The Southern Upland Way: Scotland's Coast to Coast

Thirlstane castle campsite to wild camping in the Lammermuir Hills

Sunday 15th April
Lauder to the Lammermuir Hills


Lazily we take a nap before we leave, having over-worked ourselves the day before	Thirlstane castle

Having over-worked ourselves the day before we lazily get up, and its 3 o'clock before we even consider leaving. We stock up on our last 3 days worth of food at the local grocer, who sells honeymoon slices, so needless to say we stocked up on a good 15 of them. The shop owner tells us they've walked the West Highland Way about 15 years ago. They were so heavily packed, that one didn't even finish it and one of them took a hairdryer with them. We hear the weather is going to cool off over the next few days. Today its boiling hot, are feet have had it and we are absolutely knackered. We admit that we don't want to walk today. However it would be a good idea with we could at least walk 7 miles today so that we are left with two 71/2 mile days. The energy really has gone out of us. Last night it was Jo who spearheaded the troop over the Roman Road, bullying Alan into going very fast, and Alan found it a push to keep up with her and take photos at the same time.

We finally leave at 3:20pm, our latest start ever! Leaving the campsite we pass a couple who have done the West Highland Way 8 times! They recommend St Cuthberts Way and Wainwrights Coast to Coast.

The Way takes us round the side and the back of Thirlstane Castle, which happens to be closed on a Sunday so no opportunity to waste more time. Although the view of the castle is mostly obscured by trees from the way, you do get a good view of it as you pass round the back.Things are cooling off and the perpetual haze is turning into white fluffy clouds.


Thirlstane Pond	Valley of the Blythe Water

After a short walk out of Lauder we stop for a break to take the opportunity to tuck into some more Honeymoon slices, and spreadable cheese on tomato oatcakes - fabulouso. We pass over Park Hill, a nice easy climb for two exhausted walkers, and get a view back to the Eildon Hills, showing very faintly through the haze. Its all really just farmland and really boring stuff. In the next valley we pass what we think is Thirlstane Pond, with a couple of geese on it making rather a racket. There's a bench in the stone wall here, which Jo waits for Alan on as he goes and takes some photo.

Through a barren moorland with numerous, mysterious quants of rock sitting around. Manmade messy cairns for no apparent reason. We cross a bridge constructed by Queens University OTC in 1993. Tens and tens of rabbits scarpering about allerts us to a sandy hill absolutely riddled with warrens. Now we're in the great, flat broad humps of the Lammermuir Hills. We pass over the top of one of these humps called Scoured Rig and join a track which leads past some farmhouse buildings before climbing onto the expansive moorland that is the Lammermuir Hills.


Bridge over the Blythe Water.	We start climbing into the Lammermuirs


We get a good sensation of height.	We follow the track over the moors of the Lammermuirs

We go into grouse moorland, as warned on the sign, and again we can see little panels that are put in the top rungs of the fences to make them more visible to the almost blind black grouse. Well we got plenty of clouds now but no haze due to it being evening, which massively improves the visiblity, and we can see a lovely view back to the Eildon Hills. We pass some grouse butts and figuring we've probably walked enough for the day, look for a place to set up camp. Unfortunately we find ourselves lacking water and look to our map to see where we can find some. Jo says that if we can make it to Gairmuir Rig, we can walk a couple of hundred metres South-East of the way to find the start of a small stream which eventually joins Boondreigh Burn.

On finding some water we make camp in the evening sun.

We find the stream with a nice flat piece of raised land next to it and make camp. The stream is so narrow at this point that Jo has to use a cup to spoon the water into our waterbottles. The sun sets soon after we make camp, throwing a red and yellow glow around the moors.

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The Southern Upland Way: Scotland's Coast to Coast

Thirlstane castle campsite to wild camping in the Lammermuir Hills

Sunday 15th April Lauder to the Lammermuir Hills

Sunday 15th April
Lauder to the Lammermuir Hills