To mark the end of a Scottish lockdown, the start of a cardiac rehabilitation plan and the first time seeing, my daughter, Crystal, for many months we decided to do an easy stage of the Southern Upland Way. We took 3 dogs of all temperaments and ages.
We dropped a car in Lauder and then parked by Melrose Rugby club where there was a sneaky little path down to the river.
As a lover of bridges, the Melrose chain Bridge is as lovely as any and a great landmark to start at. We saw this first doing the Borders Abbey Way with my parents. I have looked in vain for one of my pictures to place here. Social distancing is not possible when meeting folks crossing the bridge opposite way so Ozzy proceeded to cause a tailback as he goes weak at the knees at the thought of a bridge and crossed very slowly. I told him not to look down and that it was reassuringly secure and not prone to wobbles but he was not convinced.

The trail goes along the north bank of the Tweed heading West before joining a small section of road, with pavement, and then starting a climb up a track through long grass. We met some grass strimmers and a few dogs along the banks of the Tweed but Layla only barked at the first group and then sat calmly enough whilst others walked by. Isolation does little to help puppies develop socially but we will get there. After the road we met no other walkers at all. We decided the gradient was no worse than Larriston at home and at steady pace Des did absolutely fine. We had St John ambulance staff to hand!
The flies were a little annoying but we armed ourselves with spray and trudged on up til the path opened and we could turn back see down to Galashiels in the valley and across to the Eildons. A fine view in fine weather, which it certainly was today.
The path follows a Roman road from England to Edinburgh and is, as always, well marked with the White thistle and yellow arrows and some clear signposts. Only some sections across a field were less than well trodden and it felt like no time at all before we were really on the top section of the walk. The grass was green and lush; the sheep, lambs and cattle and calves looking gloriously healthy. We lunched on a cairn on a stoney area which I thought was a kist initially but then we decided not. Obviously we are below Level 1 in the treasure hunting department as I think this is actually the place. I will need to go back now.

The tracks continued on, very easy walking, rolling up and down. We saw a quad bike with an actual person on it.
We passed through a large field of cows and calves which caused some panic in some and with the three dogs it could have been difficult but they were exemplary and the cows gently grumbled in low warning but moved barely a muscle.
Again the track crossed a few roads and became metalled and more defined. A few puddles, but you could manage easily in trainers today. Again we hit a small road section, passing some angry hay balers with a broken machine and squeezing onto the verge to avoid a couple of tractors with equipment. So many people....
Farms around here look tidy and affluent and the ground productive. A lovely area to farm I am sure. We turned away on to a track heading north west for the last few miles, skirting, rather superfluously, a grey shed via some nettly wooded paths, before regaining the track and climbing up to the top of Woodheads hill (303m).
We crossed a rather busy road through another field or two before the path dropped steeply through a little meadow down to a stile. There were paths aplenty to right and left amongst little plantations. We lost height quickly down the meadow (our first real descent of the day) and the dogs had their first stile challenge, having to jump the dry stone wall as there was no gate here.
The area opened up again to reveal beautiful valleys and lush grass and Lauder Burn nestling below. We climbed again very briefly to a marker post by the golf course and looked up and down the valley.
We turned more Easterly here, walking along the edge of the golf course where we spied a few benches, the first since the Tweed. A few folks were flagging now and the dogs were out of water. Amazingly, we had picked the best day of the week, getting no rain all the walk. It was 21 degrees but cloudy and humid and there was little in the way of streams for the dogs once we left the Tweed.
From here the last bit of a mile was just a slow stroll downwards to a car park. Sadly not the one we were in, but a good discovery if we wish to trudge this way again. A few minutes through the back of Lauder found our car and after a diversion for gin, cheese and spinach most dozed on the way home with pink necks and a few horsefly bites to evidence their exertions.
A fine section, well worth doing again. Will need to go back to take more pictures and find my coin treasure......



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