free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Sundays off work are rare, and it's even rarer that they coincide with a good weather forecast. We headed down to the Scottish Borders for our first visit to the area around Duns - I can't recall now, but presumably the forecast for the Highlands wasn't as good. The Tour de Scotland cycle race was taking place, so we decided on a walk around Duns Castle estate with the aim of getting back to Duns just as the cyclists went past.
The circuit started with a very easy climb through forest to the summit of Duns Law, where there are good views towards the town and Cheviot Hills, and also a monument to the Covenanters:
The descent path mapped out on Walkhighlands was impassable due to overgrown vegetation, so we doubled back a little further than expected to a path which heads right on the western edge of the woodland.
This emerges onto the open field about halfway along via a makeshift "stile":
The water body at the bottom of the field has an unusual name: Hen Poo... is this just a shortening of Hen Pool? Views of the, err, poo, are restricted by trees, but there are a few glimpses of the water:
The route then heads north along a forest track to a second lochan:
After this, there's a pretty section of path through Castle Wood:
Just the 8 signposts!
Back on a track, the next stretch was very muddy due to logging activities...
The last mile is all road walking, first past Duns Castle on a quiet lane and then along the main road back into Duns. We arrived in town in plenty of time to see the Tour de Scotland go by: