Читать книгу The Border Country - Alan Hall H. - Страница 7
ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
Grey recumbent tombs of the dead in desert places,
Standing stones on the vacant wine-red moor,
Hills of sheep, and the homes of the silent vanquished races,
And winds, austere and pure.
R L Stevenson
The Border Hills and Southern Uplands
Between England and Scotland lies the solitude of an upland area which, though neglected by rambler and mountain walker alike, offers to both a wealth of adventure. Although linked to the north of England and the Lothians of Scotland, this area has, because of its geographical seclusion and its history and tradition, retained its own distinct identity. The Borders region of Scotland (comprising the districts of Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, Ettrick and Lauderdale, and Tweeddale) and the northern fringes of Northumberland constitute the landmass known as the Borders covered in this guide. The population is around 120,000, the majority of whom reside in small towns and villages of which only 14 have more than 1500 inhabitants. This makes the area the second most thinly populated part of Scotland and certainly the most thinly populated part of England. The average space per head in the Borders is one person for every 11 acres, compared with an overall average for Scotland of less than four acres per person.
The fertile farms in the straths (valleys) of the Tweed and Teviot have fostered a fine arable and stock tradition, while the surrounding hills have a reputation second to none for breeding and feeding sheep, proudly producing named breeds such as the Cheviot and the Border Leicester. Allied with the agriculture are twin spin-offs: quality textiles (the shrinking mainstay of the local economy) and food processing. In recent years the industrial base has widened to include industries such as plastics, chemicals, paper production, health care and electronics, all of which has, fortunately, led to the reversal of the population drift and, in the last 15 years, increased the numbers residing in the area. The Borders is also renowned in the field of sport, particularly rugby union.
This Borderland has a character of its own, manifest not only in the green and rounded hills, the glens and bubbling burns, but also in Border legend, poetry and music. It is a subtle character, one that may not be fully understood by a single ascent of Cheviot or a walk in Ettrick Forest, yet as certain as the seasons.
Teviotdale and Hawick from Rubers Law (Walk 25)
The region offers 68 mountains and tops in excess of 2000ft (610m), the highest being Broad Law 2754ft (839m), with only a smattering of rock climbs and several scrambles on scree or in rocky gullies. The highlights of the area, however, are the many long and exhilarating ridge walks, although some include the notorious peat hags of the upper Cheviots. No matter what your tastes, there are walks in this guide to suit all pedestrians and lovers of the countryside, whatever your abilities and secondary interests.
Climate and Weather Patterns
The number of hours of sunshine depends to a certain extent on the height above sea level, in particular in the vicinity of Cheviot, Hart Fell and Broad Law, whose summits attract precipitation and cloud. Lower Tweeddale, the coastal plain and the more sheltered valleys enjoy up to 50 per cent more sunshine than the hills over 2000ft (610m), especially those in the west of the region.
The lapse rate, a reduction of approximately 3°C for every 1000ft (305m) increase in height above sea level, allows a simple calculation to be made in relation to the Border walks. However, sheltered inland valleys can be colder than the summits during the winter months, as cold air tends to drain into the valley floors and form frost pockets, while the converse is true during the summer.
Visibility
The Borders enjoys very good visibility, situated as it is well away from industrial pollution and heavy traffic. Evening and night fogs, should they occur, are formed from water droplets, and as such they invariably clear during the day with the increase in temperature. Sea haars (cold mists or fogs) can be experienced along the Berwickshire coast and may occasionally affect Walk 17 from April to September.
Wind
Based on readings taken at 1000ft (305m), the prevailing wind pattern governing the Border hills and the Southern Uplands is from the southwest – winds blowing from between south and west are at least twice as frequent as from any other point on the compass. Wind speeds for 85 per cent of the year are between 1½ and 18½mph, plus 5 per cent below 1mph (graded as calm). Records show that sustained wind speeds never exceed 46mph, although occasional gusts may do so. April to October are the calmest months to walk the Border hills, with January to March being the coldest and most windy. During the winter months the uplands can be sterilised by cold northeasters that ride in from the Arctic or the continental steppes on the edge of high pressure systems.
Precipitation
With the prevailing wind pattern from the southwest, and influenced by its journey over the Atlantic Ocean, it is the west of the area that receives most rain. The western bastion of the Tweedsmuir Hills has an average annual fall of 89in on Lochcraig Head, 85in on Hart Fell, 83in on Gameshope Loch and 82in on Garelet Dod. The eastern Cheviots (including the Cheviot plateau) by comparison only attract 45in, with the lower western tops receiving on average 36in, emphasising how dry this area is when compared with the annual deluges of 125in occurring in the more ‘fashionable’ areas of the Western Highlands and the English Lakes. At the lower levels in Tweeddale and Teviotdale and on the Merse of Berwickshire the annual rainfall ranges from a mere 26in to 30in. (To convert inches to centimetres multiply by 2.540.)
With showers in mind the peaks and troughs for walking in the Borders are as follows.
The incidence of summer thunderstorms and hail showers in Scotland as a whole, and the Borders in particular, is low, much less frequent than in parts of England. In Edinburgh such phenomena appear on average 7 times a year, in areas of England on average 15 to 20 times a year.
Snow in winter very rarely impedes the walker, even at heights in excess of 2000ft (610m). Any coverings that occur invariably enhance the scene and provide just that little extra challenge.
Evidence from the weather patterns cited above, i.e. from records compiled over the last 20 years, would suggest that the month of June provides the Border walker with the brightest and driest days, the best walking temperatures, little or no wind, good visibility and, of course, long days and short nights. June is closely followed by April, May and July, with only a small reduction in either temperature or hours of sunshine, or an acceptable increase in precipitation. All in all, a very pleasant climate in which to walk.
Heatherhope Valley from Philip Shank (Walk 13)
Flora and Fauna
Upper Heaths and Moors
This type of terrain dominates the Cheviots, Ettrick Forest and the Tweedsmuir Hills, where the dry heaths on the steep upper slopes change gradually into peat bogs on the flatter summits and plateaux. Such heathland contains heather (ling), cotton grass (Scotsman’s heids), and cross-leaved heath, all of which grow happily on the wet and acidic peat. Bilberry (blaeberry) and bell heather prosper on the drier slopes, while on well-drained summit ridges cloudberry, crowberry and dwarf cornal grow, and on the highest hills the rare alpine foxtail may occasionally be found. Grasses that thrive on the Border hills are mainly mat grass (which turns vast areas of the upper Cheviots white in late summer) and wavy hair grass, while in areas of water percolation tussocks of purple moor grass (molinia) make walking difficult. In poor visibility the varying vegetation at higher levels acts as a guide, giving indications of altitude, and warnings of wet and potentially dangerous conditions underfoot.
Sixteen types of bird utilise this habitat to hunt, feed, nest and breed. This area remains one of the last strongholds for species such as the peregrine falcon (in the crags), the merlin (hunts over the heather), the hen harrier, dunlin and golden plover. On the higher craggy hills and gullies, such as Blackhope Glen and the Hen Hole, ravens may be found, although in small numbers, whereas carrion crows (the moorland scavenger) are much more common. Few if any animals and reptiles inhabit the summits and the tops, though summer visits may be made by the fox, the blue mountain hare (with its distinctive white coat in winter), and feral goats. Domestic sheep are to be found at all levels in the Border hills.
Lower Slopes, Ridges, Cols and Open Moorland
These are blanketed by bent grass, fescues and bracken (becoming a great threat) and, growing in the less acidic soils, patches of red fescue. Colour is provided by blaeberry, catspaw, wild thyme, heath bedstraw, rockrose (food for the rare northern brown argus butterfly, Walk 17) and the yellow mountain pansy. Any wet and badly drained areas are clearly indicated by an abundance of rushes and sedge – home to snipe, lizards, slowworms and frogs (newts prefer the lower rocks and burnsides). The shy adder, although venomous, is not classed as a highly poisonous snake and can occasionally be seem in the Cheviots basking on a warm rock before slithering off to hide in the bracken.
Sounds that are music to the hill walker’s ear are provided by two fascinating moorland birds. The distinctive curlew (whaup), with its curved beak and plaintive cry, together with the clown of the fells, the peewit (green plover), are both evident in satisfying numbers. Another interesting inhabitant of the heather moors is the short-eared owl, which sleeps at night and hunts for voles during the day.
With the encroachment of fast-growing pines, larch and spruce, the deer population has greatly increased in recent years, as has the number of stoats, weasels, feral mink and, thankfully, woodpeckers.
Lochs and Coastline
Three natural lochs, St Mary’s Loch, Loch of the Lowes and Loch Skeen, together with the reservoirs of Talla and Megget, are stocked with trout and inhabited by seabirds. The many burns provide a regular diet for the stately heron and fine sport for anglers, and are home to the ring ouzel and the cheeky little dipper. Three lochans on the northern edge of the Cheviot range also act as staging posts for huge numbers of migratory birds and wintering wildfowl, such as greylag and pinkfooted geese.
The cliffs of St Abb’s Head are home to thousands of fulmers, common gulls, razorbills, kittiwakes, shags and puffins, and the clifftops support a carpet of interesting plants. Further and more specific details can be obtained from the information boards displayed on the walks and from local tourist information centres.
History – Time Charts
| Physical | |
| BC | Significant Events Affecting the Area |
| 500,000,000 | Silurian Era: A huge earth movement joined the land masses bearing Scotland and England. |
| 400,000,000 | Devonian Era: Red sandstone and Cheviot lava. |
| 350,000,000 | Carboniferous Era: Calciferous sandstones as found in the Merse of Berwickshire; volcanoes, e.g. the Eildon Hills. |
| 12,000–10,000 | Retreat of the ice sheets. |
| 9000 | Invasion by trees and shrubs, moss and lichen, and other open-ground vegetation. Tundra conditions. |
| 7000 | Significant rise of the North Sea, with the land bridge to the continent severed, forming raised beaches. |
| 6000 | Forests of broadleaved woodland and areas of scrub grew below 2500ft (762m), reducing and replacing areas of coniferous forest. |
| 4000 | Elm tree decline, allowing infiltration by ground vegetation into forest clearings. |
| Human | |
| BC | |
| 6000–3000 | Mesolithic Period: Penetration of settlements along riverbanks, e.g. Rink Farm near Galashiels, Kalemouth and Springwood near Kelso. |
| 3500–2500 | Neolithic Period: Saw the introduction of a basic form of agriculture. |
| 2500–2000 | Development of a hierarchical society in which ceremonial objects such as polished stone axes and maces were made. |
| 2000–1250 | Introduction of new types of ceremonial sites such as beaker burials, individual burials in cairns and cists (stone coffins). The erection of stone circles and standing stones, e.g. Five Stanes Rig, Ninestane Rig and Threestone Burn. |
| 1750 | Bronze Age technology introduced into the Borders. |
| 1500–700 | An age of open settlements and field cultivation together with hilltop meeting places, e.g. the Eildon Hills and the heights surrounding the glen of Heatherhope. |
| 700–500 | Iron Age technology, ring ditches, horseshoe houses with palisaded settlements, e.g. Hownam Rings. |
| 500–200 | Iron Age fortifications, with the development of arable and livestock farming, e.g. Glenrathope and the Street. |
| AD | |
| 80–105 | Roman occupation of the Borders – Flavian’s cohorts established at Trimontium, Melrose. |
| 140–180 | Antonine occupation of the Borders – HQ remained at Trimontium, Melrose. |
| 205–212 | Severan’s Roman campaigns. |
| 400–550 | With the Roman withdrawal a period of tribal warfare, followed by early Christian crusading by the Celtic communities, e.g. the Yarrow Stone. |
| 550–1015 | Northumbrian political and religious domination of the eastern and central Borders. Monastic settlements established at Jedburgh, Old Melrose and Coldingham. |
| 1015 | Battle of Carham; Berwickshire and Teviotdale incorporated into the kingdom of Scotland. |
| 1128–1140 | The four great Border abbeys of Kelso, Melrose, Jedburgh and Dryburgh were completed in the reign of David I of Scotland. |
| 1124–1603 | Continuous conflict between England and Scotland, during which the Borders were trampled underfoot by the armies of both sides. When they had passed through, the reivers (fighting families) on both sides of the Border were at each other’s throats. The reiver had no loyalty save that of a blood relationship. Reiver strongholds were the pele towers such as those at Smailholm, Newark, Dryhope, Kirkhope and, the bloodiest of them all, Hermitage. |
| 1603 | The Union of the Crowns, after which there was a 100 year period of pacification before peace and prosperity came to the Borders. |
River Tweed to Caddonfoot overlooked by Neidpath Hill (Walk 22)
Derelict fort at Yeavering Bell (Walk 1)
Public Rights of Way
This is a grey and troubled area, and it is not within the remit of this guide to go further than state the four criteria needed to establish and maintain a public right of way.
1 It must have been used by the general public for a continuous period of 20 years.
2 It must have been used as a matter of right.
3 It must connect two public places.
4 It must follow a route more or less defined.
The law of trespass differs in England and Scotland, especially with Scotland’s ‘Right to Roam Law’ imminent at the time of this edition’s update, and this guide is not qualified to lead the walker through either maze. The author suggests that a serious and courteous enquiry to the landowner, farmer or shepherd regarding the feasibility of a certain route makes life much easier for all concerned. To show concern for others’ property and privacy, as well as the environment, is to show concern for the entire countryside.
Two publications are recommended:
Public Rights of Way in the Borders Region, Scottish Borders Council, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA
A Walkers Guide to the Law of Rights of Way in Scotland, Scottish Rights of Way Society Ltd, 24 Annandale Street, Edinburgh, EH7 4A. Tel: 0131 558 1222
Access
Rail Links
Two main lines pass through the Border hills and the Southern Uplands, stopping at Berwick-upon-Tweed on the east coast Intercity line, and Carlisle on the west coast Intercity link between Glasgow and the western areas of England and Wales (Carlisle station is connected to the central Borders by the Scottish Borders Rail Link bus).
Frequent Intercity services stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed each day, with several slower stopping trains supplementing this service. Carlisle is served from Glasgow, the west of England, Wales and London. Timetables, tickets and fare details are available from Scottish and English railway stations, and travel agents. The telephone numbers of the two stations serving the area can be found in Appendix 3, Useful Information.
Road Links
The A1(M) and the M1 lead north to Tyneside from the eastern half of England, and from there the A1 continues north to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Scenic routes from Newcastle upon Tyne are the A697 to Wooler and Coldstream (Chapter 1), and the A68 directly through the Cheviots via Jedburgh to Teviotdale and Tweeddale (Chapters 1 and 2). For southbound travellers four roads lead from Edinburgh direct to the heart of the Borders, the A703 to Peebles (Chapter 4), the A7 to Selkirk (Chapter 3), the A68 to Melrose and Jedburgh (Chapters 2 and 1), and the A697 to Kelso and Wooler (Chapters 1 and 2).
To reach the Borders from the southwest of England and Wales, take the M5 then M6 motorways north to Carlisle, then travel northeast on the A7 Borders scenic route to Langholm, Hawick and Selkirk (Chapter 3). From Glasgow use the A74 to Moffat, then northeast via the A708 road to St Mary’s Loch and Selkirk (Chapters 3 and 4).
When a car is used to reach the start of a walk and parking space is limited, care should be exercised to make sure that your parked car does not restrict access and passage for those who live and work in the area.
Bus Services
Long-distance City Link express bus services from 29 major cities and towns (including four airports) in England and Scotland pass through the eastern Borders, stopping at Galashiels, Hawick and Jedburgh. Western fringes of the area are served with long-distance buses from the west of Scotland, England and Wales, calling at Carlisle and Moffat.
Local Services
As in the majority of wild and lonely areas, the Borders are not particularly well served by local bus services. School buses can be used in some areas, as can the post bus (remember that many remote areas have only one delivery or collection per day). To supplement these services from July to September (inclusive) the Harrier Bus is routed to call at the tourist parts other buses do not reach. The majority of walks in the guide can be reached by a local bus service of one type or another, though not always at times to suit the walker, nor can the return trip be guaranteed. Bus timetables are available from the Scottish Borders Council, bus stations, the Scottish Borders Tourist Board and its tourist information centres, and contacts for bookings, etc., can be found in Appendix 3, Useful Information.
Accommodation
The walks are arranged in geographical groups with one base covering several walks, thus reducing the need to be continually hunting for overnight accommodation. A wide and varied selection of accommodation is available in the Borders to suit all tastes and pockets. To assist the walker in finding the most convenient place to stay, all walks descriptions list the nearest village or farmhouse providing accommodation.
Accommodation details and booking arrangements can be obtained from tourist information centres and youth hostels, details of which are given in Appendix 3, Useful Information.
Using the Guide
Aims
The overall aim is to produce a guide that is both comprehensive and as easy to understand as it is to carry, that is both graphically explicit and verbally inspiring, thus enabling the walker to traverse the Borderland with confidence, enthusiasm and enjoyment.
The 46 walks in the guide have all been walked several times, and a few special favourites many times. The journeys, a fraction of the walks available in the Borders, have been planned to suit all tastes, whether they are those of the committed mountain walker or the leisurely valley stroller.
Layout
The area is divided into four – Chapters 1 to 4 – each one self contained and geographically different from its fellows. Chapters 1 and 4 cover the mountainous and hilly sections and obviously contain a high proportion of hill walks, while the walks in Chapters 2 and 3 are of a more gentle nature.
Chapter 1 covers 16 walks in the Cheviot range of hills, lonely and isolated and unchanged over centuries. Chapter 2 describes 11 walks in the romantic valleys of the Tweed and its largest tributary, the Teviot, while Chapter 3 follows in the footsteps of the literary giants of the Borders’ past, with nine walks in the Ettrick Forest. Chapter 4 comprises 10 walks in the massifs of the Moffat and the Manor Hills.
In Chapter 5 there are five long-distance walks that pass through, or start or finish within, the region. These are the final and the toughest 29 miles of the Pennine Way; the final section of the Alternative Pennine Way; the eastern section of the Southern Upland Way; the first half of St Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose through the Cheviot Range; and the Borders Abbeys Way linking the ecclesiastical Border towns of Kelso–Jedburgh–Hawick–Selkirk–Melrose–Kelso. Also included in this chapter are details of seven town trails – walks and strolls of pictorial and historical interest through and round the principal towns of the Borders.
To quickly and easily identify a special interest with a specific walk, refer to the Special Interests Table that follows this section.
At the end of the book are four appendixes. Appendix 1 is a glossary of local dialect words and names relating to the area, together with local pronunciations. Appendix 2 is a bibliography, Appendix 3 (Useful Information) lists addresses for accommodation, transport, various relevant organisations and weather forecasts, and Appendix 4 has a summary of the walks.
Structure of Chapters 1 to 4
Each chapter introduces the area with a portrait of the landscape, followed by a thumbnail description of each of the numbered walks. The individual walks descriptions begin with an information box summarising the hard facts under the headings Distance, Height Gain, Start/Finish, Grade, Walking Time, Maps, Accommodation, Parking. This is followed by a short paragraph summarising that walk, and then a description of the route itself with strategically placed boxes describing items of interest along the way. (These boxes describe places or things encountered en route, and are completely distinct from the route description, so that they can easily be skipped over and returned to at your leisure.)
The route descriptions have easy-to-read maps showing the suggested way, accompanied by a blow-by-blow account of the way itself (with six-figure map references and compass bearings if necessary). Instructions to turn left or right are usually accompanied by a further instruction, e.g. east or west.
The walks are timed using the established formula of W W Naismith. For each 3 miles (4.8km) of linear distance allow 1 hour, and should an ascent be made in that distance add 30 minutes to the walking time for each 1000 feet (305m) of ascent. The resultant times calculated using the Naismith formula have been tempered by my own timings, depending on the type of terrain to be traversed, the weather conditions expected, and the frequency and length of stops. It is not the intention of this guide to map out an assault course.
All walks are graded with a degree of difficulty classification from 1 to 4.
1 Good path, moderate ascent, no navigational problems.
2 Distinct path, steeper ascents, longer walk.
3 Paths rough in places, ascent 2000ft (610m), exposed in places.
4 Few paths, ascent 2400ft (732m) plus, exposed, compass needed.
NW to Aithouse Burn (Walk 27)
Special Interests Table
| Interest | Chapter | Walk |
| Antiquity | 1 | 1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 15 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 20, 21 | |
| 3 | 28 | |
| 4 | 40 | |
| Drove Roads | 1 | 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 |
| 2 | 23, 26 | |
| 3 | 28, 29, 32 | |
| 4 | 45 | |
| Flora and Fauna | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 15 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 20, 21 | |
| 3 | 30, 33, 34 | |
| 4 | 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46 | |
| Geology | 1 | 1, 3, 7, 9 |
| 2 | 17, 20, 21, 22 | |
| 3 | 33 | |
| 4 | 37, 39, 41, 43, 46 | |
| Historical | 1 | 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14,15 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 | |
| 3 | 28, 29, 30, 32 | |
| 4 | 41, 42, 43, 45, 46 | |
| Literary | 2 | 20, 22 |
| 3 | 29, 30, 31 | |
| 4 | 10 | |
| Lochs, Rivers | 1 | 2, 3, 7 |
| Waterfalls | 1 | 2, 3 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27 | |
| 3 | 31 | |
| 4 | 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 46 | |
| Old Industry | 1 | 11, 12, 15, 16 |
| 2 | 21 | |
| Photography | 1 | 1, 3, 7, 9, 11 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 | |
| 3 | 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34 | |
| 4 | 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46 | |
| Religious | 2 | 17, 18, 20, 21 |
| 3 | 30, 31 | |
| 4 | 42, 45 | |
| Scenic Excellence | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
| 2 | 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25 | |
| 3 | 28, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36 | |
| 4 | 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46 | |
| Scrambling | 1 | 7, 9 |
| 4 | 39, 40 | |
| Walks – challenging | 1 | 2, 3, 7, 9 |
| 3 | 33, 34 | |
| 4 | 38, 39, 40, 41, 45 | |
| Walks – gentle | 2 | 17, 18, 19, 24 |
| 4 | 37 |
Clothing and Equipment
Five simple words ease the vexed question of what to wear and what to take on a walk: conditions determine clothing and equipment. Whether that walk is a leisurely stroll on a balmy summer evening, or a mountain hike on a particularly tempestuous day in February, the answer is always the same. Conditions underfoot and overhead will determine the clothing and footwear needed, and what extra equipment, if any, to take in the sack.
Conditions Underfoot
What to Expect on the Border Hills and the Southern Uplands
The Cheviot Hills, Tweeddale, Ettrick Forest and the Tweedsmuir Hills, at levels below 1500ft (457m), are traversed either by farm tracks or grass-covered paths and invariably provide good dry walking. Above 1500ft (457m) conditions vary a great deal, from narrow dry traces over short and springy grass (as found on Hedgehope and Broad Law), to trenches of glutinous peat (the summit plateau of Cheviot).
Areas of wet peat do give the observant walker warning signals. Should a summit or ridge exhibit ‘legs’ of heather running down from the top (similar to a rich brandy sauce flowing over a Christmas pudding), beware, there are peat hags and wet conditions on the apex. Avoid patches of bright-green moss such as sphagnum or featherbed, as they invariably grow over wet-holes. Cotton grass and rushes also signal water underfoot and should be given a wide berth if possible. Bilberry, bents and molinia grass on the other hand signal dry paths, so choose your footwear accordingly.
Lightweight boots or well-soled walking shoes for the lower levels, middleweight leather boots for the higher levels, and leather, rigid-soled boots for scrambling and rock traverses are recommended. Footwear chosen wisely will shorten the journey – take the wrong option and the walk could be a disaster. The question of how many socks to wear is a matter of personal choice, the guideline – be comfortable.
Conditions Overhead
What to expect on the Border Hills and the Southern Uplands
The area, being situated in the eastern half of the country, is not prone to the excess precipitation experienced around Fort William or in the English Lakes. Nor does it suffer from severe cold due to high altitude, as the hills rarely exceed 2500ft (762m), although occasionally, when the air stream is from the northeast, the winds are known locally as ‘thin’. Hours of sunshine are also above the national average, but because of the latitude temperatures never become unbearable. You need clothes to keep you warm and dry in winter, and in summer choose loose-fitting garments made of natural fibres that breathe freely. Also take a hat to protect against the sun’s rays, and carry a large, filled waterbottle.
Two physical factors are of prime importance to the hill walker: temperature and moisture. If both are in balance and agreeable to the pedestrian then the walk will be a pleasure. Should that not be so, and the hiker is ill prepared and ill equipped, he or she is unwisely exposing him or herself to the twin risks of hypothermia and dehydration/heat exhaustion. Hypothermia can strike if the temperature of the body core drops below 37°C in continuous cold and wet conditions. Dehydration or heat exhaustion can be induced by exposing the body, and in particular the head, to excess heat, coupled with an inadequate liquid intake.
Wind is a major factor in deciding what to wear and can have a marked effect in both winter and summer on the Border hills. In winter there is always the threat of a chilling northeaster, so the wind chill factor must always be considered. An increase of 10mph in wind speed can reduce the temperature from 18°C to 7°C, or in colder conditions from 10°C to -13°C. Also bear in mind the lapse rate. The higher the climb, the lower the temperature – for every 1000ft (305m) there is a reduction of about 3°C.
Experienced and committed walkers are sure to carry their favourite talismans to protect them from the evil eye of the elements. For those not yet into the mystique of what’s in the walker’s sack (which should be lined with a binliner), let me list the essentials that are needed for high- and low-level walks in the Borders.
High Level
A windproof and waterproof anorak or cagoule, waterproof overtrousers or gaiters, a woolly hat (cotton in the summer), woollen gloves or mitts, and a survival bag. High-energy food (the average high-level walk in this guide will burn up 1500 calories above the normal metabolic rate), with a hot drink in winter and large filled waterbottle in summer. Emergency rations such as dried fruit, chocolate, glucose tablets, Kendal mint cake, or Christmas cake (in season) should be included for all high and long walks.
Low Level
Walking in summer at the lower levels, particularly in sheltered valleys, can induce heat exhaustion or dehydration if the walker is unprotected and exposed for long periods. A lightweight cotton hat with a floppy brim and a full waterbottle will provide all the protection needed. The debate of shorts versus long trousers generates much heat, but suffice to say that some walkers prefer cool, brown, scratched legs, while others prefer protected legs, albeit hot and white.
MAPS
The following maps cover the routes in this guide.
OS 1:25 000 Explorer: OL16 – The Cheviot Hills; 338 – Galashiels, Selkirk & Melrose
OS 1:50 000 Landranger, sheet nos.: 67 – Duns, Dunbar & Eyemouth; 72 – Upper Clyde Valley; 73 – Peebles, Galashiels & Selkirk; 74 – Kelso & Coldstream; 78 – Nithsdale & Annandale; 79 – Hawick & Eskdale; 80 – Cheviot Hills & Kielder Water; 81 – Alnwick & Morpeth
OS 1: 25 000 Pathfinder: 460 – Innerleithen; 474 – Jedburgh; 485 – Hawick & area; 486 – Chesters & Hownam
Harvey: 1:40,000 Superwalker – Cheviot Hills; 1:40,000 Walker’s Route – St Cuthbert’s Way; 1:40,000 Peebles Manor Hills & St Mary’s Loch
Forestry Commission – Scotland: Craik Forest Walks & Cycle Trails
This guidebook should also be carried at all times.
Safety
All the walks in the guide are designed primarily for the walker’s pleasure, but safety in the great outdoors is something we must still be aware of. A careless step into a rabbit scrape or on a loose stone could break a bone or tear a tendon, causing a major problem for the solitary walker. As many of the walks may be completed in total solitude, it is prudent to be familiar with emergency procedures and the equipment needed to minimise discomfort and aid rescue in the unlikely event of an accident occurring.
ACTION
1 Prevention is always better than cure, as advocated by two pedestrian giants of the past, Edward Whymper and A Wainwright, who both suggested ‘a walk or even a life could be ruined by careless placement of the feet’.
2 Solitude in the hills is to be prized and is much sought after, but from the safety angle solo walks are to be avoided, the ideal number being five walkers of a like mind and similar ability. Such perfection is rarely possible, however, so to reduce the risks observe a few simple guidelines and use that underemployed asset, common sense.
3 Always inform someone of your route and estimated time of return (ETR). If that is not possible, leave your route plan with details, i.e. destination, number in the party, colour of garments and ETR, in a visible position in the car. One school of thought regards this is an invitation to the car thief, but cars can be replaced when lost, whereas human life cannot.
4 Should you have the misfortune to be immobilised and require help, and you have access to a mobile phone, dial 999 for the police. On receiving full details of the accident and your position, they will call out the local mountain rescue team and coordinate the rescue operation. Should a mobile phone not be at hand, use the international rescue call – either six long blasts on a whistle or flashes with a torch, and repeat at one minute intervals. The reply is three short blasts at minute intervals. Should you be without whistle or torch, shout, using the same code. When waiting for help, use the terrain to gain protection from the elements. Shelter from wind and rain or snow, or the sun in summer, and utilise spare clothing and the survival bag (feet pointing to the wind) to maintain body temperature.
5 If a mobile phone is used to call 999, have a six figure map reference ready. Find this as follows: ‘eastings’ first, i.e. the immediate vertical grid line to the left of your position, then the number of tenths from the grid line to your position, then ‘northings’, repeating the procedure using the horizontal grid line below the position (also as instructed on the legend of the OS map). When the mountain rescue team is requested, the victim must stay put until help arrives.
6 Should an accident occur when with a companion, write your position, plus all the details in 5, above, on paper, including name, injury and time sustained, general health, age and type of clothing, and dispatch an able-bodied party to the nearest telephone (e.g. farmhouse, or phone box as shown on the OS map).
Two mountain rescue teams cover the Borders: the Cheviot Mountain Rescue (based at Kelso and Yetholm), and the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue (based at Selkirk). The principal Borders hospital is the Borders General, Huntlyburn, Melrose.
Equipment
1 First-aid kit, including sterile dressings, lint or zinc tape, antiseptic cream, crepe or elasticated bandages (tubigrip), scissors or a knife, and medication (including salt tablets, painkillers, etc.). The medication must only be for personal use – it is unwise and risky to administer medication to another unless medically qualified.
2 A basic knowledge of first aid should be carried in the head or in the sack.
3 A knife, torch (with a spare bulb and batteries), whistle, spare laces (double up as bindings), emergency food and water, survival bag, compass and map, paper and pen or pencil.
Take Care
Remember that the grouse shooting season runs from 12 August to 10 December, so avoid relevant areas.
Adders and bulls are also best avoided. The adder (60cm in length, brown with a dark zigzag on the back) is more concerned about avoiding contact with humans. Bulls are somewhat larger and have no such inhibitions.
North Dean to White Law summit in its Autumn glory (Walk 4)
