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I parked just off Dingleton Road, near where St Cuthbert's Way heads up into the hills. I followed the path up a flight of wooden steps and up a straight narrow path between a hedge and a field of sheep. Looking back, the mist settled over Melrose was visible.
After passing a couple of fields there is a fork in the track, and a bench memorial to the worthy walker of renown John Gilmour Henderson. At this point I had planned to take a path marked on the map which headed around the west side of Eildon Hill North. However, not only did it take three attempts to find that path, but once on it I found it very quickly petered out in a thicket of impenetrable gorse. Defeated, I returned to St Cuthbert's Way, which would get me to the col between North and Mid hills. As I passed the bench, I had the thought that John was sitting there, shaking his head at me with a wry smile.
- Looking back down on Melrose
I made it around and up onto North without further incident. There were fine views all around, particularly the blanket of mist lying over Teviotdale.
- Melrose and Galashiels from further up
- Eildon Mid and Wester Hills from Eildon Hill North
- Newstead and the A68 bridge over the Tweed, with Black Hill in the middle
- Teviotdale under a blanket of mist
Descending North I could see two clear paths up Mid Hill ahead. The decision of which to take was made for me when I saw other walkers heading up the right hand one. So I went up the steeper looking left one.
- Looking back at Eildon North from Mid, with the Cheviots rising in the distance
- Eildon Mid is a short but steep climb
Arriving at the top a few minutes before the other party I enjoyed the 360 degree views, with the help of the arrows on the round view pointer thing.
- The trig and view finder on Eildon Mid
- Coming down Eildon Mid, with Little Hill in front
I headed down the other side towards the pond between Mid and Wester hills. Taking a short-cut along a narrow path in the heather was a mistake - I got soaked from the thighs down. I took the muddy path past the pond and then onto a path heading directly up Wester Hill.
- The pond between Mid and Wester Hills - very muddy here
The climb only took a few minutes. After a brief stop at the summit I headed down a path heading north-east. This went through the edge of Broad Wood to the east of Mid Hill. I then turned to pass between Mid and North, crossing my previous route.
- Coming down from Wester, with Mid and North in full view
- Some woodland to walk through for a nice bit of variety
Rather than re-joining St Cuthbert's Way I stayed on a path north-west towards where "Bourjo" is marked on the map. This path was little more than a line of red mud through the heather, with a stream running down it.
Further down, around about the point where a spring is mentioned on the OS map, I succumbed to the forces of gravity and excess lubrication (mud, not drink) and fell. I was now caked in red mud from arse to toes. My phone was in a right state too, though still appearing to function.
- The path is basically red sandstone mud with a stream running down it - a recipe for the inevitable tumble further down
From there I cut north-east and met up with St Cuthbert's Way again. Passing John's bench again, I imagined him now having a good laugh at the state I was in. If there's a moral, I suppose it is to stay on the path of the saint
