Day 46 Jedburgh to Melrose

Val and Brian at Allerton House definitely get the thumbs up - porridge with honey and cream followed by......haggis ; well when in Scotland...! Actually it was really nice, just don't think too much about what it is you are eating. They also didn't charge me at all which I really appreciated.

Another nice day weather wise seemed in prospect as I set off along yet another new long distance path, this time the St Cuthbert's Way which starts in Melrose and goes 100 km to Lindisfarne. Feeling a bit more confident to run on the tarmac, albeit gently and followed a country lane until crossing the A698 and descending to a shady wood with the lingering smell of wild garlic and along the bank of a river. Crossing a small suspension bridge I then ran through rhododendron lined woods around Monteviot House where there were loads of grey squirrels but I also spotted a red one. Unfortunately the greys carry a virus that is lethal to their cure red cousins. on through a lot of shady woodland, initially thick pine and then much lighter and brighter beech until once again joining Dere Street, still making its straight north west route. The path was now wide and grassy although the soil is really hard from lack of rain. Massive trees were blowing in the breeze and their branches were occasionally so low that I had to watch my head as there was a real danger of getting bashed - o the perils of a long distance runner! Eventually the passage grew narrower and was soon a twisty, turny route through woodland and on past the site of the Ancrum Moor battle between the Scots and Henry VIII army. Eventually the path ran out and I had to run about a mile on the busy A68 before diverting off again onto the St Cuthbert's Way and down to the river to Dryburgh. Took a (tourist) stop to visit the ruins of the 12th century abbey where the Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott is buried. There are four ruined abbeys around here - Melrose if the third with the fourth being Kelso which I wont be anywhere near. I also climbed the hill to see the original statue of Sir William Wallace AKA Braveheart! built nearly 200 years ago, before picking up the St Cuthbert's Way again and following this a little bit South to Bowden and then into the pinewoods at the floor of Eildon Hills. These are three extinct volcano's and can be seen for miles around. At last I spotted a hare hunched up in a field but he was way too quick for me to get the camera out!

Emerging from the trees above the canopy, the sight of the hills were ablaze with yellow from the numerous gorse bushes and the smell was really intense. Looking back I could just about make out the route I had taken today and the view over to Melrose once I had hit the top was spectacular - the ruined abbey was much more impressive even than Jeburgh. It was then just a "softly softly catch me monkey" run down the side of the hill down into Melrose.

My decision to stick to the St Cuthbert's Way rather than the more direct route via roads added almost seven miles to todays trip but I'm definitely doing the right thing - no heroics required at this stage of the game.

Mileage 19.25 Time 4.23