St Cuthbert's Way...in the beginning

The adventure started with a train to Berwick, then a funny old bus journey to Melrose.

Following Mick and Gayle's mantra of never passing a tea shop, my walk was ever so slightly delayed :-)

It was a bit of a tug up the Eildon Hills bealach, but nothing a rufty-tufty Challenger wouldn't take in their stride......but I'm not rufty-tufty. Ho hum.

Bowden Burn was my handrail for a couple of miles, at Newtown St Boswells I picked up the meandering  River Tweed.

Light was beginning to fade so I started looking for a suitable camp spot. The ground was covered in wild garlic, the aroma was wonderful but the plants were so tall it made finding a flat bit very difficult.

Eventually I found a lumpy bit of ground on the river bank, on the other side of the river from the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey. If you look carefully, squint a bit, then use your imagination, you may spot it in the last photo.

Tent up, a light meal, then lights out at 10pm....I drifted off to the 10pm news on BBC R4.

Up and away next morning, I treated myself to a delicious cheese & onion pastie in St Boswells.....but then I found this tea shop.

Well it would be rude not to ...

 

Part 2, the rest, click here.

Howgills Backpacking 14th March 2022

Ravenstonedale > Randygill Top > The Calf > Bram Rigg Top > Calders > Arant Haw > BEER Sedbergh > Cautley Spout > Ravenstonedale

This little trip served as a much needed head-straightener, a bit of a pre-TGO Challenge shakedown, and a rather essential fitness test.

I met up with Lucky the Dog and Mike in Ravenstonedale on a cold, breezy, but dry day. The plan was to wild camp for a few nights, breathe some clean, fresh air, and have a bit of an explore of the Howgills. The plan worked out well.

Heading south in the blustery cold, we didn’t walk too far before we decided to stop and pitch up for the night. Mike’s pitch was good, mine was rather less so. In fact it was downright lumpy and quite uncomfortable . There was some good news: we were pitched by a stream, and we both managed to get into our respective tents before the rain and came in. The wind was, well, very windy. Rocks were needed to supplement guy lines – I was beginning to wish I’d brought my Akto rather than the Scarp.

On day 2 we continued south-ish, it was dry but still quite breezy and cool. Being as wot the rain didn’t, we had great views over the green and rounded Howgill tops. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

 

After Arant Haw we began to look for a place to camp, Mike pointed out a nice looking spot down by Crosdale Beck. 

DOWN by Crosdale Beck. It was a long way down – and it was steep. Very steep. I hate steep descents, even with poles. Just ask Dawn.

The descent from Arant Haw was mostly achieved by taking to the backside – ie sliding down on our respective bums. This was great until bits of rock were met on our way down. Quick but uncomfortable.

Our chosen pitch was good – fairly flat and next to a stream.

Sedbergh, with it’s supply of gas, dog food, baked beans, pasties, beer, and food beckoned. The excellent Red Lion provided the latter, we probably spent longer than we should in the pub – but it was very comfortable, and once we got the pub fire going, nice and warm. It was raining anyway.

We eventually dragged ourselves out of the pub and made our wet and muddy way to our last pitch for this trip, close to Cautley Spout – a spectacular waterfall. There are signs of an Iron Age settlement - the falls may have had some special significance to these Iron Age people.

Again we found a nice, fairly flat pitch, next to a stream.  The sky cleared and the moon came out to play, it was a chilly night but I stayed warm and cosy.

Next morning it wasn’t raining, well not until we’d just about finished packing. The wind soon remembered that it’s duty was to be a bloody nuisance to campers, and accompanied by rain, meant that full waterproofs were needed.

 

More mud followed. Signs outside the temperance Cross Keys invited us in for coffee – but when we got to the door it was firmly CLOSED.

Why on earth do pubs & cafes do that….’Open for Coffee Now’ should mean exactly that, not ‘Open for Coffee when we can be mithered to open the front door’. Oh well.

 

We soon hit the yellow road that took us home, well it took us to our cars, parked up on a nice bit of flatness, just south of Ravenstonedale.

Another coffee was suggested – Mike knew of a cafe just up the road, at Newbiggin-on-Lune. This would have been great, but that cafe wasn’t just closed, it just wasn’t there. Lost. Gone. Never to be seen again. Oh well. Again.

Thanks to Mike and LTD for a good few days out, I just need to get hill fit – now THAT’S going to be a challenge!

More photos here. 

 

Fireworks Avoidance 5th Nov 2021

It was that time of the year again, LTD needed to get away from the bonfire night flash-bangs, and seeing as Mike and I don’t need much of an excuse to get out, we headed off to the Howgills for a cheeky overnighter.

I found Mike, wrapped around a pint of Black Sheep, and LTD languishing in front of a rather nice fire in a Tebay pub (tsk). I had a pint and some lunch without chips…..Mike had already had his lunch without chips.

It was only a bit chilly and claggy as we set off south, passing a hidden benchmark, to a spot previously spotted by Mike. It wasn’t too far, but far enough to be away from human habitation and fireworks. And the pub.

The appointed spot, with an adjacent sheep fold, was convenient well supplied with water, and parts were even fairly flat, albeit stony.

LTD settled in to build himself a nest

Tents were up in no time, pegs had to go in almost horizontaly because of the stones just under the grass. There was a bit of a breeze, Mike’s Akto made use of a few rocks to keep a couple of pegs in pace. My Scarp ‘seemed’ a little more secure, although as the night wore on….

I tried out a different dinner: cous-cous with a sachet of tuna stirred in. It was good and tasty but needed a cup-a-soup + bread as a starter.

The evening was spent listening to the radio, drinking tea, reading, and periodically checking for the sky to clear…which it didn’t.

By the morning the wind had really got up. At 7am-ish one of my tent pegs popped out with a bang….so at least I was out of bed at a sensible time!

 Slightly wind-blown tents

After breakfast we hastily packed. The strong wind blew my foam mat out of my tent. I thought it was lost but Mike spotted it in the stream. and I was able to rescue it.

It was drizzling quite heavily by the time we got back to Tebay. I was thankful for the flask of hot water I’d left in the car, a quick coffee set me up for the drive home.

Thanks to LTD for allowing me along. Oh, and Mike too.

 

 

Two Kilts and 3 lungs across Scotland: Pt4

Day 10:

Away at 8am. The midges were biting – this was probably a revenge attack after I gave them such a good seeing-to the previous evening.

Photo for attention. Obv.

More non-existent paths followed, I found it difficult to make decent headway, making a navigational error at one point – although in my defence I was just trying to avoid the man-eating, fetid, swampy bogland. I failed.

For Dawn. And AlanR

 

For Judith

It was hot again. We hit on some tarmac and a section of the Cateran Trail and after a while we arrived at the much anticipated Wee Bear Cafe.

The cafe, in spite of what the website said, was closed. Hrmph.

Loch of Lintrathen

 

 

I really needed a breather so we stopped for an hour or so on a lovely grassy verge and raided our food & drink supplies.

Our water bottles were now empty, but a knock on a front door soon resulted in them being refilled by a nice lady.

Mike had guesstimated where we might camp, but when we got there we needed to nettle-bash our way for quite a while before we eventually found a suitably flat and remote spot – next to a river. And in woodland. And there wasn’t any wind. But there were loads of midges.

If there were any natives or horses around I’m sure I’d have scared the living daylights out of them: I was so hot, sweaty, sticky and (probably) smelly, I needed a good top-to-toe wash down outside of my tent. Thankfully I managed this BEFORE the midge onslaught.

Tea was home made & home dehydrated pasta bolognese, supplemented with the last of my cheese – delish!

Much of the day’s walking was on tarmac, very little in the way of traffic, but still tiring. I slept well.

Cuckoo count: 2

Day 11:

I woke to the sound of a deer barking …or it might have been someone snoring.

The tents were wet with morning dew. The sun was shining brightly but because we were pitched in woodland there was little chance of the tents drying out before we wanted to leave.

We planned on an earlier start so as to avoid the heat of the day

The pollen was playing merry hell with my eyes & nose – clouds of the stuff were released as we walked through the waist-high grass.

Much tarmac again today. We decided on a re-route, going via Kirriemiur where we arrived by 10am. On the face of it this was A Good Thing, but it was a Monday….and Kirriemuir is closed on Mondays.

We managed to find a bakery where Big Bridies were on offer, and if you’ve not had a Big Bridie, you should!

We enjoyed our Big Bridies in public view (it’s legal in Scotland) under the watchful eye of Peter Pan. 

The sun had vanished and it had cooled nicely making the rest of our march quite comfortable.

On to Forfar (Five) and the Caravan Club site where we would camp. I’m a member of the Caravan Club and so enjoy preferential pricing, but it was still bloody expensive for two one-man tents.

Skippy & Julie arrived soon after, we’d not seen them since Glasgow Queen Street. We arranged to meet up with them later for a nosh…..and maybe a beer. Or two.

A pleasant evening followed: much beer plus an excellent meal in the Forfar (Five) Castle Club. If in Forfar (Five) and looking to eat, you won’t go far wrong with this place.

10.30pm skies

A tweetful night followed – birdies sing all night. To make matters worse, Caravan Club sites have illuminated pillars all over the place – 24 hour lightness. I’m sure the overnight lightness kepts the birds awake.

Day 12:

Not a great deal to say about the day’s walking, more tarmac just about sums it up.

The enormous & delicious Scottish breakfast provided by Kenny’s Cafe must be mentioned. I ate too much. Far too much!

Earlier we’d stopped at a butty shop not far from the campsite to pick up butties for lunch. The nice lady in the shop gave us a large punnet of strawberries to help us on our way. Mike was delighted.

Letham, our next port of call, was as closed as Kirriemuir, but we DID find a bakery that supplied us with tea.

 Doors for Rob

On to Friockheim (which isn’t in Germany), the name means ‘'Heather Home' from the Gaelic 'fraoch' (heather) and the German 'heim' (home). It is pronounced 'free-come'. The birth of the village took place soon after 1814 when Thomas Gardyne of Middleton succeeded his brother as the laird of Friock and feued the land to Mr John Andson of Arbroath.’

Info from the Friockheim website.

 Another door for Rob

A pub presented itself, just in time. In we went, and although it didn’t serve food, we stayed…until quite late actually. Skippy and Julie joined us, and as there was a football match on the telly the pub filled up with supporters eager to watch it in the company of their mates.

It was a lovely surprise to see Marion, famous for lots of things – especially as renowned bacon butty maker at Tarfside.

It was a warm night, and another good night’s sleep followed.

Day 13 – the last day:

A not particularly early start on the final leg of our Challenge, and after a very splendid breakfast, we left Friockheim at around 10am, once again on tarmac.

The pub after the night before

The next pub...closed

 Yet another door for Rob

My feet were complaining, the hard surfaces weren’t doing them any favours at all. To be fair, my boots were well shot, I thought they’d last the Challenge but was mistaken – they’re now ready to be used as plant pots by my front door!

Strawberries!

Minor roads took us to Inverkeilor where we intended to catch a bus to Montrose after we wet our boots in the North Sea.

4km later we arrived at Lunan, it was a VERY long 4km!

 The North Sea...at last

Boots were dipped into the briny, then Mike decided a dip was in order. I rested on the beach, drinking water and eating cheese & oatcakes.

Photographs were taken, a shell from Oban was chucked into the sea – and that was it. Challenge completed, job done.

I ordered a taxi to whisk us off to Montrose to sign out, it cost more or less the same as the bus fare – a no-brainer!

It was wonderful to see the Challenge team of Ali, Alan, Mick, Gayle, and many others – far better than just speaking to them on the phone as we had done on our coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland.

We signed out, drank tea, ate bisuits, collected our certificates and Challenge T-shirts, and that was it – until TGOC2022.

Thanks to Sue & Ali who made TGOC2021 happen, without their drive and determination it couldn’t, wouldn’t have happened. Thanks to the phone-answerers too – Alan, Mick, and Gayle, who carried out the duties to perfection!

Special thanks to Mike, who made me laugh a lot and helped me to walk across Scotland.

 

Midnight in Montrose

 I may have had a few beers that evening.

Possibly.

My (very) Happy Face. Honest.

 

  

Note that some the the photos (in the groups of photos) appear out of order. That's because they ARE out of order....ask Blogger / Google, and address complaints to them.