Great night’s sleep at Blunty’s Mill in KY with a brilliant breakfast cooked by the owner Charles. Nice place too, all to meself.

Not as good a sleep as this badger though. Didn’t even wake up when I prodded him with me boot. Lazy budger.

The morning was overcast as I took my first steps on the PW. Today will be a good one for initials. 

The first few miles were country road and track, during which the main Way peeled off uphill to canter over mountain tops. In view of the low cloud and high wind I thought the lower alternative route made more sense. 

The route soon sprang uphill and the wind grew stronger and wetter. The rain felt like small pellets peppering my face and exposed arms. I had my Swiss army waterproof coat on and it has holes where the sleeves should be. But it covers me and my rucksack so it’s great. In fact it’s a great coat. Boom Boom!

The route crossed into England and back to Scotland, and in this photo I’m in both. 

The first peak was The Schil, regarded by many as the most beautiful hill in the Cheviot range that separates the two countries.

It was a struggle and the weight of my rucksack was slowing me down. The highest hill is The Cheviot itself which is around 2,300 feet but it was hiding in cloud, which was blasting through the valleys and over the tops. Under foot it was becoming increasingly boggy and although some sections were marked out by stone slabs some of these were under considerable water too. My feet had taken some boggy dunkings and my boots and socks were filled with muddy waters. Hello Muddy! 

And still the clouds came as the route switched round to the west to follow the ridge of hills at their highest point. I met four people all day. Most people do the Pennine Way, sorry, PW, south to north so I’ll meet most of them along the way as I wend southwards. One of them said he had walked through bogs for 16 days and they were the worst 16 days of his life. Moaning sod. He ought to live in Barnsley.

Windy Gyle is a significant peak, there were signs of an improvement in the weather and sunny Scotland spread out before me.

However light my spirits the miles trudged by and I wasn’t getting too tired but it was getting late. My progress was slow. There was a refuge hut at the 16 miles point and I aimed to spend the night there. Here it is…. my hotel! After 10 hours walking without a break. Well, not more than 10 minutes anyways. 

And inside it’s a palace. But the benches are hard as concrete and I won’t get much sleep tonight. A cold tin of beans, two tins of mackerel fillets and two mini Bounty bars. Fit for a King. 

And to make the walk an even happier hike, two rainbows came out to play. Funnily enough I haven’t seen any since sundown. 

A shorter one tomorrow. Nine miles to Byrness where I’ve booked a camping spot by an Inn. 

Night night my darling missus, family and dearest friends.

Well, the Pennine Way starts tomorrow, but today the walking was pretty good too. I had an early start from Leeds by train to Berwick upon Tweed, with a 5am alarm. Berwick was drizzly and cool. I had a 30 minute wait and then the 67 bus took me to Kelso, crossing over the Tweed estuary

And the Scottish border. The sign looks a bit tiddly in this photo! Too much Scotch.

I’ve walked down from John O’Groats to Kelso in 4 stages, covering nearly 600 miles, so for this stage I need to start from where I left off in Kelso. And it was raining again like last time. But it’s still a smart town.

This leg is 278 miles long from Kelso down to Edale in Derbyshire, along the top of the Pennine hills. It will be great. Today’s target was a B&B in Kirk Yetholm, the official start of the Way, and a shortish walk from Kelso of 9 miles. I filled up at Aldi on food and water (and chocolate) and my rucksack had gone up from 14 kgs to 18. I’m a bit uncomfortable with that weight but there’s no way round it as there isn’t a cottage, never mind a village, for the following two days. 

The River Tweed was back down to normal levels and the salmon fishermen were out again.

The route cuts south east up the Cheviot hills, and I followed a mountain track that was barely used by vehicles. 

The views opened up as I got higher, looking northwestward to the hills above Melrose and the further hills not too far from Glasgow.

Higher up the hills I spotted some raspberries in the hedgerow and they were ripe. Fantastic. I ate dozens and the sugar rush kept me going. 

And you held her in the shadows,                                                                                                                          Where the raspberries grow wild.

I quite quickly made it to Kirk Yetholm and am lazing, waiting for tomorrow. A big breakfast and a long twenty mile uphill slog and camp in the wild. And the weather forecast is rain. I can’t complain. I’m lucky, me.

Night night.

That lost a few fans in the Bible Belt dint it John? But you weren’t too distressed. It was hyped out of context. The power of the fourth estate, even in 1965? Maybe 64. Forever young. RIP. Our hero.

Good night’s sleep. I’ve got used to sleeping on the ground without a mattress so tonight might be difficult. But probably not. We’ve had a waterbed for thirty years and the most recent version is the best bed in the world. There’s a membrane down the middle so Maggie can set the temperature on her side differently to mine. Mine’s right. But don’t tell her.

Because I’ve been walking up the Clyde Valley and down the Tweed Valley the ground has been great for putting tent pegs in without a hammer. Softer ground for sleeping on too.

It was dry through last night but by the time I’d been down to the toilet block on the campsite and got back to the tent the rain had started so I packed away a wet tent again. And it went on to rain all day. I walked with wet but less pained feet and felt a lightness of being, despite the dreich.

I stopped for breakfast at the far end of Melrose at a nice cafe and didn’t want to leave as it was warm and they had limitless pots of tea.

Melrose is a nice place. Kelso was my target, today and finally for this trip, about 15 miles of road walking again. Starting off Melrose Abbey is interesting they say but hidden behind walls so no photo I’m afraid. But further out of Melrose is the location of the northernmost Roman fort in Britain. Trimontium (the place of the three hills). But there’s nowt there but sign boards and cultivated fields. It was actually huge in its day, but had to be because the Scots were a bit of a handful. 

Fantastically there was a decent sized colosseum for entertainment on the edge of the old town. Get in!

The road crossed the Tweed again with a railway bridge, old road bridge and new bridge within a few hundred yards of each other.

The old road bridge takes first prize.

Over the river, up a hill on to Smailholm and a slow descent to Kelso. On roads in the rain.

Felt good. Could’ve done 25 miles today but glad when Kelso appeared. An elegant little town.

My last stop in Scotland so I got a couple of proper Haggis for the freezer from a local top quality butcher. The bus sped on through the rain, from Kelso to Berwick Upon Tweed, crossing the border to England just after Coldstream. I’ve just polished off sausage and mash in a hotel opposite the station. £6 for more than a normal man could eat, but I’ve been walking. And I’ve enjoyed the walk and will be starting from where I left off in Kelso on the 25th July heading south for a couple of hundred miles down the Pennine Way.

Thanks for reading the blog and maybe join me again in July. Cheers friends.

Night night.

In fact much better. The rain stopped early this morning, I slept well, again, with no pee breaks. I did it in the sleepingbag- boom boom – laughing again. The tent dried in the early morning breeze and I got up reasonably early. Almost had a shower but it’s only been 5 days so I’m not over-ripe yet. I haven’t taken my clothes off for 3 days, in or out of the sleeping bag. 

A longer than anticipated walk today, 18 miles as I found a path off the road along the riverside for much of the way. Innerleithen to Melrose. 

The sun was out as the early clouds scudded across the sky and all was well with the world. Walking was made for days like this. No, that ain’t right. Days like this were made for walking. And that’s just what I’ll do. The river was still in flood from yesterday’s rain.

The path crossed the Tweed and joined up with the old railway line again. Brilliant. My foot was really good. I strapped it up with plasters and blister plasters across all the painful bits and round the little toe, which particularly suffered. My boots were soaking still from yesterday so I wore my Salomon walking trainers and the pain throughout the day was much less. As the blisters affect my small toe and the front of my sole I tend to walk with my right foot pointing out rather than forwards. This doesn’t help so I consciously walked faster and pointed both feet forwards whilst walking, almost bobbing along. It worked today.

My foot was much improved by the end of the day, with plasters largely removed.

The sunshine took over and the villages scooted by on the other side of the river. My side was for posher ones as the railway track intersected with the road once in a while.

The air was not too warm, breezy but ambient, perfect for walking. The sun was hot but covered periodically by clouds, perfect for walking. The smells of dog roses, gorse, wild honeysuckle, wild garlic and the rushing water were a really lovely cacophony, perfect for smelling.  I missed breakfast and only had a small mouthful of fresh water in my flask so I was getting quite hungry by noon, I’d set off at 8.30. 

Fishermen were stalking the banks and trying to find a clear and quieter spot, before giving up and drinking cups of tea in fishermens’ sheds by the riverside. I was offered a cuppa when I asked for directions as the track fizzled out into dense overgrowth.

Up to a quiet country road and I put my foot (left one) on the gas. 

The road dropped down to the river and I followed another track down the banks, crossing an old bridge with a beautiful view upstream.

By this time, 13.00, I was starving. Almost jogging with my rucksack on my back I covered 3 miles in less than an hour and found a hotel with a decent cafe/restaurant and with reasonable prices. I stuffed myself and rolled out at 15.15 with only another three miles to go. The countryside was classic Scottish Borders. Look at this shot below. Just gorgeous. Not spectacular, not exciting, not breathtaking. Just gorgeous.

And the hill behind Melrose began to get closer.

Eventually the town where the heart of Robert the Bruce was buried came around the corner.

I put up ma tent and had a shower. Five days and I smell good, like I know that I should now! Good, so good, I smell good! Clean clothes. Yes. Early night tonight my matey boys and girls. 

Night night.

Thanks for reading. It makes blogging worthwhile. I hope you like it. Home late tomorrow. Night kids.

It’s bigger than you. And you are not me.The lengths that I will go to.                              Thanks R.E.M.

I remember that a DJ on Radio 1, I think it was Mike Read, had a show with guests reviewing new singles when this was released in the 90s. They were so busy talking that they missed the significance of one of the greatest rock singles of all time. They said it was tedious. 

It rained a lot overnight, I woke up a few times but only peed once. I know you like to know these things. Keeping tabs on my bladder. That’s fine, I’m not sensitive about it. But I was in the sleeping bag when I did it. Hoots of laughter. The rain continued into the afternoon.

I derigged the tent and took it into the laundry to fold up. Soaking.

I wore my boots and walked just half a mile to a cafe recommended by the campsite. A great breakfast with double haggis and tea.

Peebles is ok, no doubt better in the sun but a bit waterlogged today.

There’s a track running along the old railway line again, by the side of the Tweed, so I dropped down off the road to join it. Covered entirely by my camouflaged Swiss Army raincoat, up over the back of my pack as well. As here in this earlier photo. Better to be off the roadside, particularly when the pavement runs out. Should have brought a hi viz. 

The track was direct and well signed. Coming out of Peebles there is a huge quartz boulder carried down by the glaciers a few thousand years ago. 

Amazing how they built a seat for it to sit on in those days.

The rain continued. With an atmospheric ruined castle on the top of this hill.

The train line was great and my line of sight was narrow between the earth and the clouds. Going on and dropping rain forever. Well, at least until now. It was a short, four hour walk and they’ve spent some money on the walk. Not least the six figures spent on this bridge. Eddie Bingham – any idea how much it’d cost?

Coming into Innerleithen and looking back the view was overcast and damp.

The St Ronan’s Hotel beckoned, with a fire to dry out my coat and rucksack. I considered the wet tent wrapped up in its bag, compared to the dry, warm and hospitable option of a bed and breakfast. There were a couple of B&Bs available. But bugger it. Get that tent up Bladey Blade, you’ve not turned into a Hampstead pansy overnight have you lad? Sleep in a damp sleeping bag with water dripping down from the outer tent and a chill wind up your jacksie or you are not a real man. So there! 

Chill wind up my jacksie please sir!

Night night.

It isn’t but it would be ok if it was. Today was a 17 mile walk from the camp site in Biggar down alongside a stream to the River Tweed and on to Peebles. Biggar is a mile from the River Clyde, which runs on to Glasgow and down the Firth of Clyde to the Irish Sea and the Atlantic. But the stream that runs through Biggar turns left, instead of right, and runs on to the Tweed, which wends its way to England, the east coast and the North Sea.

The two white houses to the left in the photo above are on a tiny ridge that marks the watershed between the east and west coasts. Weird innit?

The site was alright, it’s a caravan club site and a golf club rolled into one. Clean bog, lots of bog roll, good washing facilities but that’s less relevant for Little Old Swine Stinker Me. The pond was full of fish too but you’re not allowed to fish it. Bullsh it.

I slept so well last night in ma tent. Eleven hours with only one tiddle. Big un though. 90 seconds easy, and free flowing. Not like my usual old man’s spray, dribble, spray, dribble. May I use your bathroom?

Heavy showers forecast. Oh well, here I go. By the way, Lanark is where William Wallace came from, of Braveheart fame. They don’t make anything of it. Local story is that he was only a pawn in a bigger player’s game. The fall guy that they shopped to the English and got taken to London to rot and then to be hung, drawn and quartered. Dirty English barstewards.

This is the stream, with tiny flowers, which runs past the site and later becomes part of the Tweed. I half expected Ophelia to come floating down.

The first eight miles were along a disused railway line. Fast walking flat and straight from a to b.

This lasted for eight miles but then it got rougher and unclear.

Where it was clear the farmers, as in Spain, tried to discourage folk. I couldn’t resist touching this and got a hell of a shock for my cheek. Well, for my arm actually. Scottish batarde farmer. Scuse my French. 

The hills breathe lovely life into the landscape. Just fab.

The shot above is where my stream, coming in from the right, flows into the Tweed, coming down from the hills ahead. My right foot is hurting like hell with blisters and at this point I had to change the dressings and my socks, which were soaked. I’d been walking in trainers to ease the pain but they let in water.

On top of one of the dry stone walls was an inscription and inscribed rocks. To Georgina Stewart, 1919 – 2014. A good innings and a lovely place to rest eternally.

Peebles was a long way. My foot is a bugger, but it’s a short one tomorrow. Eight miles I think, so that will be ok. The site is nice today as well. And I beat the rain showers to get the tent up on dry ground. Excellent.

The club on site opens at 5pm. Excellent. And I’m in it now. Excellent. But it’s horrible. Not excellent. And town is half a mile away and I don’t want to walk. Not excellent. And the club doesn’t do food on a Monday night. Not excellent. And I haven’t got a crum to eat. Not excellent. So I’ll have three pints, a packet of crisps and an early night in the fresh, clean air of the Scottish Borders. Excellent!!!

I’m worried about my foot. It’s identical damage to when I roadwalked the last two days in Spain. I’ve got to toughen it up or change my boots. The boots are fine. I’ll toughen it up then.

Night night.

So said my B&B host for last night, Neil at the Westport in Lanark. He should spend more time cleaning his guest house rather than passing on witty quips. It was loppy. Good breakfast though. 

Just 13 miles today, from Lanark to Biggar, chasing the River Clyde upstream. My right foot is blistered with a long walk yesterday and I need to plaster up the poorly bits at some stage. Later. It just makes me walk a bit funny that’s all, and plenty of people have permanent conditions that make them walk a bit funny so I should rejoice and be glad. Dry morning and a cool breeze. The road dropped down to the Clyde from Lanark, crossing this elegant 250 year old bridge.

Again it’s a road walk but the country is getting countryish and the hills are rising. This is Tinto Hill, a local focal-point for walkers.

I copped for some showers today. Luckily they fell when I was on a cycle route later on which was lined by trees so I stayed dry. Each step for the last five miles was painful. It’s road walking again that does it. Same spots on me foot that flared up on the last couple of days road walking in Spain in April. I’ll man-up, if it’s pc to say that still. 

These youngish bulls came down to see me when I started mooing. Luckily they observe the restriction of a fence that they could bring down with a decent stampede.

Again my track criss-crossed the Clyde, and looking downstream this looked like a posh place in the distance. White walls do it don’t they?

Getting Biggar and Biggar now and the hills are looking fine.

And the scent of the gorse wafting down from the south facing slopes is delightful. Brilliant.

In Biggar for 15.00 and a couple of drinks and haggis in a local. Feeling recuperated! I’m getting another early one. Maccabees might be on the agenda later on this afternoon. That’s my statement of in-tent. Boom boom. 

Night night for laters.

Dint see her. Saw a lot of cars though. Roadwalking again mostly today from east Glasgow south to Lanark. Twenty five miles it turned out to be. Knackered me. Sorry….Knackered, me. Anyway I went to bed early in ma tent last night. I couldn’t work out the signage in the bog, which was very clean, although I didn’t test the showers. Too tired. Anyway the sign was bizarre.

Now I know what urinals are, and toilets, but what’s a bottom toilet? 

The tent was nestled up by a tall hedge, but the ground was rock hard and I don’t carry a mattress. So I slept badly. I had my tea before I got down.

Don’t listen to the Maccabees’ album Given to the Wild, in a tent, without your teeth in or this might happen to you.

I got up at ten past seven this morning and left the site at eight. It was a dry morning, although it was a bit chilly in the night. The first section was across woodland and then threading through the streets of east Glasgow to find the shortest route to Lanark.

The route cut south to Hamilton and then up the Clyde Valley to Lanark. It was a busy road through as it cuts down by the M74, the main route to England. I had breakfast in a Greggs and for four quid got two nice breakfast rolls and two large cups of tea. Bargain. Rain and thunderstorms were forecast but incredibly they blew across either side of me and missed. By three in the afternoon I was done in with the rucksack and the humid day, and still had nine miles to go. The road threaded over the winding Clyde.

This is a seriously posh part of Scotland.

Eventually I rolled into Lanark at quarter past seven in the evening on my 63rd birthday. Buggered. Over the bridge and up a very long hill. 

I treated myself to a curry and I’m in bed, about to switch out the light at quarter past ten. A long day but I’m staying in a B&B and am looking forward to a full Scottish breakfast at 8.30 with black pudding and haggis. Beam me up Scotty I must be in heaven.

Night night.

Hello my darlings!! I’m walking again. In recent years I’ve walked from John O’Groats in the northwest to Cape Wrath in the northeast of Scotland. From Cape Wrath down to Milngavie, and now I’m walking from Milngavie (near Glasgow) to Kelso in the southeast of Scotland. Below is an approximate route but it’s actually longer than this. Just to give you some orientation.

It will take me a week, and I’m mostly camping. It’s 110 miles this week, making it 550 miles continuous through Scotland. And I get to enjoy the country. Yesss!!! Get in you beauty! 
Cop this Sassenachs.

No, I meant this ….. beautiful lowland Scotland today.

Darling Maggie gave me a lift at 6.40 this morning to Leeds station and I ended up in Glasgow. Supposed to be Milngavie but there were problems on the tracks so I got a bus from Glasgow. Ended up where I ended up two years ago.

It was a 12 mile walk this afternoon, in a warm sun, down to east Glasgow round the country belt just outside the suburbs. Road walking with no pavement on a fair bit of the route. Bit of a bugger because the traffic was busy. 

I love walking with a rucksack on my back. Love it. This is actually the stump of a tree at the entrance to a posh Scottish house. How brilliant.

Tonight I’m at the Red Deer holiday park in my tent. I’m so happy to be in Scotland again. This is a view back north to Milngavie, hidden in a valley.

With the mountains on the southern edge of Loch Lomond visible thirty miles away on the left horizon. 

I’m B&B tomorrow night with wifi so I’ll blog then. Photos from today to finish.

Night night.

The hotel was ok. My first hotel was ok. The food was ok. I slept ok. 

I’ve decided to aim for Xerica today to try to get back to Alicante a day early just to be sure with Easter services on road and rail. In January the snow started up on the hills above there and I got a lift at Sacanyet to Bejis, where I got stuck. So to complete the 800 mile route from Tarifa to Reus I’ll need to walk at some stage the twelve miles from Sacanyet down to Xerica. I think I’ll do that next year, when I’m 64 – boom boom. I’ve got harsh sores and a blister on my feet from yesterday’s road walking and from the pebble footpaths and I don’t think I could do that extra 12 miles in the next two days. If I’m here with Maggie next year she could rest in a hostal whilst I finish the walk. It’ll take a morning and I’ll be back for lunch.

Good. Decided. Anyway I’ve got another 2,500 miles to do to complete Tarifa to John O’Groats so this 12 miles is the least of my concerns. 

Montant to Xerica was calling. My bedroom window view showed a sunny but slightly cloudy day. 12 miles to do up the valley from Montant to a pass on the top and then an even length drop to Xerica.

Still great views and the road up was a struggle. Bank Holiday and the dickheads on motorbikes and sports cars were blasting this relatively main road.

I made the top, and had to stop, and that’s what’s bothering me. Goodbye you brilliant northern mountains. By a long way my favourite walk in Spain. Beautiful country, beautiful folk and great peace. Thanks. 

Looking south from the top of the pass I could see Bejis, where I’d done time in a blacked out Hostal in the snow.

And two hours later I was marching in to Xerica on Good Friday. 

The streets were packed for a small country town.

My bus arrived, the same one I got last time, and I eventually made it to Valencia station and on to Alicante. I’ve had a rest day in Alicante. My flight is tomorrow and I’m looking forward to coming home. However this has been the dog’s. 

I’ve been lucky with finding cheap but fantastic accommodation, great people and solitary country walking. Pauls to Vallibona particularly should be on everybody’s bucket list. 

Thanks for reading this. May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung.

Love Dave.

We are going up. And today we’re confirmed as champions. XXX