Day 48 Melrose to Peebles

Woken by the "tutt tutt" of panicking blackbirds who went on and on and on which were then joined by barking dogs. Rained quite a bit overnight but although it was overcast this morning it was dry.

After another DIY breakfast set off along the banks of the River Tweed following yet another new long distance path, this time the Southern Upland Way - the only problem I am finding being in "people" places is dog poop! The trail continued along a paved track following a disused railway line to the outskirts of Galashiels and then continued along the North bank of the river through shady woodlands and passed Abbotsford, albeit on the opposite bank. The sun intermittently came out which made a lovely dappled run through the trees. I followed the national cycle trail across the A7 to then descent gradually to the river along a very quiet lane with glorious views across the valley and beyond to the mass of dense pine forest that covered the hillsides opposite. After crossing the Tweed once again I continued to run along the valley floor before going uphill to run through the forest along shady paths and then out onto wide open areas where the trees had been forested and replanted. After a long uphill drag, I turned northwards to head over heather clad moors to a hill called Three Brethren, marked with huge stone cairns. A guy sitting beneath one of them donated all his spare change which totalled £6.12 including loads of coppers which I stupidly put in my front pocket and this then continued to bash my hips every stride from then on. It was then a fab downhill run around the side of the next hill on wide grassy paths...lovely.

The Southern Uplands Way then continued on an old drove road named Minch Moor Road, reputed to have been used by Edward I and his army when then attempted to conquer Scotland. It dates back to the 13 century. After bridging another hill, the Way then dropped down to enter a huge forest of pine, so dense that I could barely see more than a few yards into it, innit. After passing the top of Minch Moor itself and the Cheese Well, which apparently gives good luck if offerings are made to the hill fairies (and there were quite a number of coins in the spring so clearly people do believe in the story!) it was again a lovely downhill run through the rest of the forest. I happened upon the Minch Moor bothy (David and Marilyn weren't in this one!) so of course I had to make an unscheduled stop to sign the resident visitors book. Moor downhill to the village of Traquair where unfortunately it was then around six or seven miles of quiet undulating lanes into Peebles. On the positive side it was a bit of a wildlife safari as I saw two hares, three crested grebes and a deer running across the road (just the deer, not the hare or the grebes!). My leg got a bit roughed up with all that hard surface running but it's not too sore.

I was famished tonight so tucked into a 5 course meal at the local pizza parlour and now I feel and probably look like I've got the stomach of a pot bellied pig!

Mileage 25.1 time 5.13