West Rigg to Eddleston

The days are getting shorter now, and I need to use each hour of daylight wisely. Walking and navigating in the darkness is frustrating and the memories of the miles I trudged on a dark and wet night to reach Kiltearn are still fresh in my mind. So this morning I was up and off in the dim dawn light, aiming to stop for breakfast after some progress had been made.

The Pentlands provide a welcome oasis to the paved central belt, and the well made paths and gentle gradients led to some relaxed walking as I crossed this narrow ridge of hills. An initially boggy section alongside a strip of trees to an isolated farmstead was followed by a track heading up into the moors. Unusually, the hollows in this sandy track have been repaired with rows of logs, which appears more sympathetic to the landscape than fresh stone or bricks. Although after skating around on their slippery surface for a while without getting anywhere, I decided the bog was a safer option.

I reached an attractive col next to a isolated clump of trees and followed the valley of a small stream downhill. The empty landscape has a modest beauty, and the small reservoir nestling at the end of the path was no exception. I crossed grassy fields to reach a paved road, which lead slowly down into Carlops and a long awaited big bowl of porridge.

The next part of the day was spent on country lanes. Largely free of traffic, they offered grass verges when my heavy tramping along the tarmac became painful. Unlike my usual boredom when road walking, I found plenty to look at, from disused railways and small quarries to what appeared to be the ancient remains of kilns.

By now the wind and rain had strengthened. I decided to gamble that it would be possible to take the track marked on the map through the forest, in the hope that the trees would protect me from the flying drops of wetness. The track turned out to be a right of way but the patchy nature of the forest, and the exposed nature of the hill meant I still got pretty damp.

With the light fading and the unpleasant weather I decided not to attempt to reach Peebles but treated myself to a night in a posh restaurant with rooms, the only accommodation in nearby Eddleston. A pleasant path headed down through the well maintained grounds of Barony Castle. After a lovely meal, I returned to a fluffy bed warmed by a hot water bottle. Luxury.