EK NEWS ARTICLE: ERIC KENT

This week's Duncanrig Ramblers walked once again down in the Scottish Borders. The high walk was 8.5 mls long and was a tough circular walk up past the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall and round the hill surrounding Loch Skeen. The alternate walk commenced further up the Selkirk road near the top end of the Yarrow Valley at Craig Douglas and ended at Tibbie Sheils Inn via Blackhouse and St Mary's Loch covering as distance of close to 8 mls.The alternate walk climb gradually up from the bus at Craig Doulas to Blackhouse in lovely sunny conditions. They turned south-west on to the Southern Upland Way (SUW) past the Historic ruin of Blackhouse Tower. The Tower was once owned by the Black Douglas family who were a very powerful clan and played a great part in Scottish history. They were so called because of their swarthy appearance. At that time, Blackhouse Tower was the home of an imposing family of Douglass which included the father, seven sons and a daughter, the Lady Margaret. A local nobleman, Lord William, and Lady Margaret, fell in love, but the match was not to the liking of the Douglas's who determined to prevent it. The couple eloped, but, on making their way to William's home, they were intercepted by father Douglas and all seven of his sons.  They fought one at a time, and, one at a time, William felled a Douglas. But Sir William, although he survived, was seriously hurt and he died in his lover's arms. Lady Margaret, unable to bear the loss of her family and her lover, died of grief and was buried alongside William in St Mary's churchyard. The walk then passed close to part of a bird rearing farm that had cages close to the SUW and the group were lucky to meet the farmer who was feeding the birds and he informed them that he raise mainly pheasants and French partridges. Shortly after this the group arrived at the ruin of Dryhope Tower-house where they stopped for lunch. The tower was a property of the Scott family and home to Mary Scott, the Flower of Yarrow. After lunch the group soon reached and travelled along the south side of St Mary's loch (This crystal clear loch is referred to in Sir Walter Scott's epic poem Marmion) and they could soon see the on the north west shore the ancient and ruined St Mary's Kirk - The Kirk of the Lowes, and its graveyard. The Kirk has given its name to both the lochs. This location was known for the Blanket Preaching, and open-air service held every July and this tradition is still maintained. The walk ended at Tibbie Sheils Inn which sits close to the end of St Mary's Loch and Loch of the Lowes. Tibbie Shiels Inn was founded around 1824 when she was widowed. Tibbie supported herself and her six children by taking in lodgers: anything up to 35 at a time, although there were only 13 guest beds!  Tibbie Shiels Inn soon established itself as a local institution, a process assisted by the patronage of writers like James Hogg and Sir Walter Scott.

The main walk climbed up from the National Trust car park past the Gray Mares Tail - a 60m high "hanging valley" waterfall. The valley was scoured out by glaciers during the last ice age leaving the outlet burn from Loch Skene falling about 300 feet down a sheer and dangerous cliff face and tumbles into the Moffat Water Valley from the waters of Loch Skene, high above in the Moffat Hills. Sir Walter Scott wrote in Marmion: "Where deep deep down, and far within Toils with the rocks the roaring Linn, Then issuing forth one foamy wave, And wheeling round the giant's grave, White as the snowy charger's tail, Drives down the pass of Moffatdale". The walk takes you over one of Scotland's highest waterfalls (61m/200ft) so a steady nerve is useful, but it is well worth it for the spectacular views below. Above the galloping waters of the Mare's Tail can be found a hidden glen, high above Moffatdale, formed by the circle of hills comprising of White Coomb (821m), Firthhope Rig (800m), Donald's Cleugh Head, Firthybrig Head (763m) and Lochcraig Head (801m) with the little jewel of Loch Skene cradled between them. The route followed round all these hill tops above Loch Skeene. After crossing the Tail Burn a distance above the water fall we followed a drystane dyke almost all the way. It was a stiff old haul up through Rough Craigs away from the boggy lower ground up to the heights of the summit of White Coomb.  At the top we took on oxygen like the steam Puffer "Vital Spark” takes on water - wheezing and steaming - before striding away over the tops and peat hags on a path that dipped and swooped rollercoaster style above Loch Skeene. The fair weather promised views of the Lake District (60 miles) to the south, the Eildons and the Cheviots to the east and Criffell down on the Solway coast. And it delivered as we were blest with tre-mendous views in all directions during the whole walk. At Lunch just after leaving Firthhope Rig we were also lucky to spot a classic bi -plane passing over head in a westerly direction.  Our decent down the east side of Lochcraig head had the old bones tortured at the joints and the section through the sulphurous yellow sphagnum moss at the side of Loch Skeene made a dayglo splash against the dull greens and browns of the sunless upland bog. We splashed and squelched our way back on to the path at the side of the waterfall and down to the car park. A great classic walk. The social hour was enjoyed by all at Moffat.