Distance: 26km
Fair maiden Lilliard
Lies under this stone
Little was her stature
But muckle was her fame
Upon the English loon
She laid monie thumps
And when her legs were cuttit off
She fought upon her stumps
Found on the gravestone of the Fair Maiden Lilliard (1544) and now representing the grit, fight and might of all Scottish women who fought in the wars of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries
I enjoyed my evening watching the little lambs get bolder and friskier as the afternoon wore on, springing and fighting and clambering all over each other. Eventually they surrounded my tent in a gang, and whenever my back was turned they would curiously nose into my possessions. I’ve not spent so much time with sheep before, and I have to say they were pleasant company. A couple of punks ramming into my tent (and then sniggering I’m sure of it), but overall they were quiet and respectful once evening fell.
The walk today, whilst not as spectacular, had a lovely mix of everything. The tracks, consisting mainly of paddocks, forest verges and quiet roads were easy to follow and relatively flat.
Highlights for the day included wandering through several mixed woodland forests, listening to the variety of bird calls and trying to identify the species (with the use of an app). Springing out of a field I was surprised by a Roe deer, a native deer of Scotland that had been in steep decline prior to a dedicated recovery effort. The Roe deer is relatively easy to identify with it’s buxom, pure white tail.
So far, two things have become clear. The first is that not many people have heard of the Scottish National Trail. The SNT starts by following the St Cuthbert’s Way, an old pilgrimage route. There’s quite a few people out on the track, but many are surprised that I am carrying quite a bit of gear. When I explain, more often than not, a perplexed look follows.
Secondly. Nobody here has ever seen or heard of an Aarn backpack before. Most are extremely flummoxed when I walk by. Most think I’m carrying an enormous load because of the look of the three bag system. “Looks like you’ve got everything but the kitchen sink!” I’m no ultralighter, that’s for sure, but I do just carry sensible stuff! When I explain it, I can see it making sense to people. Pretty sure I need to come up with a stock-standard response. It’s going to be a long 5-6 weeks of this same quizzical look and comments!
The gravesite of the fair maiden Lilliard
I enjoyed a superb lunch of piping hot vegetarian meatball melts and fizzy ginger beer at The Artisan cafe in Harestanes before continuing on for another 10km to the banks of the Tweed. I sit now, at a perfectly set up little blogging desk, listening to the sound of the river and watching black-headed gulls dive into the water in search of fish.
Another stellar day. In fact, even though I’ve been applying sunscreen, I’ve been burnt again. My sun soaked Aussie skin isn’t handling the harsh brutality of the Scottish summer sun!
Finally, a quick check in in relation to my stated goals of a couple of days ago:
Take it easy – I think that’s a tick
Master wild camping – Well, I managed last night and I’ve got a pretty sweet spot again tonight. So, tick.
Romance – “Tell her she’s dreaming”
Enjoyment levels – Thorough. Another tick.
Three out of four ain’t bad!
This article was originally published on the Trek which can be found here
