Favourite Walk | SMR Chair Bill Glennie

“My favourite walk is in the Cheviots, a walk of about 18 kilometres near my home in the Scottish Borders.  I should say Our favourite walk, as my wife is my usual walking companion.

The walk begins at Greenhill House, a historic mansion near Hownam, which is now a holiday rental, and where there is parking on the verge.  The path follows the Capehope burn into the hills through sheep farming country, so dogs must be kept on a lead here and respect given to those who live and farm here.

This soon becomes isolated hill country with plenty of signs of earlier habitation, from prehistoric standing stones and earthworks, Bronze Age cairns to splendid Iron Age hillforts, Roman Dere Street, settlements, sheep stells, and drove roads. This is Reiver country, the badlands of the Borders.

The valley path leads to a farm road and Buchtrig Farm. Situated on a knoll, this area has been continuously inhabited for 2000 years.  It is close to a hill fort and runrig terraces which are easily seen.

Passing through the farm there is a small disused quarry which is a sheltered spot for a mid-morning coffee break.

The track leads on to open moorland and climbs to an indistinct track through earthworks and ramparts towards the English border.  The Border fence is followed to an official crossing – a gate and a path to the mountain refuge hut which is on the Pennine Way. This is where we occasionally meet walkers on the long and challenging stretch of the Way (41Km) from Byrness to the finish at Yetholm. It is perfectly placed for a lunch stop, and has magnificent views.

The Pennine Way is slabbed in places, this is seriously boggy country. It may be apocryphal, but it is told that a farmer once found his tractor stuck in the boggy ground.  He went home for his tea and set out next morning to retrieve it.  There was no sign of a tractor, it had sunk completely.

The Pennine Way leads over the summit of Lamb Hill, then we cross the border fence again towards Green Hill.  An indistinct track to the right leads down hill over Callaw Moor to Heatherhope Reservoir, now long abandoned but which once supplied water to the town of Kelso.

A valley track leads back to Greenhill.

The attraction to us is the magnificent views across the hills, the wide skies and the absence of people, but herein lie the dangers.  The rolling hills of the Borders can experience weather as changeable as more mountainous country, ascents and descents can be demanding.  Roads can be miles from the path, and phone signals patchy. Some paths are sketchy and progress through heather and bog is slow. Proper equipment, footwear and clothing is essential.

If there is an emergency dial 999 ask for Police and then ask for Mountain Rescue.”