Please read to the end before passing judgement...

More than eight weeks of lockdown had passed. Eight weeks of urban walks, getting excited by the normally mundane. Wildlife - a pigeon. A sea view - between tower blocks. A hill - well, a molehill at least.

We needed something different. One exception wouldn't hurt, surely? Time to stretch the boundaries, with a blow-out trip to the Highlands, Borders and coastline in a single day.

With the Highlands up first, an early start was required, but the roads were very quiet indeed, and the local car parks seemed oddly deserted. After a short walk-in, a tall wooden post indicated where to leave the track to head into the pathless wilderness:



Thick vegetation soon made the going arduous, but it was good to get out of the urban setting:



A potentially tricky burn crossing was fortunately negotiated safely thanks to the recent dry spell:



Having finally reached the foot of the mountain, the path temporarily improved, with steps initially helping with the ascent - though with aching legs by the time we reached the top.



The crux, however, was a tricky scramble up a rocky step with some exposure...



...but the view from the summit was worth it!



After enjoying the panorama, it was time to head back down in order to leave enough time for the rest of our action-packed day out. Next there was time for a quick trip to the beach:



On the way home, we decided to "pop into" lovely Melrose for a few minutes. Obligatory photo stop at the big red sign:



What an epic day out!

Or was it?

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) all was not as it seemed. The wooden post indicating where to leave the "track" was really just a stick stopping cars grazing a manicured lawn.



Pathless terrain? Well, sort of...



Not so much a raging torrent as a piddling trickle:



On second thoughts, the steps weren't that tiring after all.



As for the dangerous scramble? It would make even Blackford Hill look serious by comparison.



And the view was far from the most dramatic we've experienced over the years.



The beach was also rather small:



And finally, even the trip to Melrose was a bit... rubbish.



Never mind - we still enjoyed our plod around the local golf course. The Highlands, Borders and coastline will be there for another day.