the night before, thankfully she appears to have perfected her sleeping layers and was warm too. We layered up this morning though – warm layers, waterproofs and all – as although it was currently dry the wind was bitter. A cup of tea and packing everything up warmed us up nicely and the inner sections of our tents went away dry even if the outers didn’t – even the wind wasn’t enough to dry off the heavy dew. We waved goodbye to our lovely camping spot at just after 9 o’clock, ready for an 18 mile day. There was mist on the hills and occasional fine drizzle so we kept the waterproofs on even though the packs always feel heavier against the slippery material. The path skirted around one hill before heading straight up another, a good climb for first thing in the day peaking at 523m, the highest point on this leg of the journey. The view in good weather is probably spectacular, it was great even with the mist hugging the surrounding hilltops.
Part way along the path we crossed paths with two hikers walking the whole Southern Upland Way, they seemed very confused to see us coming from the opposite direction and wondered if we were going the wrong way! We explained what we were doing and that we had wild camped last night, but they still seemed perplexed! Well, we are a bit bonkers and probably looked a bit rough around the edges…
The path moved into Minch Moor, which is more forested and has some good downhill mountain biking trails. We saw a couple of bikers, it looks a bit hard and muddy for me! We didn’t take the diversion up to Minch Moor itself, the highest point in the area with supposedly stunning views – neither of us really felt like the extra climb or distance, especially given the weather! We passed the Cheese Well, a good source of spring water which we probably would have used last night if we’d made it to this area to camp. It turned out there wasn’t really any immediately obvious places to camp near the spring though, so we were glad we had stayed where we did. Apparently you are supposed to leave an offering of cheese at the Cheese Well, sadly we had forgotten to buy any, and it looked liked lots of other people hadn’t had cheese on them either as there were lots of offerings of coins and gems but no cheese!
Dropping down gradually off the moor we bumped into four friendly people out for a walk who said they were from Traquair just below. We asked if there was a cafe there as we quite fancied a cup of tea and something warm to eat, and they told us there was a cafe in the grounds of Traquair House and if were visiting the jewellery studio (which it turned out Debby and Terry, two of the walkers, worked at) we should be able to get in without paying to see the house etc. We thanked them and continued on our way, looking forward to a nice hot cup of tea! On the way down we looked out for the bothy but didn’t see it – it must have been just off of the path somewhere – and were glad we hadn’t tried to find it in the dark! It felt like quite a long walk down to Traquair (a tiny tiny village) and we felt like we had walked further than the five miles my tracker told me we had covered. The house was a half mile detour to and from the path but we judged it worth it for a proper break on a day like today so we headed along the road to find it. As we reached the gates a friendly head popped out of the gatehouse and called out to us. It was Terry, who we’d met on the hill! He offered us some porridge, which we gladly accepted, as it saved us the walk all the way down to the house. It turned out he and Debby live in the gatehouse! They have a beautiful home, and Terry makes beautiful porridge! He made us feel incredibly welcome even though he was busy and had to get to work – he is the resident silversmith at Traquair House! As he was about to leave, Bracken, Debby’s sister, came in and after initial surprise at finding the two travel-stained hikers from the hill sitting on the sofa, took over on the hospitality front. Oh these are such lovely people! Bracken was fascinating, as was Debby when she returned and we ended up staying and chatting to them for over two hours! We had a lot of connections and loved hearing about their travels, spirituality and healing journeys. Debby played her Tibetan sound bowls for us (I can still feel the goosebumps) and smudged us with smouldering Palo Santo. I felt at home, and was so touched to have met them and to have been welcomed into their home. I really could have stayed there forever!
Unfortunately we couldn’t stay there forever but we left with big hugs and warmth in our hearts and our bellies, out once more into the rain. I’d looked at the map and decided to change routes to avoid the hills and cut some distance, given the time and the weather, and Debby and Bracken had helped out by suggesting an alternative route along the road and then a cycle track. It wasn’t the hills but it was still pretty, between the river and the woods, and we were both glowing from our lovely time in the gatehouse and enjoying the rain and being outside. We reflected on how cleansing the rain felt, and how glorious it was to be outside, whatever the weather!
We followed the road a couple of miles to Cardrona, declining a friendly offer of a lift from a passing car (they are so friendly up here!) and then joined the cycle track for the last four or so miles. It was flat and tarmac, but it was quick(er) and straightforward in the rain, which was steadily set in for the evening. I could feel the rain gradually seeking through my waterproofs – rather annoying given that I invested in supposedly very good ones – and we didn’t dare stop for too long in case we caught a chill. By the time we made it to Peebles it was really coming down. We were still smiling, but were definitely in need of another break to dry off and refuel! Bracken had recommended the Court Inn as a good place to get some cheap and cheerful pub grub so we headed straight there, dripping everywhere was we walked in and getting a few surprised looks from the locals. As I stripped off my waterproofs I realised the full extent of their failure – I was soaking wet all over my shoulders, upper arms, chest and down my back. Oh dear! I removed myself to the bathroom to change into a drier top and see if I could dry out the wet one under the hand dryers!
The dinner tasted amazing, just what we needed to set us up for the last couple of miles into the hills to find a spot to camp. We filled up on water so we didn’t need to worry about finding a stream (definitely not so fun in the rain!), donned wet clothes and waterproofs once more and headed out into the evening. We had a reprieve from the rain which was a relief and set a good pace (as good as we could with a belly full of food!) to give ourselves the best opportunity for finding a camping spot before it got dark. We were now following the John Buchan Way which heads up into the hills again and a couple of miles out of Peebles, not quite at the old settlement we were trying to reach but nearly, we found a semi-decent looking spot in a small clearing of heather where it was grassy and the flattest bit around. We were worried that if we headed further on we wouldn’t find a better spot and once again the light was fading fast. It was a pleasant spot though, again in a saddle between two hills, about 10m below the path with a pretty view out across the valley to the surrounding hills. It was raining on and off so we pitched quickly and retreated inside our respective tents, stripping off waterproofs and trying to keep the tents as dry as possible. Once in, we realised the slope was a bit more pronounced than we first thought – it’s amazing how slippery an inflatable sleeping mat and sleeping bag can be on the most gradual of slopes…! Still, we are warm, more or less dry and in bed at 9pm, listening to the rain on the tent and the wind around us, reflecting on our beautiful day. It’s not a bad life, really!
