15.5 miles – Strong winds swiftly alternating sunshine and clouds, some of which delivered stinging rain I crossed the border into England at 12:27, 38 days and half an hour after starting my trek. England.… Day 39: Kirk Yetholm – Cheviot Hills (White Law – Black Hag – The Schil – Windy Gyle – Beefsand Hill)
On which I watched the rain thunder onto the ground through the hostel window. Do they have summer in Scotland or just days off from winter?
18.8 miles – light showers clearing to warm sunshine and puffy clouds I awoke at 5:00 to the sound of what, in my bleary half-sleep sounded like prison doors being unbolted. Coming to and remembering… Day 37: Dere Street – Cessford – Morebattle – Town Yetholm – Kirk Yetholm
13.6 miles – showers, some heavy Unlikely as it may seem, the campsite in Melrose town centre partly occupies land which doubles as the local primary school’s playing fields. I muzzily dragged myself from bed… Day 36: Melrose – Newtown St Boswells – St Boswells – Dere Street
21.9 miles – sullen skies, desultory rain later on There was a ‘hard route’ and an ‘easy’ route on offer: the former covered 22 miles to Melrose over the hills, the latter on a lane… Day 35: Kirkhope Law – Traquair – Tweed Valley – Melrose
20.5 miles – heavy showers, cheeky sunshine in between some A day spent on the old drove roads – at least in theory. Soon after leaving West linton I foolishly followed the official route, which… Day 34: West Linton – Peebles – Kirkhope Law
20.6 miles – a wicked wind, splattering rain The journey as far as Lanark was along a chain of four long-distance paths, I pick up another chain of trails at West Linton; the 20 miles… Day 33: Lanark – Carstairs – Carstairs Junction – Newbigging – Dunsyre – Dolphinston – West Linton
20.1 miles – a wylie breeze, flitting clouds, dancing sunshine It rained all night, but kindly stopped as I awoke; the clean-washed world sparkled in the sunshine. I followed the Clyde Walkway all day, mostly… Day 32: Motherwell (almost) – Motherwell (itself) – Clydesdale – Lanark
18.7 miles – clouds with occasional weary sunshine in the morning and sullen rain later The Clyde Walkway takes over where the Kelvin Walkway leaves off; however, it didn’t manage to inspire me as the… Day 31: Glasgow (Youth Hostel – Charing Cross – City Centre – Dalmarnock) – Carmyle – Newton – Uddingston – Bothwell – Motherwell (almost)
on which I found the disused railway station at Glasgow Botanic Gardens and encountered some impressive tropical tree ferns in the process.
13 miles – warm, cloudy, occasional sunshine A peaceful leafy start to the day through Mugdock country Park; however, little by little nameless industrial smells mingled with the elder, and the warning beeps of reversing… Day 29: Craigallain Loch – Mugdock Country Park – Milngavie – River Kelvin – Maryhill – North Kelvinside – Glasgow (Youth Hostel)
15.6 miles – dry, overcast, humid, some sunshine later The first eight miles today retraced my steps of the last eight miles yesterday, so you see, you didn’t miss anything! After the wilderness of the… Day 28: Balloch – Forth & Clyde Junction Railway – Blane Valley Railway – Craigallain Loch
20.9 miles – warm, sunny, virtually cloudless Maybe it was the tranquility of the morning, or the sun on the lush, dewy grass, or the scent of honeysuckle and warm bracken that sent my mind… Day 27: Loch Lomond (Sallochy) – Bramaha – Drymen – Forth & Clyde Junction Railway – Balloch
12.5 miles – sun and clouds, never too hot nor too cold, perfect walking weather I spent the whole day winding south on the eastern shore of Loch lomond. Sometimes I was by the water’s… Day 26: Loch Lomond (opposite Island I Vow – Inversnaid – Rowardennan – Sallocy)
11.0 miles – Puffy clouds with sunshine in between, a sprinkling of showers Crianlarich Station has a tea room, waiting room, and toilet. The tea room was full of customers, even though the next train… Day 25: Crianlarich – Loch Lomond (opposite Island I Vow)
19.1 miles – Heavy rain in the morning, mostly dry with occasional sunshine in the afternoon The wind howled around my tent all night and the rain cascaded like a waterfall. It was still pouring… Day 24: Loch Tulla (almost) – Bridge of Orchy – Tyndrum – Crianlarich
17.3 miles – misty rain or drizzle I spent the day among the clouds (as the photos show) where the tiny raindrips learn to be full-fledged raindrops, thence to fall upon walkers and make them… Day 23: Kinlochleven – Glencoe – Rannoch Moor – Loch Tulla (almost)
14.4 miles – cloudy with token sunny blobs, rain towards evening We had stayed up late, the hostel receptionist and I, because we feared the man who had slept in the bed next to mine… Day 22: Glen Nevis Hostel – Kinlochleven
