Countryside Walks

Through countryside and farmland

Lilliesleaf and The Riddell Estate

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12th April 2017

Mr RR and I had a lovely ramble around Lilliesleaf and The Riddell Estate last week along with Nancy and Chris.  It was a good day – it stayed dry and there was some blue in the sky, lambs in the fields and a coffee shop called the Jammy Coo at the end!  What more could you want?

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Okay – so the sky wasn’t blue at this point…but there are lambs!

We started in the lay-by opposite the church (a very important point according to Nancy and Chris!) in Lilliesleaf, a pretty village in between Melrose and Selkirk. Wikipedia tells us that the current population of Lilliesleaf is 301 – I’m not sure if it really is…..maybe someone’s had a baby since that was written! Continue reading →

Abbotsford circular via Cauldshiels Loch

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A nearly 5 mile circular from Sir Walter Scotts House visiting Cauldshiels Loch on the way.  You can read about the walk which we’ve done before, here: Two Lochs and some views .  It was May last time we walked here and there were lots of wild flowers about.  It was too early for those this time, we saw some hawthorn just coming into flower and the wild garlic is budding up now but that was about it. Continue reading →

January – Walk of the Month!

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Otter on the River Tweed!

29th January 2017

Hello

I’ve decided this one is ‘walk of the month’ for January.  We walked it yesterday, having been confined to the house by the truly miserable January weather for a few days.  We convinced ourselves that once we were out and about, all would be well – and it was.  The sun came out followed by all manner of birds and beasts!  I think there was more variety of wildlife on this walk than we’ve ever seen before in one walk!

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A Mist Descends over The Cheviots

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20th January 2017

Hello people…

We ventured out to The Cheviots today intending to walk about 7 miles exploring some of the hills, on what our instruction book (The Scottish Borders – 40 Favourite Walks by Robbie Porteous) tells us, is a ‘rolling ridge walk’.  Probably we could have chosen a better day to take to the hills.  It was one of those grey days when you don’t quite know what’s going to happen to the weather and, because we’ve never walked in these hills before we don’t know them at all.   Continue reading →

The River Tweed and Tweedbank

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15th January 2017

Hello again!

Just returned from a ramble from Abbotsford House – home of Sir Walter Scott you’ll remember – along the River Tweed which was grey and murky today.  It was a grey and murky day……no sunshine, and the tracks were back to mostly mud rather than mostly  snow and ice – shame really – mud’s not so pretty! Continue reading →

I’m not doing that again!

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8th January 2017

Hello

I’m not sure this was the best walk so early in the #walk 1000 mile year – especially uphill, especially 300 metres (that’s 984 feet in case you were wondering) uphill and most definitely not 984 muddy, claggy, slippy sloppy feet back down again – some of it in a very undignified position.  My knees are sore, my hips are sore, my feet are sore (we won’t talk about other sore parts of me!).  It’s ok though….I’ve had a hot bath……and wine!  I can smile about it now….. Continue reading →

Waterloo Monument on Peniel Heugh

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5th January 2017

Hello!

It’s been a good first week of the year for walking – a bit on the chilly side but very little wind and clear skies.  I’ve managed several local walks since I last wrote and today Mr RR and I took ourselves off to see the Waterloo Monument which is at the top of Peniel Heugh, and at 48 metres high can be seen from quite a distance.  We’ve often driven past commenting  that we must go and see what it is one day – and now we have! Continue reading →

Happy New Year!

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1st January 2017

Happy New Year Everyone!

It’s the first walk of the year and the first walk of the 2017 #walk1000miles challenge organised by Country Walking magazine.  It’s all gone a bit mad this year with badges and Facebook groups (there’s even a special one for us ramblers living in Scotland) and progress spreadsheets to download and questions about the right trackers and boots and all sorts of other kit. Personally, I shall be aiming to walk 1000 miles over the year, using my trusty pedometer to measure the miles and wearing my usual walking gear plus waterproofs when I remember to bring them! Oh….and I’ll be writing about some of the walks on here.  So……lets get on with it! Continue reading →

Leaderfoot Viaduct and The Trimontium

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Leaderfoot Viaduct

Hello!

Two blog posts in a week – you’re getting spoilt!

Today, in the spirit of my training for that #1000 miles, we had a ramble around the Newtown St Boswells area.  We followed directions from a leaflet called ‘Walks Around Newtown St Boswells’ compiled by Roger French. We didn’t quite manage to follow his instructions but still managed to complete the walk, despite the cold and the frost which is still lying on the ground.

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