White Meldon and the Tweed from Peebles

[thepigguy]

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I'd arrived in Edinburgh from Orkney the night before, fully aware that, after a shocker of a winter in the islands, a handful of low-level walks and a couple of trips up 169m Marilyn Fitty Hill hadn't been enough to get me properly fit.

White Meldon seemed a good place to see exactly how out of condition I was - not too challenging, or even challenging at all. However, the beautiful March weather persuaded me to take on a wee bit more than the standard "up-from-the-toilet-block" baggers' route.

So, bus pass at the ready, I jumped on the X62 down to Peebles. From the bus stop by the post office I stocked up with goodies/fuel in the bakery on the main street and headed to the clock tower, turning right and making my way through the "suburbs" to pick up the Cross Border's Drove Road on the edge of town.

Peebles - turn right here

The Cross Borders Drove Road follows this track from a sharp corner in the road

Gradually gaining height and (I'll not tell a lie) puffing and sweating a bit, I reached a junction by Hamilton Hill where a path turns off to the left. I could have continued along the track down to the north side of White Meldon, but the walk alongside and over Hamilton Hill towards the nearby mast was really enjoyable.

Gaining height gradually

Looking over to Dundreich

Path to the left at Hamilton Hill

Looking back to Peebles

Aiming for the transmitter mast

White Meldon from the transmitter mast

From there I dropped down to the track and walked a short way towards the farm before branching off through a field, passing quietly past heavily pregnant ewes and up to a gate which, although tightly tied up, was easy enough to climb.

I followed a path/sheep track parallel with the stone wall, then a variety of atv and animal tracks over Clock Knowe before dropping down again, climbing a low fence and setting off up the last ascent to White Meldon.

Up through the field. The gate is towards the top lefthand corner.

Path heading for Clock Knowe

ATV track over Clock Knowe

The top of the hill is a great spot, particularly on a fine day, and I wandered around the remains of the old fort, sat down and had some lunch and generally enjoyed the feeling of being at the top of a new hill, even a fairly modest one.

White Meldon looking towards the Moorfoots.

White Meldon looking towards Broughton Heights

White Meldon summit from the massive cairn

After about half-an-hour, I set off roughly south-west, intending to pick up the road near the cattle grid. The quickest way would probably have been straight to the toilet block, but I wanted to keep the road trudging to a minimum.

As it was I had a short battle through reeds and spongey ground to get to the side of a fast-moving Meldon Burn and, finding no obvious place to cross without going back some distance, I got the boots off and paddled across. My feet were grateful!

Tinto and Culter Fell in the distance, descending to the road

Cooling off in Meldon Burn

Dropping down to the main road, I follwed that for a short way before turning off for Lyne Station and the old Symington, Biggar and Broughton railway, which closed in 1966 and is now a footpath alongside the River Tweed.

Near Lyne Station

The old railway track

It was a lovely walk in the warm sunshine, passing the road bridge near Edston and crossing the railway bridge by South Park Wood to investigate the old tunnel entrance, before following the riverside path under Neidpath Castle and then through Hay Lodge Park to Peebles town centre and the bus stop (with a quick stop for a much-needed pint!)

Lovely old bridge across the Tweed

The Tweed from the railway bridge. The path back to Peebles is on the left bank

The old railway bridge

Neidpath Castle