A Scottish Story – the first steps

Total distance: 8.5km

I am underway! What a feeling it is to get started after all the preparation and planning. Happiness and a sigh of relief. The tension of actually getting to the starting point is over.

It was an easy enough trip. Train to the town of Tweedbank. Wait half an hour. Bus to the town of Kelso. Wait 49 minutes. Wait another 60 minutes because somehow I didn’t manage to board the bus even though I was waiting in the right spot and saw it pull up and leave. Ha! No wonder I get stressed about the actual travel part! Board the bus when it comes back and travel to the Plough Inn in Town Yetholm. Straight into my room, and thanks very much! I’ve arrived!

Beautiful old church at Kirk Yetholm whose bells were chiming for the half past the hour

Then it was walk time! Filling in a little section from the town to the border between Scotland and England. For those that are unsure about it, I’m walking the Scottish National Trail, a non-signposted walk (but made up of lots of smaller signposted walks) which runs the length of Scotland, south to north. The total distance of the trail is about 865km.

The track from Kirk Yetholm out to the border

This was an out and back job, and suprisingly hilly for my first look at the trail! It was however, incredibly beautiful. Huge, open vistas around rolling mountains. Stone walls, sheep and church bells toiling. If this is a taste of what is to come, this is going to be amazing.

Nothing more exciting than following a track to an unknown destination

Celebrating being at the border and the start of the walk

The old stone wall that separates England from Scotland

Whilst I was walking I thought about my goals for this trip. They are:

1. Take it easy. That sounds like it should be a breeze right? Well, I find it difficult. I’m usually the sort of hiker that races along through the day in order to get to my intended camp spot early so I can rest up. With these ultra long Scottish days (the sun is setting at 8.30pm or so), I want to spend more time out enjoying it. Not necessarily going further. Just….smelling the roses so to speak, as I go.




2. Master Scotland’s wild camping laws. You can walk and camp anywhere in Scotland within reason. As an Australian, I’m finding this concept hard to get my head around. Our long distance hiking trails are all set up so there is a designated camp spot that is intended as the place everybody stays. Often, we are actually not allowed to camp outside that designated spot. So just wandering around Scotland, picking campsites at random as I go, is definitely a foreign concept. I’m quite a timid person, and I’m not sure how I’ll go with the confidence needed to make those decisions. Hopefully, I’ll be fine.




3. Romance. Haha! Why not? I do live on an extremely small island after all! Honestly, I think I am more likely to finish the trail than I am of encountering romance, but hey, doesn’t hurt to include it as a goal!




4. Be constantly checking in with myself about my enjoyment levels. The last few hikes I’ve done I have encountered absolutely terrible, dangerous weather conditions. I just want to make sure I am reminding myself that this is a holiday, and there are other options if the weather isn’t playing nice.

So, that’s it. The real deal starts tomorrow. And I can’t wait!

The name of my room. I’ve tried to look up what it might mean, without success. It does absolutely appeal to my Aussie sense of humour however!

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