Month: May 2025

A Scottish Story – Day 7, Banks of the North Esk Reservoir to living the high life in the city

Distance – 20km

An undisturbed night. That is, except for a few wayward sheep that decided to graze near the tent. They moved on pretty quickly, and it was a good night.

The morning starts cool. The first spots of rain, and I hastily get into my rain gear ready for the onslaught. It doesn’t eventuate, and moments later I’m stopping to take it off again. Not today so it seems. Not today.

Once again the track meanders through enormous sheep paddocks. In contrast to the bright blues of yesterday, the greyness mutes the landscape to colours of flax, mauve and olive. It might just be a sheep paddock, but it is stunning.

I quickly reach the township of Belerno and pick up the Waters of Leith trail. The Leith River snakes its way through the suburban landscape providing a tunnel of green through the brick throng. The highlight of this section is the walk through the old railway bridge at Colinton which has been utterly transformed by mural from start the finish, based on the poem “From a Railway Carriage” (Robert Louie Stevenson 1855). Potentially, the best tunnel I’ve ever been in!

I move pretty quickly as I am keen to get to my hotel. It’s a long weekend in the big smoke, and hotel prices have sky rocketed to reflect that. With exchange rates, this is going to be by far the most expensive room I’ve ever stayed in, in my life!

As it turns out, the joint was not salubrious. Far from it. I actually didn’t know what to say to myself when the lift opened and I saw plastic builders wrap all over the floor, and right up to my room. Thank goodness, the room itself is fine, though they are doing renovations on the room right next to mine….first world problems.

I’ve had a nice rest day in Edinburgh, and am ready to rock and roll again tomorrow. Will finish this with a few photos from Jupiter Artland, a sculptural exhibition set in a large woodland, which I visited this afternoon.

We worship groves and their very silences

Spotted on an installation at Jupiter Artland

Don’t mind if I do!

Hopefully not me at the end of tomorrow! It’s going to be a really long day….

This article was originally published on The Trek and can be found here

A Scottish Story – Day 6, Turning it around, Peebles to the banks of the North Esk Reservoir

Distance: 33km

Four words can essentially sum up todays hike.  Hot sun.  Sheep paddocks. Sounds like home! This could be a very short post!

I’m pleased to say that today, although a lot longer, was so much better than the day I had yesterday. I purposely showed up with my A-game this morning.  Adequate breakfast eaten before setting out, water drunk, awareness of the route, sunscreen slathered on, a plan to stop every so often, plenty to eat, a positive attitude.  All good.

It was such a hot, sunny day in Scotland, that it seemed that even the Scots were surprised.  Those I talked to anyway.  I only saw a couple of people out on the trails all day.

Essentially today I was following an ancient trading route, the Cross Drove Rd, sometimes refered to as “Thieves Rd”, as ruffians would try to steel stock during the night. The trail was easy to follow and well marked.  A few steep sections, but nothing overly difficult.  The hardest thing about today was trying to find some shade to have a rest in!

I was feeling pretty relieved when I reached my intended campsite – such a long , hot day.  I had spied a body of water called the North Esk Reservoir on the map, and thought it looked a pretty sweet spot to camp.  I was quite surprised to arrive and find the entrance covered in no camping posters.  I had thought something like that might have been written in the track notes.  

Not to mind.  I found a sweet little spot just outside the reserve (which, to be fair, is a wildlife reserve within an area of special significance).  To further sweeten the deal, I had access to a nicely running stream for water, and after the hot day I was feeling rather parched!  The cherry on top came when I decided to have a look at a nearby bird hide.  Inside was a little table, stools and cushions, which on closer inspection, bore the brand name “Malinda”.  It was meant to be.

So now I sit on the comfort of these cushioned stools, cooking myself up some dinner and watching the birds on the water.  So far I have seen Mallards, Mute Swan, Canada geese, Curlews, Lapwings, chaff chaff, robins, common sandpiper and a person in a tiny, little blue row boat.

Very happy with how this all turned out. Hooray to being back in the game!

This article was originally published on The Trek which can be viewed here.