A Walk From Tweedbank Station

Back on the Tweed for the last section of the walk. A perfect day in excellent weather and in good company.

Two thirds of our way through the walk we stopped for lunch in Marmions Bistro in Melrose and enjoyed a lovely meal. We then headed back to Tweedbank Station passing The Greenyards on the way, the home of Melrose RFC and looking in splendid condition ready for the annual 7s tournament in just over a weeks time.

The Chain Link bridge from the path.

Back across the Tweed and this time on the Chain Link bridge

More Rape Seed oil crop

The highest point of the walk with fine views over the Tweed valley

Hawthorn Blossom with Rape Seed Oil in the field.

It was all uphill on this section

This section of the walk is on the Southern Upland Way and the Border Abbey's Way

Everywhere we went there was Hawthorn Blossom

The Last of the Summer Wine Walkers, Tom, Niall, John, and Ken.

The river Tweed near Tweedbank Station and the start of our 5 mile walk. Tom, Niall, and myself met John and Ken off the Edinburgh train at the station and set out on this 5 mile walk. Unfortunately Martin was unable to join us as he woke this morning with a heavy cold and decided it would be better to stay at home and recover. The river is low but I have seen it lower in the past. 

 

Boy's Day out at Melrose

A few weeks ago John and I planned a day out at Melrose and a walk on the river Tweed. That day arrived and what a glorious day it was. Tom and I met Martin, John, and Ken at Tweedbank Station on the train from Edinburgh and we headed to Melrose to start our 4 miles walk.

This is just past the Greenyards Rugby ground the home of Melrose

 This is the Greenyards and in my opinion the most beautiful sighted rugby ground in the country. 

The main square in Melrose. It was a very busy day in the town with loads of visitors.

We soon headed up river and this is the footbridge we will cross at the end of our walk when we return down the other side of the river.

It was a perfect day. Cold at first and no wind but in the sun it became quite warm

There were a few fishermen about but none using the boats

The fastest flowing bit of the river

One of the fishermen just above the footbridge

Heading up river

The footbridge from the other bank near the end of our walk

Time for a rest and a posed photo. Tom, Gavin, Martin, Ken, and John. Good friends for many years and in the case of John and myself for 66 years when I moved to Langholm from Rowanburn and we ended up in the same class at school.

Tom and Ken bringing up the rear. Ken used to love bringing up the rear with Peter Bart-Smith who sadly died in April and they talked mostly politics so Tom is taking over Peter's roll.

These sheep were enjoying the shade

Ken and John, both retired pharmacists.

A lovely stretch of calm water

After the walk we visited a walled garden and orchard next to Melrose Abbey

Martin wanted to see the Apple trees

Still plenty of Apples on them. We enjoyed a lovely lunch after our walk and then took the Edinburgh contingent back to Tweedbank railway station for their 3.20pm train back home. A perfect day out in good company.

 

Last of the Summer Wine Walkers in Melrose

The plan today was to meet up at Melrose in time to catch the 11.00am bus to Earlston for a special walk down the Leader valley past this the Leaderfoot Viaduct and then finish at Melrose for a nice meal in Marmions Bistro. There was 6 of us walked and then a further 7 for the meal making a total of 13 people. Gaye, Elspeth and Sandria had a grand morning in Melrose visiting Gardens and a lovely Charity Shop. 

Anne, Tom, John, Ken, and Niall stop for a rest at Leaderfoot after a 5 mile walk down the Leader river.

Although it would appear this was a downhill walk down the Leader valley there were several places where we had to climb a fair number of steps on the route.

At the start in Earlston. The walk took us exactly 3 hours and we arrived back in Melrose just as the rest were gathering at the Bistro.

Near the end of the walk at Melrose Abbey after almost 7 miles and ready for something to eat and drink.

A very well carved seat at the half way point where we stopped for a short refreshment.

The 13 of us sit down for an excellent meal. From left Peter, Aileen, Sandria, Niall, Martin, Tom, Anne, Elizabeth, Gaye, Elspeth, Gavin, and Ken. John took the photograph. We have been walking together for many years and pre Covid had many Walking Holidays in Cornwall, Northumberland, Yorkshire, Norfolk, The Roman Wall, The Great Glen, The Cotswolds, Galloway, and the Kintyre Way plus loads of Wednesday walks. 

One of several fields still to be harvested but hopefully this will be done in the next few days as there appears to be good weather coming for a few days.

Peter looking forward to his Sticky Toffee Pudding. Peter and myself have been friends for almost 60 years from when he arrived to work at Reid and Taylor in the mid 60s. We shared an office at R & Ts for 3 years before I moved on and then he went to Border Fine Arts and then back to R & Ts as Production Director. On his retirement about 10 years ago he started walking with us and has enjoyed many holidays and walks with us. I hadn't seen him for a year and it was so nice to get together again. It has been a perfect day and everybody was so happy to meet up again. The meal at Marmions Bistro was excellent and we were so well looked after by the staff. 

 

Celebrating Martin's 80th Birthday on the Diamond Jubilee Path

Martin always researches his Birthday Walk well and this one was his best ever. A lovely 5.5 mile walk from Earlston to Melrose following the Leader river on the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Path. One of the features of the path is the many lovely seats situated on it. This is the best of them and a real pleasure to take a seat on it. There were originally 9 of us planned to do the walk but illness and a sad funeral reduced it down to just 5. It was so enjoyable we may have to do it again. 

The river Leader.

One of the 3 bridges that cross the Tweed at Leaderfoot

There are loads of fences on the walk to protect walkers from the steep drop into the Leader river.

We thought it would be all downhill from Earlston following the river but in actual fact we had to climb on numerous occasions and the height gained on the walk was 750ft.

On the road from Leaderfoot to Melrose there are many displays of the Roman Fort of Trimontium but when you look over the fields where it used to be there seems to be no sign of it. Perhaps viewed from the air the outline might be seen in the ploughed fields.

Birthday boy Martin on the lovely Fox and Squirrel seat. He certainly doesn't look 80.

Anne and Ken on the lovely seat.

Martin and Ken crossing one of the many bridges on the route.

The field where the Roman fort used to be.

The Eildon Hills seen from an unusual angle

Tom the other Octogenarian in the party

Had to have my photo taken on this lovely seat

One of the several viewing points for the Roman Fort

The lower end of the walk down the Leader river

Setting off at the start of the walk

The Leaderfoot Viaduct with the modern road bridge in the background

 The spectacular Leaderfoot Viaduct over the river Tweed. A lovely walk with us finishing up in a Melrose Bistro for a lovely meal. We used the service bus from Melrose to Lauder to reach the start of this linear walk. It was 5.5 miles with a height gain of 750ft.