EK News Article by Eric Kent

This week’s Duncanrig Ramblers walk of 8.5 miles in the lovely border hills close to Peebles combined both forest and hill walking with some reasonable climbs along the way which helped to keep up the fitness levels of the walkers.  Following a short stop short at Biggar, the walk commenced in very cold but sunny weather near to Meldon Cottage which is very close to the remains of Roman Forts and Camps at Lyne and Hallyne farms. The walk headed in a northerly direction close to the Meldon burn which runs between the Meldon Hills. Both hills have Iron Age fort remains, those on the White Meldon hill are the largest Iron Age fort remains in Scotland. The walk continued through a large open area surrounded by forest on the remains of an old drove road running from Peebles to West Linton and which is marked on General Roy’s map of 1755. We turned east at Stewarton Hamlet and after a short distance we passed a cottage where we observed that the snowdrops were in bloom in the garden. We turned south and had a short stop for lunch while enjoying the sunny border hill views.  Walking continued heading towards a gap between South Hill Head and Hamilton Hill where we had to work a bit harder on a climb up to 357 metres next to a communications mast where a tremendous vista of the hills as far as Culter Fell and the hills above Glen Sax was admired by the walkers.  The walk shortly after that joined on to an old Roman road running towards the Tweed Valley and passed through the Jedderfield forest plantation and we then enjoyed tremendous views looking down on Peebles and the River Tweed valley. As the walk neared its end about a mile or so from Peebles we passed Neidpath Castle which is built in the Scottish Grand Tower House style. The castle which has a lengthy history from around 1263 where or which covers various re-buildings, sieges, romances and reputed ghosts has been extensively used in recent years for film and television location shoots. The lovely Border Town of Peebles where our walk today concluded began as a cluster of houses around Neidpath Castle. Everyone agreed that the clear and sunny weather we enjoyed today made this walk memorable.   A well earned social hour was  enjoyed in Peebles.