Wednesday 30 October 2013

Dryburgh Abbey and the Tweed

Today's walk started at St Boswells and was a 5 mile circuit along the Tweed and through the village of Dryburgh. We had decided to head east as the weather forecast indicated dry weather at St Boswells up to about 2.00pm and it was spot on as it started raining just as we left St. Boswells at 2.30pm after a superb walk in good weather with the sun even shining for the last couple of miles. 
The first part of the walk followed the river Tweed and there were a considerable number of fishers out as the conditions were perfect. This fisher with a gillie rowing the boat was fishing the stretch belonging to the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel and must have paid a small fortune to fish. 
We passed this way 2.5 hours later just as they were finishing for the day and they had caught nothing.
We crossed this Suspension Btidge to take us over to the village of Dryburgh.
The next place of interest was the Temple of the Muses which was originally built in 1817 by local landowner the Earl of Buchan as a tribute to the poet James Thomson.
The Temple of the Muses
From here we headed uphill through the woods to the statue of William Wallace which was also built by the Earl of Buchan in 1814.
After this we headed to the entrance to Dryburgh Abbey but as both Tom and I had been there before we decided not to go in.
This is the view over the Eildons from the statue of William Wallace.
This gate is in memory of someone but I have forgotten who it was. It is a bit of a Folly as it leads nowhere.
The way back took us along the Tweed again and we finished the walk in St Boswells at a book shop cafe with an overpriced fairly poor lunch which was a pity as the staff were very pleasant but it was not good value for money.



Thursday 24 October 2013

Back Walking Again

After a 3 week break from walking due to this horrible virus that hit the Graham family we headed up to Eskdalemuir today for a 6 mile walk from Samye Ling round the alternative forestry transport road. This was built at a cost of £5m a few years ago so that forestry wagons could avoid the village of Eskdalemuir. In the 1.5 hours on this road there were 7 loaded wagons and 3 unloaded wagons used the road so it is getting well used.
2 old Stupas plus the Samye Ling one
An empty forestry wagon passes by
A loaded wagon heads our way
The view from the forestry road.
Tom and John about to be run over by a forestry wagon.
Eskdalemuir Kirk
The entrance to the Samye Ling retreat
The last mile of the walk along a perfect track beside the road for walkers and cyclists that takes you from the village to the Buddhist Monastery.
This was a most enjoyable walk on a perfect day but I was glad to see the finish and it is going to take me a wee while to get back to my pre virus fitness when walks of 7 miles or further we're no bother at all. It still annoys me that Gaye and I should be in California for October enjoying beautiful weather with our American grandchildren but will re book once we are fully fit again. 

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