The idle ramblings of a wandering Scotsman
The Minch Moor Road is one of the oldest in the Borders. Once a drove road between the Tweed and Yarrow valleys, it has found a new lease of life as a popular walking route as part of the Southern Upland Way. Journey along it to find a royal castle, imposing cairns and a hideout used by William Wallace.
Continue reading “The Minch Moor and the Three Brethren”
After an unsuccessful attempt last year in less pleasant weather, I set off on a sunny Easter Sunday in search once more of the elusive smuggler’s cave on Bewick Moor known as the Cateran Hole.
Continue reading “The Cateran Hole”
What would you do if you were offered the choice between death or to be married to the ugliest woman alive? Find out what happened when one bold Reiver had to make this very choice on a walk through Thornielee Forest.
Continue reading “Thornielee Forest”
Many a Scot knows the tale of the Battle of Killiecrankie, where Bonnie Dundee met his end. Yet the soldiers who fought that day would scarcely recognise the large loch that sits near the southern entrance to the pass.
Journey through the peaceful woodland at the shores of Loch Faskally, but watch out for Jacobites in the Pass of Killiecrankie. After climbing high above in search of mountain vistas, follow the more sensible example of Queen Victoria and pay a visit to the majestic Linn of Tummel. Finally, return to the modern era with the dawn of hydroelectric power, forever changing Highland life.
In the centre of Pitlochry, next to a pub, stands an old waterwheel. Several such wheels once stood along the Moulin burn, powering the various mills and machinery that operated in Pitlochry in days gone by. This walk follows the burn back towards its source on the lonely moors high above the town, and up to the summit of the mighty Ben Vrackie.
Continue reading “Ben Vrackie”
Venture into the Abbot’s Land and climb into the woodland above the River Tummel for spectacular views of Pitlochry and the hills of northern Perthshire.
Continue reading “The Clunie Path”
A word to describe this walk near Hawick could easily be “forgotten” — with ruined cottages, ancient settlements, a disused railway line and an abandoned military camp all to uncover, it’s certainly fitting. Find out about Scotland’s wartime history as you venture into the hills; you may be near one of the Borders’ largest towns, but the sense of isolation and tranquility is ever present.
Continue reading “Stobs Camp and Penchrise Pen”