Innerleithan to Melrose: E2 Day 49

A wet day among the Border hills.

Light rain for much of the day meant there was less to see as I walked among the clouds, it did not encourage me to dally. Such days can be a bit of a trudge, with water dripping down your neck and sweaty steam rising from inside your waterproofs misting up your glasses. Thinking that you have eight hours or so before you reach your destination can be demotivating in such conditions. To avoid this it is important to have intermediate waypoints that you aim for in turn. Fortunately today had several. I was familiar with them as I had walked the route before (in the opposite direction) when walking from Land's End to John o'Groats.

After a climb through forestry with a number of fallen trees to negotiate, my first waypoint was a piece of landscape art. Circles had been cut in the vegetation, or were they ovals? Their shape depended on the angle you looked at them. Spectators at professional cricket matches may be familiar with the effect where adverts on the ground are distorted so they look good on the TV cameras. Nearby there was another curiosity, the Cheese Well. People were still leaving coins at this spring to ensure the fairies gave them safe passage over the hills. 

After a long length of walking across the moors, coloured reddish by the dead heather flowers, the next sight emerged through the mist. The "Three Brethren" were a group of three cairns on a summit by a white trig point. 

Walking through the mist.

The path then dropped down through forestry. I stopped, despite the rain, to examine the toadstools. Red with white spots, more attractive than the earthy white or sickly yellow ones that were more common. Crossing the River Tweed, among the yellowing leaves of the nearby trees, was my next milestone. Immediately after there was another climb which was a bit disheartening.

Colourful toadstools.

The Southern Upland Way was taking the shortest route to the town of Galashiels by climbing over a few hills across farmland. I stopped for a rest under some trees to eat the ham salad baguette I bought for my lunch, a reward for climbing out of the valley, but the continuing rain meant I was soon on my way again.

Just prior to the town's suburbs the Southern Upland Way went through a forest park on an intricate route ending by a school (waypoint four). Skirting around the playing fields the route avoided entering the main urban area of Galashiels but began another climb past housing, onto a tree lined track. A party of nursery aged children passed me coming down, all in matching blue waterproof "onesies", grown ups at front and rear.

Dropping back down through fields I then followed the recently reopened railway for a while before returning to the River Tweed. With the recent rain the river seemed full and fast flowing, although this did not prevent a gentleman standing in the waters fishing.

Finally, I left the river at a finger post which included the E2 symbol (yellow E2 on a blue background surrounded by a circle of yellow stars, a rift on the European Union symbol although the European Ramblers Association, who are behind the E-paths, are not an EU body). This was the first E2 symbol I had seen on my trips and marked the end of the E2 following the Southern Upland Way and the start of St Cuthbert's Way. 

I walked down the main street of Melrose, my destination for tonight. I was looking for a coffee shop as I felt after some 30 kilometres I deserved a slice of cake. Sadly they were all closed, but I did manage a takeaway coffee with a slice of fruit cake which I enjoyed in the rain, on a bench outside Melrose Abbey's on a bench by the fence enclosing the ruins. (I belatedly noticed a National Trust walled garden nearby which would have made a more attractive spot).

After a hot shower and dinner at the Station hotel, now I am replete, dry, warm and happy!