Jedburgh Tuesday 02 June 2015
Start: Byrness
Finish: Jedburgh
Miles walked today: 20
Total miles: 683
Scotland! Home of the haggis. Land of the SNP. Makers of whisky. What's not to like?
I passed a real milestone today - and left England behind me. Funnily enough, the weather perked up a bit too.
My alarm.was set for 6.15 and I left my wet tent to get my self service breakfast. Tent down, packed and a quick photo of Dan (on the left below) and Keith. They are both headed for Kirk Yetholm, the end of the Pennine Way. It's a very long day for them.
My route starts with a long climb out of Byrness up the side of the river Rede's valley. I'm protected by lots of fir trees, so when I get to the top and the open moor the wind quite literally takes my breath away. It's blowing from the west, across my path, and I'm leaning at a ridiculous angle to counter it.
A few miles of boggy, windy walking and I get to my turn off (second photo below). The PW goes slightly right, and I follow the fence to the left - into Scotland! Passport control is nowhere to be seen, so I carry on.
The path eventually takes me to paved tracks, and drops enough for the wind to ease. Nearer Jedburgh, I'm walking in shorts and T shirt and the sun is shining overhead.
Ready for the next bit of excitement? Entering Jedburgh, I find a laundry, manned by Colin Crozier. Colin makes me a coffee, insists I take some biscuits, and does my washing.
He's lived a full and varied life, and doesn't look anything like his 75 years. Lots of people pop in to say hello and chat. Colin emigrated to New Zealand in the sixties, and married a Kiwi, but returned to his native Scotland a few years ago. His four children and (I think) nine grandchildren are spread out over Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.
He is a flugelhorn player in a brass band, and a bit of a bard:
It's easy enough to be pleasant
When life goes by like a song
The man worthwhile
Is the man with the smile
When everything goes dead wrong
We shake hands and I leave Colin and wander off to find a b&b - the lovely Akaso-Uram at 7 Queen Street which is perfect.
Jedburgh has an abbey, a jail, and a castle. It's a pleasant place to wander around and take photos of.
Kenonymous's latest donation and suggestion:
"SCOTLAND JIMMA!!!! Wull ya be havina joug of Hadrians Border Brewery 'Coast ta Coast' ta celebrute eh pal? You're sort-of doin' tha' like anywho :-)"
I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to speak like that in the pub...
