Six balloons in Glenrath

[Jaywizz]

A great weather forecast this week so time to 'collect' some last red Walkhighlands balloons in the Manor valley south of Peebles.
The entrance verge at Glenrath is now guarded by boulders but a little further along the road there is space for a car to park near a track on the west side of the road (NT 207342).

Then it was back to Glenrath farm and buildings where a good track skirts most of the buildings and continues up Glenrath. According to www.pastmap.org.uk/ , this valley must have been well settled until Medieval times, so we were variously distracted looking for sites of prehistoric settlements, enclosures and Medieval villages. Now the only house at the head of the glen is that of the keeper, and the old drove road that leads south from Glenrathope is used by shooting parties to gain the high grouse moors above Windy Neese (wonderful name!!!)

Looking back down Glenrath valley, large bank of solar panels at the keeper's house

That's me in the distance taking wide zig-zags up the unrelenting slope

Once on the high ground it was an short walk over to the summit of Middle Hill, Glenrath Heights.

First red WH balloon turns blue - summit of Glenrath Heights

An easy walk continues north over short heather towards .... and then we were distracted by three balloons caught in the fence!

Balloons number 2, 3 and 4 of the day - but we missed the party

Continuing along the high ground, our way swung west, still pleasant underfoot, and there by the fence, another balloon!

Not a red grouse, just an Angry Bird (maybe he missed the party too!) Balloon number 5

Approaching the last WH red balloon of the walk, Stob Law summit - balloon number 6 of the day!

Now our descent dropped west over Glenrath Hill taking in yet another site of a a Medieval village by a small pine plantation.

On the way down. Wood Hill, site of Macbeth's Castle, prominent in the centre of the Manor Valley.

It was a most enjoyable walk, and, as with so many of these less frequented hills, hardly any litter. In fact we only came across one bright purple chocolate wrapper (I didn't want the farmer to think we had dropped it!) and sadly, no historic artefacts - but I did find a metal medallion from a Jack Nicklaus golf course. Bizarre.
I should add we also removed the balloons - fairly indigestible to any livestock, I suspect
Many thanks to McMole for his company, the driving and several of the photos.

[rockhopper]

Cracking day for it - haven't got to these donalds yet but they're on the to do list - cheers