Berwickshire Walks

Whiteadder Water, Ellemford to Abbey St Bathans

2011-06-05T01:44:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful walk down a lovely stretch of the Whiteadder to historic Abbey St Bathans, then back via the Southern Upland Way. This takes about two hours with a bit of ascent and descent on good tracks. Most of the walk is clearly marked.

Ellemford is on the B6355 between Cranshaws and Preston. Park near the bridge over the Whiteadder at Ellemford. Nearby are the fragmentary remains of the church, dedicated in 1244, but long abandoned.

Take the farm road to the right, along the north bank of the Whiteadder. Charming, gently rolling farmland makes up this bank, broken by some deciduous forest.

Follow the road to its end at Greenhope Ford, where there is a small settlement. The path, clearly marked ascends through Greenhope Wood to a beautiful pasture.

The path then descends slowly to the river, with the remaining woodland on your right between you and the river.

As you reach the riverbank a style and small bridge take you into a flat pasture. Follow the riverbank and pass through farm gates, keeping the river to your right. There are waymarkers to keep you on the right path.

As the river meanders you rise up on a good farm track through Barnside farm high on the north bank, past farm cottages to a decent height above the valley. Good views here.

Eventually the farm road points back down the valley floor and you see the settlement of Abbey St Bathans below you.

Abbey St. Bathans was originally a priory of Cistercian Nuns, dedicated to St. Bathan, the second abbot of Iona (believed to have built a chapel here). It has a number of interesting buildings, scattered through the settlement. The old kirk is beautiful, with lovely stained glass and an alcove containing the recumbent figure of a Prioress. It was built on the site of the Priory.

Edin's Hall Broch, the unusual remains of a Pictish Broch in Southern Scotland, are also situated in the locale. It was a massive construct, 17m in diameter and with walls 5-6m thick,built on the ruins of an earlier multivallate fort. Thought to date from 1-2nd Century.

Join the main road once you reach the valley floor again, and turn right and walk for 400 meters until you find the way post for the Southern Upland Way pointing west back to Ellemford. The village Telephone Box and Notice Board are here.

Note you can extend the walk by continuing down the road a few hundred meters to the Riverside Restaurant, where you can cross the Whiteadder by bridge or ford, then take the very pleasant woodland walk back up river and cross at the Kirk. You arrive back at the Southern Upland way marker.

The return to Ellemford is through forestry Commission plantations, and a bit damp and dark. You rise to quite a height above the Whiteadder Water at times, and can clearly track your earlier path. Deer are frequently seen on this stretch.

As you near the road at Robber's Cleugh a sign directs you off the Southern Upland Way and back to Ellemford Bridge and your car.

Approximately 2 hours.

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - June

2011-06-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - June

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - May

2011-05-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - May

Tweed to Ladykirk, past Milne Graden House

2011-05-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

A walk that brushes the ghosts of the Napoleonic Wars and the great age of British Naval supremacy, meets the long traditions of the Tweed fishery and ends where nations glower across the border.

This works best with two cars, one left at the Ladykirk Bridge, and the other at the start on a bend of the B6437 just above the Tweed, between Lennel and Whitsome. The path's start is clearly signposted, and part of the Coldstream path network. About and hour or hour and a half, great paths throughout, and very quiet.

Park near the bend noted above, and turn off the road at the signpost marked 'Norham Bridge'.

Follow the path through woods on a steep slope above a bend in the Tweed, which descends slowly to a stone wall.

Pass through a gate into a meadow which descends to the river. Cross the meadow to another fence, and way post. A round fisherman's hut lies ahead.

You are now walking along a grassy flat bank of the river, below a wooded slope. Follow the path as you enter the Milne Graden estate, built by Sir David Milne, second in command at the Bombardment of Algiers. Large North American firs line the bank, and you pass over an ornamental bridge before you see the large Milne Graden House, high above the path up a steep grassy slope.

Continue on along the banks, through a stone arch and into mixed woodland with a good path.

Continue on for a mile or so along a good path with wooden walk ways following the river bank, until you emerge into another sheep meadow with another round fisherman's hut. There is a lot of wildlife on this beautiful, quiet wooded stretch - deer, waterfowl and many butterflies.

Sand Martin's nest in the bluffs above the river on your right. Continue on over a small wooden bridge to another good path along the side of the Upsettlington Estate.There are often fishermen here.

This path is bordered by a formal stone wall with woodland behind - in parts cut smartly into the stone of the river bank. This is a charming and well kept pathway.

The path opens up again to a broad grassy walkway, before turning into another broad meadow.

Follow the sign across the meadow, which has yet another traditional Tweed fishing hut.

Once across the meadow you join another good marked path along the edge of the estate.

Passing another fisherman's hut, and some of the best fishing sites in Berwickshire, you approach the Ladykirk Bridge and the second car.

Ladykirk is worth a look - see my Ladykirk Circuit walk. Across from Ladykirk Bridge is Norham, famous historic border town. It has a great butchers!

Sir Walter Scott described Norham Castle in his poem Marmion as “the most dangerous place in England.”

The Flowers of the Forest

I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Lasses a-lilting before dawn o' day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".
As buchts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning;
The lasses are lonely and dowie and wae.
Nae daffin', nae gabbin', but sighing and sobbing,
Ilk ane lifts her leglen, and hies her away.
In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering,
The Bandsters are lyart, and runkled and grey.
At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.
At e'en, in the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming,
'Bout stacks wi' the lasses at bogle to play.
But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.
Dule and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border;
The English, for ance, by guile wan the day:
The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost,
The prime o' our land are cauld in the clay.
We'll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Women and bairns are dowie and wae.
Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning,
The Flowers of the forest are all wede away.

Tweed from Ladykirk, circuit

2011-05-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

A lovely walk along the Scottish bank of the Tweed, downstream from Ladykirk, and back across the heights above the Tweed. An hour and a half

Park at Ladykirk Bridge

Cross the road and the path begins to the north of two cottages on the east side of the road.

Cross the style and enter the steep wooded bank of the Tweed. The path leads through the wood, and eventually down the river. It was very dry when I did this walk, but I could see when muddier this might be a bit slippy under foot. The path is mainly a sheep trail at this point (many trees and bushes lean over it, with a lot of wool in the branches).
On the opposite bank is the historic town of Norham. As you continue along the bank there are good views down the river, and across to Norham castle.

Lots of butterflies here and waterfowl. As you get nearer Norham castle the river swings in the opposite direction and the bank flattens out into a meadow, with some signs of the winter floods (flotsam strewn across the meadow). The river is shallow here - Norham castle was built to protect this fording point from Scottish raids. I could have walked across today.

Follow the edge of the meadow around the bend in the river. The path on the English side is visible as it trails along the bottom of some cliffs. The meadow ends with a fence and hedge - follow this to a gate leading up the gentle slope, and to New Ladykirk. Walk through the farmyard and onto the road. To the west you can see the tower of Ladykirk - walk that way back to your car.
Great views across to the Cheviot and across the merse.

Ladykirk is a fascinating church, largely from 1500, at the behest of James IV, after almost drowning in the Tweed here. Lots of interesting features in the Kirk and settlement around.

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - April

2011-04-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Berwickshire's Butterfly Sightings - April

Westruther to Twin Law

2011-04-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

A short burst into the western Lammermuirs, starting at Westruther, with commanding views across the Borders. Two hours or so.

From the B6456, a lovely road running across empty moorland below the Lammermuir plateau, dotted with volcanic plugs, turn off past the Pub in Westruther towards Flass farm and Harecleugh Forest. Park at the right of way sign pointing right (East).

Follow the marked path East NE to the landrover track running above Cralaw, heading north. A gentle climb takes you up to a ridge where at once you can look down over the Borders, and to the East to the Watch Water.

A few hundred yards further you cross the Southern Upland Way. Turn left (West) onto this well trodden path and follow to the gentle peak of Twin Law, and its impressive brace of Cairns.

A tin in one of the cairns holds a log book, and a few sweeties for the tired traveller. Again, superb views across to the Eildons.

At the cairns turn due south and follow a simple trail into the Harecleugh Forest - a bit of pushing through the conifers will take you to a clearing which quickly develops into a trail and a landrover track. Follow down, via Flass to the road you left your car on.
OS map is recommended to navigate the twists and turns of the last section through the forest.

Allanton Inn to Chirnside Bridge

2011-04-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

In the path of genius: it's not often you can claim to have walked in the footsteps of not one, but two of the great minds of the modern world. This walk takes us through the lost estate of Scottish Enlightenment Philosopher David Hume, and we will see some of the extraordinary geology that inspired the father of modern geology, James Hutton.
Start at the Allanton Inn, south of Chirnside. Parking is available near the Inn. Head north towards Chirnside on the road. As you leave Allanton you cross a Robert Stephenson Bridge over the Whiteadder Water. Over the left hand side of the bridge you can see the Blackadder and Whiteadder water meet, and a Ferryman's cottage, now ruined.

There is a decent grassy verge as you head north from the bridge. As the road turns sharply right you are at the South Lodge of the old Ninewells Estate. A sign post for Dexter's Mill points ahead, to the left of the lodge.

Leave the road here and enter the old estate grounds. Once past the lodge the old walled garden of the estate is on your right (19th Cy). Follow the well marked path behind a sawmill and past a modern house built on the site of Ninewells House.

Ninewells was named for the springs that flow from the hillside into the Whiteadder Water. It was home to several generations of Homes (later Humes) and was the childhood home, and later the summer home, of David Hume. The original Ninewells house was entirely rebuilt in the mid 19th Cy in a Tudor style, but was demolished in 1954. During World War Two it was designated as a hostel for Polish and Eastern European displaced persons. Some Polish army personnel were billeted there and some also lodged with Chirnside families. Around 1942-1943 it was designated as prisoner of war camp.

The path now enters thick woodland plantation, and takes you down to the Whiteadder Water.

Follow the clear path along the banks towards Chirnsidebridge Mill. In spring and summer this is an excellent area for butterflies. The stream bed of the Whiteadder has some striking rocky feature, and James Hutton farmed to the north of here. He is said to have studied the formations.

Following the curving bank of the Whiteadder you eventually emerge onto the A6105 near Chirnsidebridge Mill. Opposite where you emerge is the ruined, ivy covered facade of the Chirnside Rock House, thought to once be a lodge to Ninewells House. It was partly cut out of the rock of the river bank, and was occupied into the 20th century. It has pointed arch windows, and had a heavy oak door opening into two rooms.

Turn left and walk along the A6105 for a few hundred meters, over the Whiteadder. Opposite the entrance to the Mill a line of trees heads south west from the road - this is the old Berwickshire Railway line. Follow this for 400 meters, until a sign directs you back east towards Allanbank and Allanton. Follow the track around the edge of a series of fields to the road from Allanton to Duns. Turn left here and back to Allanton.

The features of the last stretch can be read about in my Allanton Inn to Blackadder House walk.

Hardens Hill to Duns, via Duns Castle

2011-02-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hardens Hill, to the West of Duns on the road to Longformacus, commands impressive views across Duns and the Merse to the imposing plateau of the Cheviot. This easy walk on land rover track and rough roads takes about an hour and a half, passing through the beautiful estate of Duns Castle.
We used two cars; one left in Duns to take us back to the starting point.

Start at the parking area just below the summit of Hardens Hill, on the Longformacus Road from Duns. As you climb the hill passing Hardens farm the parking area is in the first section of woodland on the right hand side of the road as you approach the summit.
Follow the land rover track through the plantation and down towards Duns. The way is signposted and clear as you descend. Other than the superb views there is little remarkable until you enter the Duns Castle Estate towards the bottom of the hill.
As the walk flattens out you are on the 'Colonel's Walk '. There are several opportunities to turn left and walk to the 'Hen Poo', the lake of the Castle estate - an excellent birding spot, considered one of the best places to watch birds in the Borders.
As you reach the edge of the mixed woodland a 'Private' sign greets you on the path. Take the track to the right with a vehicle barrier across it. This leads you down the side of the Castle Estate, past the impressive stable block and the Castle itself.
The stables are over two storey, with a courtyard and octagonal tower. Next the Castle appears in parkland to your left. Originally a Peel Tower dating back to 1320, it was expanded in the 19th Century with elegant Gothic Revival additions.
Continue through the parkland past several estate houses to the Duns Road (A6105) to Duns. You emerge to the west of the Old Berwickshire High School, a short walk to the centre of Duns to your left.

To make a circular walk turn right and right again to climb up the Longformacus road back to your car - add another hour or so for this walk.

The Herring Road, Whiteadder Reservoir to Watch Water

2011-01-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

Before a globalised economy and fast food, there were the Silver Darlings - Herring. Scotland was famous for its Herring fishery, exporting across Europe. By the 19th Century Scotland had the largest fishery in the world.

There was also a domestic trade, involving transporting the preserved fish long distances to local markets. A welcome change to a diet consisting of kale and potatoes. The Herring Road in the Lammermuirs was one such trade route, with Dunbar fishwives carrying the fish to Lauder, and market.

The Herring Road stretches from Dunbar to Lauder, crossing the Lammermuirs, a number of roads and the Southern Upland Way, allowing walkers to mix and match routes. This excellent leaflet gives some other options. We took a route from the Whiteadder Reservoir to the Watch Water Reservoir, approximately 12 kms, and taking about 3 hours over mixed paths. We left a car at the Watch Water Reservoir, easily reached from Longformacus. Medium difficulty, with a fair bit of rise and descent.

Take the A6112 out of Duns towards Preston. After 2km turn left onto the B6365 to Cranshaws. This joins the B6355 - follow for 10 minutes through Ellemford and Cranshaws to the Whiteadder Reservoir. Follow the road along the north side of the loch. At the north west end of the loch there is a cattle grid with room to park. On the left are signs for the Herring Road. Follow to Pensheil farm and the route marked for Lauder.

The road to Pensheil passes near the reservoir where many birds can be seen; ducks, geese and other waterfowl. Beyond Pensheil the valley pastures opens up, and two heavily set ruins, part of a grange, stand on either side of the path like sentinels. A round stone sheep fold sits beyond on the right. Follow the path up the valley, skirting Pensheil Hill. Some of the deep ruts on the path are said to have been left by carts loaded with herring creel.

The terrain changes to grouse moor, and more and more game can be seen. To the left at the valley floor is Faseny Water, running down the valley to the Reservoir. It forms a number of waterfalls and pools. Soon you cross the headwaters and cross the Gifford-Longformacus road. Follow the marked path up the left side of the valley ahead, to Lambhill. On the opposite side of the valley you see Kilpallett farm. At the summit you get super views across the rolling Lammermuirs.

The terrain softens again to hilly grassland. Descend to the settlement of Trottingshaw, in a lovely wooded glade on the Dye Water with a smart manor house. Once you reach the paved road along the valley floor cross the stone bridge and head to the southern path, rising again to pass between Dunside Hill and Scar Law. This lovely stretch soon joins the Southern Upland Way on the farside of the pass, and you are just to the west of the Watch. Turn east as you reach the Southern Upland Way and walk along the reservoir, past the Watch Fisheries fishing lodge, to the waiting car.

Allanton Inn to Blackadder House

2011-01-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Berwickshire was known as the Home of the Country House. There were many of them, including the magnificent Manderston and Marchmont Houses. But the agricultural depression that followed the First World War sealed the fate a great number. They include Blackadder House, a magnificent Robert Adam house on a spectacular bluff over the Blackadder Water. Only ruins and a series of curious estate buildings remain. The charming countryside and the shadows of that once beautiful estate make for a lovely walk through history.

This walk has the benefit of starting and ending at the excellent Allanton Inn (Allanton near Chirnside ), and has several options for the length of the walk, between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. Find your way there and park near the pub. Head south from the pub, turn right onto Blackadder Drive and join a muddy woodland track. This was the old estate entrance. At the start of Blackadder Drive are twin cottages, the old gatehouses of the estate.

Follow the muddy track through the woods. There's a sign diverting you over a haw-haw into an arable field. Either follow this, or ignore it into the wood - both paths join further ahead.

If in the wood eventually you'll reach a stone bridge over a burn. Sadly the bridge, in a Georgian ballustraded style, has been damaged and is fenced off. Head to the left and rejoin the main path around the field. This will take you round a wooded gully - a diversion to avoid the bridge.

Once past follow the field edge. Another sign diverts you to your left. Ignore and continue west along the edge of the field - the Blackadder Water to your right.

After a few hundred meters cross a gate into a pasture. On your right the Blackadder water and a plantation, which contained the quarry for the estate. Walk west towards another plantation directly ahead - trees planted upon the ruins of Blackadder House. As you approach you will see a gothic arch among the trees. As you reach this plantation you have a choice. Turn right and follow a track to the river and a bridge (shorter route) or skirt the plantation to the left to join another path through the estate.

Short Route - turn right at the ruins of Blackadder House and descend for about 100 meters to a cattle grid and the bridge. As you walk down to the bridge on your left you will see further remains of the house which appear to be medieval and castellated. On the bridge look upstream to the left bank - you will see a building on the bottom of the cliff below the ruined house - this was the hydroelectric powerhouse for the estate or house - Blackadder House was allegedly the first house in Berwicksire to have electric lights.

Otters and Kingfisher can bee seen here. I've even seen a migrating Osprey.

Cross the bridge and follow the track up past Tofthill (a modern bungalow with a superb view) to the road (turn right to return to Allanton). On the right a 100 meters behind Tofthill, on a slope high above the Blackadder Water, you can see the ruins of Allanbank House, the Dower House of Blackadder House. Just as you reach the road on the left is Allanbank Courtyard, once the stables of the estate, now holiday lets.

As you follow the road back to Allanton you pass a large new house on the right. Next to it is a series of farm and steading buildings that are now the studios of artists Charlie Poulson and Pauline Burbridge - some sculpture is visible.

The next building was the sawmill - the watercourse powering the mill can still be seen as you approach the bridge, down to the right. Cross the bridge over the Blackadder Water (1851). You can see to the left where the Whiteadder Water meets the Blackadder beneath the larger bridge to Chirnside (1841, by Robert Stevenson and Sons). Upriver obscured by ivy you can just see a cottage - this was the ferryman's cottage. Before the bridge was built the only across was by ferry.

Walk round to the right, below a wall with a steep wooded slope above, back into Allanton and to the Inn. This should take about 45 minutes.

Longer Route - turn left at the ruins of Blackadder House and follow the fenceline through the pasture. You will then emerge at the top of a steep wooded slope and the river to your right. Press on west and join a landrover track with descends to a cattle grid and a bridge.

Just before the bridge is a track to the left - this leads to the Walled Garden and Garderner's Cottage (occupied). The walled garden is mostly intact (one wall has been removed and its now an arable field). The Glass House is in poor state, but figs and feral plants can be seen among the broken panes. A tower sits above the Glass House, and on the north side of the wall can be seen the older gardeners sheds.

From the bridge look back towards the ruins of the House - below the treeline you can see a folly walkway with stone balustrade which was at the back of the house below ground level, cut into the rock of a cliff face overlooking the river Blackadder below.

Cross the bridge and follow the track. After a hundred meters on the left is the Butler's Cottage, with stone lions on the pediment.

Keep walking through the merse countryside to the road back to Allanton. You emerge at North Lodge (see the Estate's unique fishscale slating on its roof - this can be seen on a number of other estate buildings in Allanton and elsewhere). Turn right and in 500 meters you join the Short Route at Allanbank Courtyard, and return to the Allanton Inn.

Cove

2011-01-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

Scotland's best kept secret? Possibly.

This isn't much of a walk I'm afraid... 5 or 10 minutes from Cove village down a coastal path takes you to the harbour, but it is an amazing sight. The harbour is cut into the incredible geology of this stretch of Scottish Coastline. Two empty fisherman's cottages line the harbour wall, and the landward side of the cove has two holiday homes. The lack of people lends a magical air to the place.
At low tide there is some great rockpooling and wandering among the rock formations. You can walk across the harbour itself to a lovely wee beach enclosed by the harbour.
Access to the beach at higher tides is via an unusual tunnel on the coastal path, which was excavated using gunpowder.

Cove is just off the A1, turn off at the Cockburnspath roundabout. Drive into the village where there is parking at the end of the road in. Take a picnic!

See Undiscovered Scotland for more info.

Berwickshire Coastal Path, Eyemouth to St Abbs

2011-01-08T02:38:00.000-08:00

Brrr! Extremely cold walking last week, but beautiful conditions for a walk along the Coastal Path. It takes about 2 hours to gently stroll from the suburbs of Eyemouth along to St Abbs, via Coldingham Bay and back. There a number of descents from the farmland plateau to the beaches, but it is not a taxing walk, and the signs and paths have been well maintained.

Start in Eyemouth - from the A1107 turn off at Northburn Road (B6355) towards Eyemouth itself, then left onto Pocklaw Slap (crazy name, crazy place!). Follow for about 300m until it takes a sharp left - you can park here, and you should clearly see the Coastal Path heading North.

After half an hour or so you reach Coldingham Bay, with its well protected sands, cafe and painted beach huts. Despite the cold we saw some surfers among the ducks. Madmen... You can break your trip here with a bit of rockpooling in warmer times, or stop for a coffee. There are toilets here too. If the cafe is shut there's also the St Vedas Hotel and Surf Shop above the beach.

At the North End of the beach steps take you back up to the path and St Abbs - about 5 minutes further on. St Abbs is a charming harbour with a clifftop village looking out over the rocky Berwickshire coast and North Sea. Dive boats can be seen coming and going in the summer.
St Abbs also has an amazing, National Trust for Scotland protected, series of sea cliffs to the north. There's a decent walk from the NTS centre there along the cliffs to a beautiful lighthouse. Worth a look for birders and those wanting to extend the walk by another hour or two. There's a cafe in the centre during the season.

Coldingham and St Abbs are historically significant sites and worth a bit of a tour. Coldingham had a Benedictine Priory and is important in the history of the Christian Church in Britain.

Eyemouth itself is an interesting spot, with its rejuvenated harbour, Fish Market and a number of other attractions like the dive centre (this stretch of coast is one of Scotland's best dive sites - and we have a lot) and Gunsgreen House. When you finish your walk head down to the harbour for some fish and chips. It's recommended.
Cheers

Useful Links

2011-01-08T01:10:00.000-08:00

The walks that are outlined here should have decent instructions about where to start, park etc. Where I've added aerial views I've outlined the path in white, with a star at the starting point. Always take a decent map with you; even on simple walks you'll get more out of it being able to reference the detail on your map. If you need any more advice please contact me.

These links are useful to give you some ideas, but as ever Google is your friend! There are lots more sites available out there, and ever changing.

General guide to Walking in the Borders

Borders Core Paths, a simple resource but uses OS Maps to outline available walks

Some suggested walks south of the Tweed, Walking in Northumberland