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You have to make the most of the weather - we might not get another summer like this for years, so my friend and I decided to grab a day locally.
We left the car park at Lindinny Wood at about 10am and set off up the wide path into the trees completely missing the beautiful old oak tree that I read about after we got home!
The red berried elders in the wood were in grand form absolutely covered in berries. The berries and wild flowers are having a bumper year in the lovely sunshine.
We actually meant to go up the path parallel and to the north of the one we took, but found ourselves on the longer more southerly path, but hey ho! It meant we missed the pond which was a shame, but we can go back.
Just before we joined the Southern upland way, we spotted the Brethren on the skyline and then came out onto the edge of the moorland. It was quite a clear day so we could see all round the Borders from Hardens Hill in the northeast, to Black Law and the hills around St Mary's loch to the west. The Eildons to the east looked close and the Yarrow Water's meadows looked lovely to the southwest.
- the Eildons looking close and a bit fuzzy
- Sunshine down towards the Yarrow Water
- pretty gate at the top
We sat on the top of the hill for ages, because it was just so lovely and we were trying to identify everywhere all around us. Friend was trying to spot the farm she grew up on but we reckoned it was behind a hill.
We counted wind farms and I can't remember whether it was 6 or 7 now.
The heather and short hill grass was buzzing with insects of all sorts (except any biting ones luckily).
- The Three Brethren, they've run out of things to say to each other. Not a squeak!
Eventually we stirred our stumps and set off westerly along the Southern Upland Way again for a couple of hundred yards before we turned off into the trees again.
Though a lot of this walk was through trees, mostly coniferous, there were views and glimpses of views for a lot of the route and it was just so lovely to be out.
We saw a poor faded and shaggy fritillary, I think a Dark Green Fritillary. I'm always thinking or wishing I'd seen any sort of fritillary, but this time I think I have...
- What do you think?
As we came down out of the woods we came to a lovely meadow full of wild flowers, that looked like a wildlife paradise, probably known as wasteland by some, and came out at the Tweed riverbank. We couldn't resist taking off our boots and paddling in the lovely clear cold water.
After passing between newly sewn pasture fields we came through the old garden at Yair, with terraced gardens to the right and huge old trees to the left and a bridge over the track joining the parts of the garden. Having not studied the map much before we set off, it came as a lovely surprise to me. Most unexpected!
Passing the farm yard at Yair, we headed down past the old kennels and got a glimpse of the lovely old house at Yair, in it's gentile policies. There was a 2 to 3 foot herbaceous plant that looked a bit valerianish, but the leaves weren't right. Anyone recognise it? There was a musky smell in the air as we walked past it.
- could it be Pyrenean Valerian?
Then we were back on the road just yards away from the starting point of our walk. Past the green and yellow house (perfectly matching the Lady's mantle growing in front of it), and the Yair Bridge.
I'll have to go back because there are about 6 different routes up this hill.