The Berwickshire Coast
Just like my cross-England walk, this walk starts with a stroll by the sea,
though rather shorter than its Cornish equivalent. It's a fine and varied coastline,
and I had the benefit of good weather both days. The walk uses almost all of the
Berwickshire coastal path.
Stage 1, Thursday 18 October 2007: border to Eyemouth, 6 miles
To keep this walk ethical, it had to be completely in Scotland. That meant jumping off the bus at Burnmouth (border picture 1)
and walking back to the border, though I found it would have been possible to have used the bridge at 973580.
It was no particular hardship, on a beautiful afternoon. A great tragedy struck here in 1881 almost to the day,
as 189 local fishermen lost their lives, devastating communities along the coast.
They are commemorated in four sculptures by Jill Watson of those left behind, the first at Burnmouth (pictured left),
and others at Eyemouth, St Abbs and Cove.
Stage 2, Friday 19 October 2007: Eyemouth to Grantshouse, 14 miles
The coast north of Eyemouth gets better and better, culminating at a fault line north of
St Abbs village
that creates the geological splendour around St Abbs Head. The sun chose to burst forth here,
delivering a grand palate of blues, greens, reds and yellows (picture 2, just south of the Head);
Coldingham Loch (pictured left) sits clearly within the fault.
The coastal path had very recently been extended north of here, a welcome bonus,
for this is a tough little section with plenty of ups and downs into steep valleys.
You pass two mile markers for shipping - it'll take you well over half-an-hour to walk between them, promise.
Swinging inland at Dowlaw, my original plan has been to take rough tracks out by Old Cambus,
but with a bus connection to make at Grantshouse I took the easy route of the road by Howpark.
Alas, I got there too early for the pub.
Lammermuir
Stage 3, Saturday 20 October 2007: Grantshouse to Longformacus, 15 miles
The plan from Grantshouse was to join the Southern Upland Way.
It's little more than a mile north of the village, but it's a mile along the A1 as it enters a narrow valley,
and who would want to risk the traffic. Instead I cut north-west on a lane through Butterdean
to pick up a track running through gentle countryside which joined the Way at Blackburn.
I made good time and was early for my lunch at Abbey St Bathans (picture 3). The little restaurant here is a beauty -
it doubles as an art gallery, but even my commodious new Golite sack didn't have the space for some of their beautiful seascapes -
and the church (pictured left) was beautiful in the autumn sunlight. Black Hill is disfigured by wind turbines,
and locals fear more are to follow:
they are, I believe, thrust up to soft soap people into believing something is being done about global heating,
but their contribution is puny. The moor towards Longformacus (pictured below) is confusing,
and I managed to lose myself on it, though with plenty of time in hand and good weather it was of no import.
Stage 4, Sunday 21 October 2007: Longformacus to Gifford, 17 miles
The next day was wild and remote, across the highest of the Lammermuir Hills. The start is easy, on tracks and lanes by the Dye Water
until it encounters the pylon road, but northwards there is nothing clear on the map.
As it happens, my host in Longformacus, a former keeper, told me of a scant path running from here
by grouse butts (picture 4), and this helped me make a start northwards. It peters out soon enough,
and then it's a case of keeping Wester Black Burn to the west and rising slowly to join the boundary fence
in between Little and Meikle Says Laws. Trackless navigation, never a problem, unlike yesterday on the SUW!
From the fence you are in East Lothian
- a very walker-sympathetic council. Meikle Says Law, high point of the Lammermuirs at 535m/1755ft,
is a desolate spot with pretty much nothing to recommend it. Northwards, though,
is a great cairn on the 504m Harestone Hill (pictured left), and with landrover tracks encroaching
there was less and less rough stuff to contend with. Harestone is a far better viewpoint than Meikle Says,
the Lothian plain spreading before you, though limited by haze today. The one benefit of landrover tracks is in descent;
from the plethora hereabouts I chose the one to the west of Long Grain, as it gives good views into Hopes reservoir.
From the valley it was all road bashing until the super little village of Gifford, barely a child of the hills at all.
Registered Anquet users can download this route
here.
When and weather
18-19 October 2007: sunny, high cloud, no wind, cool. 20 October: high cloud cover AM, long sunny periods PM.
21 October: overcast (high cloud) most of the day but sunny intervals later.
Accommodation
The first two nights were at the Bantry,
above the fish and chip shop in Eyemouth - room a bit poky, and not geared up for early breakfasts, but great fish & chips.
Night three was in the very helpful Whinmore B&B
in Longformacus, and in Gifford I stayed at the good Goblin Ha' hotel.
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