Well, that didn't take long! Today's hike was just over 6.5 miles. I set off at 10.30 am having spent some time at Melrose Abbey, the starting point of the walk.
It's an absolutely lovely and typical Abbey Ruin, complete with audio guide, cloisters, lavatory and ...
... a sacristy! Yes, this is actually the sacristy. You can tell by its clever storage of liturgically appropriate folding chairs.
This Cistercian Abbey seems to have been built and knocked down several times since its foundation in the 600s. But you can still climb the stairs to the top of the south transept which has amazing views of the village and the Eildon Hills.
And, I think I found the Virgers' Office. Feels just like home. The size is appropriate, since virgers in those days wouldn't likely have to find space for computers or filing cabinets. But I couldn't find a plug for a kettle - poor virgers.
And here began the walk - just at the gates of the Abbey.
Followed almost immediately by an enormous climb up the Eildon Hills. This was quite a way to start the journey but what a rewarding view!
The descent down the other side of the hill through a covered forest towards the town of Bowden was just as rewarding. In Bowden, I found four farmers shearing and spraying their sheep. I watched for a little while - the shearer was so fast. Each sheep only took a couple of minutes and was then pushed down a chute, where it jumped up, shook itself off, kicked its heels together and ran off to join its other newly naked friends. I imagine they were quite glad to get rid of their winter coats!
The path then followed a little river and along a road where I found the perfect stump to sit on to enjoy my lunch and a flask of tea.
Finally, the last leg of the day was alongside the River Tweed through a beautifully shaded and maintained path with lots of bridges and stairs to help navigate the river bank. The wild garlic was nearing its end but was still very fragrant. It was a short but challenging walk today. Tomorrow will be just over eight miles - but mostly on flat terrain - so I'm glad to get this uphill bit out of the way early!
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