From: West Linton to Kirknewton
Distance: 9.5m / 15km
Cumulated distance: 840m / 1352km
Percentage completed: 71
Last night around 10.30 as I was settling down to sleep, my mobile rang. The screen on my mobile showed that it was The Gordon Arms phoning. Strange I thought, as I was lying upstairs in one of their beds. ‘Aye, is that Mrs Jules Forth?’, came the voice in the softest Scottish brogue. ‘Yes’, I said tentatively. ‘Are you OK .. it’s just that you haven’t arrived to take up your room and we know from your email that you’re doing a long walk.’ ‘This is The Gordon Arms?’, I asked, feeling more than a little mystified. ‘Aye, this is the Gordon Arms, Yarrow .. we just want to know that you’re not still out walking.’ ‘Ah, I said’, the penny beginning to drop .. ‘Then you’re not the Gordon Arms, West Linton?’ ‘Och no, we’re 58 miles from there’, came the reply. Cutting the story short it turned out there was a very good reason why there hadn’t been a room ready for me that afternoon, when I’d arrived to check in. Wrong Gordon Arms.
I’d done one of my specials. Dates, times, locations and I have a long and complex history. My son alluded to it when he spoke at our fund-raising dinner, spilling the beans about my many errors over the years. It’s not something I’m proud of. In fact I used to get incredibly uptight about it but now I just accept it’s part of my personality. I try my hardest to get things right but I’m just not that good with numbers. So, we’ve had holidays booked in the wrong month, restaurants booked for the wrong day, Heathrow mixed up with Gatwick, Chiang Mai confused with Bangkok, York mistaken for Oxford .. the list is quite comprehensive. And now we have The Gordon Arms saga. I would like you to know that I’d paid my £50 in advance, so the pub wasn’t out of pocket and that I thanked them profusely for being proactive and sufficiently concerned about my welfare.
The Gordon Arms, WEST LINTON not YARROW
There isn’t much on the map between West Linton and Kirk Newton, except for contours. It’s a remote bit of the country. This morning all I had to do, after picking up a sandwich for lunch in the village, was cross the road from the pub and continue north on the Cross Borders Drove Road. Today the old drovers route is shared with Thieves Road. I’ve heard from many people that it’s a pretty trail, steeped in history. And I had beautiful sunshine in which to see it.
Up the hill from West Linton
Barely a cloud in the sky
Lyne Water twisting and turning in the valley
Solitary house in the valley
As I was heading down into Baddinsgill I had the surprise and delight of seeing a stoat racing towards me on the path. He hadn’t seen me and was barrelling along until he must have sensed all was not right. He stopped, got up on his hind legs .. just like a meercat .. and peered at me for 30 seconds, at least. I stood stock still wanting to observe him for as long as possible but eventually he must have decided he didn’t like the look of me and darted into one of the many holes in the adjacent stone wall. No photos of course but I will treasure the memory.
Baddinsgill, where the daffs were still splendid
I stopped for a cuppa next to a field where young Highland Cattle were munching on grass. As I stood at the gate they all came over to take a look at this creature who didn’t wear her hair over her eyes. How strange! As with the lamas from Somerset, they didn’t mind having their photo taken and they were free with their advice on how I could improve my hairstyle.
Sweet and curious
What d’ya reckon?
Not a lot further on I came across their older brothers, complete with huge horns, blocking the path. I approached them cautiously but they turned out to be just as soft and gentle as the ones down the road.
Cattle crossing
Just real softies ..
.. with an itch to scratch
The logo on the way marker for the Cross Borders Drove Road is a key to the original use of the trail .. a black bull. For several centuries in the late Middle Ages, the mainstay of the droving trade was the movement of hardy black cattle from the Highlands, all the way down to market in London. Through the Scottish Borders, drovers would have followed the path I took today.
A drover’s life was not an easy one. Each drove could consist of anything from 100 to 1000 head of cattle, with drovers and their dogs each looking after roughly 50 beasts. At the end of a hard day’s walking, all the drover could look forward to was a meagre meal of oats and onions, fortified with a snifter of whisky from a ram’s horn. Kilts would be the only protection from the elements as they bedded down to sleep alongside their cattle. I can only imagine that sleep was pretty fitful, as under the cover of darkness, this was the time the Border Rievers would make their raids, to steal cattle. And this is why the Cross Borders Drove Road is also called Thieves Road in parts.
At the peak of the droving trade, some 100,000 cattle were walked south from Scotland each year. At least equal numbers of sheep were also driven along this route to meet demand for wool and mutton. By 1900 however, the droving trade had all but disappeared … trains making it far easier to transport beef and lamb quickly and safely. I had the trail to myself today and was without company, so spent a lot of time imagining the scenes of hundreds of cows or sheep being herded along through the bracken.
Drover country
Beyond the Pentland Hills to the north and the Forth Bridge
Black Dog Tails
Killian alerted the parents of the little boy you can see in the photo to an abusive baby-sitter. Clever, clever Killian.
How embarrassing, but as you say you are accustomed to those little slip ups.
I did something very similar on the Thames Path last month. at 11pm the phone rang ” This the Olde Bell – are you coming to us tonight?”
“No I’m at The Great House in Sonning, I’m with you tomorrow night.”
I’d mixed up my dates but they were very understanding and re-booked me, fortunately without charge.
Of course when I did arrive the following night there was much hilarity at my mistake.
Story of my life, John!
I reckon Jules, as a fellow time, date and place stuff-upperer, that if this is your first mishap in 64 days, staying effectively somewhere new each night and given that both places had the same name – you are absolved of all felony. And the hair – well I must say I quite like you with a highland fringe!
All recovered here after our Australian re-entry. Masses of rain in Sydney but still very little ‘down country.
Ha ha! Glad you’re back safely .. just wish it was wetter for you. xx
All’s well that ends well Jules.
Kind people!
They were indeed, Jo. xx
Stunning scenery, Jules….
Ha ha, you’re not alone. I once loaded the family into the car bound for Kruger National Park, with these departing words: “It’s Africa, kids, things are bound to go wrong, embrace it.” Only to discover 5 minutes later that we were leaving a day late! C’est la vie
Happens to all of us .. just more to some than others!
It was lovely having Patrick with us Saturday evening in Delhi. Hope he got to you in (relatively) good shape the next day, fighting fit to accompany you on your amazing treks. Am loving following your journey through your writing and images, outstanding!
Thank you for looking after him so wonderfully .. he had a lovely evening with you. And thank you for being at my side as I walk!
Dear Jules, gorgeous pictures, are you carrying a fishing rod? That Gordon Arms place- I am sure Angus will bite his tongue (on and offline).
Does that mean you have to walk another 58 miles to your track? xxx Amely
No extra miles, Amely! Thankfully!
Like Masterton Homes, Jules, we wouldn’t have you any other way! Hey, your parents got to Gatwick in time… we conned the hotel into believing that the Bangkok booking was their fault… and I did get to my interview at Oxford… the hardest one to deal with was booking the “ski chalet” in a lovely farming district where the hum of ski lifts were substituted by the odours of a sheep farm… Welcome The Gordon’s Arms to our list… and be amazed, the other 90 correctly-booked hostelries!! (OK, take a bow Helks!) I guess we’ll call you Quintessentially Jules…
QJ .. I like it! Thank you for getting me to the place where it’s no longer an issue. xx
You are looking very sleek Jules – never let those cattle persuade you to follow their style! And as far as I can see, your hotel mixup means that you are running at an incident rate of a tad over 1%. Not bad I would have thought! Loving every moment of this….in fact maybe that’s why I’ve started reading about James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor? Lots of love xx
Can I ask you to do all my marketing, Frannie! Hope the dress is all finished and you’re ready for the party. xx
Nice to see the animal life is keeping you company after we deserted you. As Ilse will tell you, the best hairstyle advice I am able to offer is probably the equivalent of that by the highland coos!
It certainly saves the cost of sunnies!
You must have passed Harperigg Reservoir, maybe that’s it in your last photo. I camped on the dried up bed of the reservpir after getting permission from the keeper’s wife.
I must say you are in good company with my friend John who has commented about messed up bookings above – here is my version:
Boston to Barmouth – day 13
Friday 18th September 2015 – Church Stretton to Brockton?
From there onwards the quality of walking deteriorated and I found myself lost in a barbed wire defended field trekking UP and DOWN looking for an exit, and I was running out of time to arrive at my B and B at a sensible time. I took a shorter road alternative for the last 2.5 miles and eventually arrived at the Cock Inn, Brockton and enquired the whereabouts of Old Quarry Guest House. Nobody had heard of it. I marched up the road, hot and bothered then realised I had the mobile number, but then I had no signal on Vodafone or Orange. I returned to the pub and a joint effort established that Quarry House was located at Brockton, Much Wenlock from where I walked yesterday to Church Stretton. Locals in the pub telephoned the Lowfield Inn a couple of miles up the road and secured a room and one of them drove me up there. I did establish contact with Tricia to apologise etc. and that will be sorted. IT TURNS OUT THERE ARE FOUR BROCKTONS IN SHROPSHIRE!
I have just had a not very satisfactory meal of fish cakes – sloppy, not warm enough, boring, and on a huge bed of raw samphire which lacerated my throat lining as I tried to swallow it. I took the trouble to locate at the far end of the dining area, and now wondering weather to risk a pud or not a group of unknown music style is setting itself up to perform two yards from my table. I’m moving again.
It happens to all of us .. but really, four Brocktons in Shropshire! How very confusing!
Jules, 3 months of walking and no accommodation mistake , you are improving on all levels my friend , please be proud of yourself . The Gordon arms slip up doesn’t really count as noone was inconvenienced or out of a bed for the night leading to a funny story , plus such confusion would have happened a lot previously … How caring of them to worry about you !
I was thrilled to see the drawing of day 63 being a little lamb , was so hoping you would draw one before the end of your trip and you did ! …and now I would love to see you draw one of those gorgeous fluffly cows with oversized fringes , they aren’t camera shy because they can’t see a thing . I do have hair envy 🙂 xxx
So glad to have a friend like you, Sophie .. but equally glad you’ve double-checked the accommodation for the Great Glen Way! Sure I can get you a consultation with the girls about your hair up there! xx
I’m just so glad that the Gordon Arms West Linton had a room for you Jules! They could have been full and then what?! Will you be traversing the Forth Bridge, par hasard? XX
Thank you! Not traversing .. just viewing from afar. Will give it your love, xx
Beautiful country you are walking in, and you are beating the Sydney weather by a country mile! Enjoy the sunshine!
Thanks Tom!
I love quintessentially Jules; I think that’s your new title. A bit behind on your blog but it’s as delightful as ever. I love the cows but feel my hair colouring would have blended in better! Xx
Thank you darling. x
I sat next to Patrick last night at the dinner at Kensington Palace and plied him for details about how you are , etc, etc, hope I didn’t drive him too crazy. I hope your foot it’s giving you too much trouble. Having walked about 15 miles myself in the past two days on the London streets, my feet are sore and bruised. I couldn’t imaging doing this every day for so far 70 days straight…again I think you are amazing for doing this! I’m sure your body is tired and sore, but hopefully having your sister with you id lifting your spirits. We will toast to you on Tues eve when we are all together, maybe we can FaceTime you in? With much love.
Linda, how lovely to get your uplifting message! It was a tough call to miss the WWOM .. really wish I could be seeing you all. The foot’s a bit of a pain but I’m managing it ok so far. I’ve been lucky to have no other complaint until now. Will be thinking of you tonight .. if I have connectivity it would be lovely to talk! Much love x