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Walking the Borders Abbeys Way: from Tweedbank to Selkirk (Scotland)

April 29, 2018 by Maria Fernandez

The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

The Borders Abbeys Way: our route & data

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Total distance: 16.85 mi
Total climbing: 975 m
Total time: 08:05:03
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17 mile walk, 8h from 10.10 to 18.10 – average 2mph (3.4kph) including breaks, plus 3 miles to/from station = 20 miles (32km)

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It was time to start practising for our walking holiday in France in a couple of months.

That’s why we decided to look for a route somewhat similar to the ones we’ll be doing in Finistère, where we’re going.

The Borders Abbeys Way looked perfect. Not too steep, not too flat and not too rough.

The Borders Abbeys Way

We took the train to Tweedbank, with no bikes, and arrived there just after ten.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

10.08 – At Tweedbank train station

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Click to see the photo gallery
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We briefly popped into Hergés on the Loch, a bar and restaurant by Gun Knowe Loch.

From there, we joined the Borders Abbeys Way and walked past Abbotsford.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

11.00 – Simon on the Borders Abbeys Way

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I’ve been trying to work out why I keep taking pictures of piles of logs.

Could it be that my subconscious dreams of a day when I loaf in bed, instead of getting up at dawn to do these excursions?

Dream on.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

11.36 – Logs, and more logs

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After walking on tarmac for about an hour, the road turned into a well kept path, and then into a lesser path.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

12.15 – The Borders Abbeys Way through fields

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As is often the case throughout Scotland, we met some friendly horses. This young one seemed fascinated by Simon.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

12.29 – Simon making friends with a skittish horse

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I, in turn, was bewitched by this adorable black lamb. That was at a place called Woodlands.

From the train we’d seen dozens of teeny-weeny lambs on the fields, and we’d see plenty more throughout the day.

Snow-white lambs, lambs with black heads, lambs with black legs, and my favourite, the head to toe black ones.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

12.34 – The cutest black lamb

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A few yards from there the Borders Abbeys Way rejoins the road for about fifteen minutes. Then, at Greenhead Farm, we went through the side gate and left the tarmac.

A few minutes later, we found an idyllic spot for lunch, with bench included.

We had our sandwiches, scones and chai with the town of Selkirk in the background, and the sun occasionally peeping through the cloud.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

12.56 – A bucolic landscape with Selkirk in the distance

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After lunch, we continued walking down to Selkirk.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

13.35 – Another log that took my fancy

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The weather forecast was for no rain all day, with cloud in the morning, and sun in the afternoon.

That’s exactly what we got.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

13.41 – Simon on a mission to get to Selkirk

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The Borders Abbeys Way is a circular walkway about 68 miles long that links four 12th century abbeys and several Borders towns.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

13.47 – Back on a paved Borders Abbeys Way

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A few minutes from Selkirk we came across this eye-catching well, on the edge of a golf course.

It’s called the Caulks Well, and it was restored only a few years ago. Apparently the previous well wasn’t looking too good, and then the golf course tractor crashed into it.

That moved the town officials to fight to restore it to its former glory, and here it is. I think they’ve done a pretty neat job.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

14.01 – The restored Caulks Well

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We got to Selkirk a bit sooner than we’d calculated. As soon as we arrived in the square, I recognised it. We’d cycled here from Ettrickbridge last year.

Selkirk is a historic Royal Burgh in the Scottish Borders, with a population of about 6,000.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

14.19 – Market Place, Selkirk

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As far as I know, the most famous person associated with Selkirk is Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).

When he wasn’t writing his historic novels and poems, Sir Walter worked as an advocate, judge and legal administrator.

He was based in the courtroom in this square. The courtroom is now a museum opened to the public from March to October.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

14.41 – Statue of Sir Walter Scott, Selkirk

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Selkirk was like a ghost town on this sunny Sunday.

We lingered about for a little bit and then headed back to Tweedbank, the same way we came.

On the way down we never saw these little guys.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

15.17 – Three ponies trying to appear in the photo

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And, when we got to what had been our lunch bench, these sheep seemed to be having a meeting there.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

15.33 – A few sort of friendly sheep

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A few minutes later we were back at the Greenhead Farm.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

15.37 – At Greenhead, a working farm

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When we left Edinburgh, I assumed we’d meet at least some people on the Borders Abbeys Way, especially considering the forecast for the afternoon.

But we were very much on our own all day. Weird.

By the way, gorse in Spanish is ‘tojo’. I’ve learned that today, together with a bunch of other things I’ve checked to write this post.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

15.57 – Landscape with gorse (Ulex europaeus)

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You may be wondering by now where the abbeys are in the Borders Abbeys Way.

There are four, all of them ruined abbeys. They’re in Kelso, Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh.

We’ll visit them one day, when we’re done with our training for France.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

16.35 – The Borders Abbeys Way in the afternoon sun

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When we got to Cauldshiels Loch the land around it was flooded, and the water came close to the path.

I reckon it must be all that winter snow melting.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

16.48 – The northeast tip of Cauldshiels Loch

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We were once again back on the road.

By now we were both kind of worn out, but happy to have walked the 15 miles we needed for our training. In fact, overall we did close to 17 miles.

Will it be as easy in France, if it’s 20 degrees warmer than today?

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

17.09 – A striking tree by the Borders Abbeys Way

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On the way down to Selkirk, I thought we might be able to see Abbotsford from the path, but unfortunately it’s hidden behind some tall trees.

That’s why we did a small detour on the way back, just to see the house again.

Abbotsford is the former residence of Sir Walter Scott. We visited it last year in July and fell in love with it. It’s magic, in a sober Scottish kind of way.

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The Borders Abbeys Way - www.simonking.bike

17.39 – Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott’s house

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I’ve found this quote by Sir Walter Scott. It’s got precious little to do with the Borders Abbeys Way, but it’s made my day.

“One or two of these scoundrel statesmen should be shot once a-year, just to keep the others on their good behavior.”

There’s always hope for humanity.

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I took all the photos with the Panasonic.

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Filed Under: Blog, Scotland, Walk Tagged With: Borders Abbeys Way, Walking

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