The Tweed Valley Way, or, my failed attempt to set up a long distance footpath

I love hill walking.  I think it’s as wholesome and enjoyable activity as you can do and it has multiple benefits to those doing it and, if managed properly, to areas where it is a popular pastime.  Where I really struggle however is with long distance, multi day walks.  Had my obsession with hill walking and the outdoors manifested itself in my relatively carefree 20’s rather than my 30’s as it did, then I suspect any itches I had in that respect would have been well and truly scratched.  As it is, I can’t commit to longer hikes due to other, far more important, demands on my time such as family and career.  What if, however, I was able to do a long-distance, challenging hike and still get home to my own bed each night?  And what if in doing that I could also give the local area a shot in the arm by developing something fresh and exciting to add to the other attractions of the Tweed Valley?  These thoughts formed a sort of maelstrom in my mind back in early 2021, aided and abetted by the Covid inspired free thinking that was in the air.  So, I decided that to hell with it, why don’t I just plan and create my own long distance walking route right here in the Tweed Valley – if I don’t someone else might and I would kick myself.  This then is the story of what I had planned and how (spoiler alert) it sort of petered out.

There are 29 designated ‘Great Trails’ in Scotland so why do we need another one?  My view was, and is, the more the merrier.  Anything that improves our outdoor culture and access to the countryside is a great thing and in a time where tourism is becoming our biggest industry a walking route (particularly a circular one keeping people in a set area for 4 or 5 days) has to be seen as a positive thing.  My view was that you start a Tweed Valley trail in Peebles, spend 4 or 5 days exploring the valley and its backcountry before returning to Peebles with sore feet but loads of memories and a satisfying experience under your belt.  Setting the route was tricky but pouring over maps is great fun and I added the additional complication of finishing each stage or day either within striking distance of some accommodation or near the A72 so that weary walkers could jump on a bus should they wish, though camping of course is an option we are blessed with in Scotland.  With a route in mind I set off to test it out on the ground in May 2021, accompanied by my pal Jamie.  I decided that the walk should start on the steps of the Parish Church, an iconic Peebles spot where they crown the Beltane Queen each June in a mash up of old Pagan, British Colonial and Borders Common riding traditions that needs to be seen to be believed – a great day out.  Anyway, I was clearly getting ahead of myself as I could imagine people taking their selfies on the steps before heading out – what an arrogant thought given I hadn’t even tested the route but there you have it - I’ve got ego to spare!  From there pleasant riverside walking along Tweed Green and out of town, with the Tweed a close companion until heading up to the main road at the site of the old wire bridge, near Eshiels tip (or recycling centre!)  A cautious cross of the A72 and you are on to the Tweed Valley Railway Path for several miles to Cardrona.  This is all pretty easy going stuff and I enjoyed the walk on the early summer evening we did it.  Through Cardrona village and on to the quiet back road for about a kilometre before following a beautiful and seldom used path into the far northern reaches of Cardrona Forest.  This section was beautiful, some mature conifers and a good, easy to follow path.  Sadly, should I ever resurrect this plan this whole bit would need to be rethought – Storm Arwen destroyed this path in one night, theses mature trees have been ripped from the soil and the path is closed, with no indication that it will ever open.  A true shame – in my view the most picturesque woodland section of the whole Tweed Valley Forest Park gone.  Back in May 2021 it was just great and I am glad I got to enjoy it.  The path then briefly joined a forest road before hitting Grieston Quarry, a rare bit of slate in the Tweed Valley.  Through here, past Howford and a long strip of trees and we were back on Tweed side, walking along an artificial bank placed there to straighten the Tweed centuries ago to move the great river away from the Laird of Traquair’s house.  Locals still call this straightened section of The Tweed the ‘new water’ even thought it was a couple of hundred years ago. We passed two anglers on this section, it really was bliss – a part of the river not may people explore.  The path entered the grounds of Traquair but again my arrogance knows no bounds - I was sure that with careful negotiation Laird Catherine Maxwell-Stuart would have no problem at all with my half baked plan to take hikers through her garden. Anyway, through the grounds and passed the locked Bear Gates and back on to the quiet back road for a short walk.  I could have just walked long that road from Howford but to miss out on seeing Traquair on any walk of the Tweed Valley seems like sacrilege.  A quiet road passed the old mill with only local traffic allowed to the path towards Damhead and the end of the first section.  It’s then a fairly easy 20 minute or so walk back to Innerleithen.  And that’s stage one done with, at the time, just a couple of question marks.  This is going to be easy, right???

Stage 2 starts at Damhead and I wanted to take the route up here rather than the more obvious and well-worn track of the Southern Upland Way (SUW) from Traquair. Why?  Well, Damhead is a great wee valley and worthy of exploration and I also wanted to try and give this its own character, not just follow existing paths at every opportunity.  The day we went up Damhead it felt we had made the right choice – bright yellow gorse, babbling stream  (called the Fingland Burn) and a great sense of solitude.  Really special wee walk up there.  Past the lonely cottage of Campshiel and up a boggy track and you are on to the forest roads of Elibank and Traquair.  From there it was follow these until reaching The Clattering Path, an ancient track now shared for quite a bit with the climb for the Innerleithen Red, XC mountain bike route.  Again, my reasons for picking this route were to be a bit different from the SUW but also to try and keep this old path alive, and to approach the summit of Minch Moor from the South, opening up to a pretty impressive Tweed Valley vista.  And you know what, it did.  I think that was a decent choice of route and by this time I was almost certain in my mind that this daft idea is going to work, and I will be claimed as a hero of hillwalking, the heir apparent to Wainwright and Weir.  At the back of my mind was the fact that I hadn’t quite worked out certain bits of the route and a sort of nagging thought that everything was likely to turn to shit, but I dismissed this, drunk on the idea that my hobby and passion could leave a decent legacy for the area.  From there on I felt having earned the summit of the Minch it was ok to allow the way to run along the SUW for several miles – and what miles they are, some of the best high level walking on the whole route from Portpatrick in the West to Cockburnspath in the East.  The old Minch Moor road cuts off towards Yarrowford (see my post last week) but on we pressed until reaching the signpost for the (former) Broadmeadows Youth Hostel.  This has not operated as a Youth Hostel for about 20 years and it wasn’t our destination, instead we planned to take the same path North, towards Glenkinnon and The Peel.  The reality of walking in Scotland is that a path might well appear on a map but experience on the ground often differs.  It differed.  No path could be find though a couple of cairns did help guide us down the scrubby slope towards the atmospherically named Wolf Glen.  Going this way cut out the 3 Brethren, the massive cairns marking the meeting of neighbouring estates which is an icon of Selkirk.  But I was keen to get back to the river and going this way would once again hopefully resurrect a lost path, though as I trudged through the bracken that day I think I was wishing it probably needed to stay lost…  When we reached the valley floor it was fine woodland walking past the old Peel House and the grounds of the former Peel Hospital, which was built as a military hospital in World War 2 but ended up serving civilians right up until 1988.  It’s now a rural housing estate.  On to the back road and across Ashiestiel Bridge and that was the end of stage 2.  A really good days walk, and ending just a hop skip and jump from the bus stop to get us home to Innerleithen for a pint. 

So far, pretty good going.  Stage 3 however is where the whole thing hit a brick wall that I have not, as yet, been able to overcome.  The plan was to walk a short distance along the busy road towards Caddonfoot then pick up a farm track which would go under the A72 and up to Laidlawstiel and over hills of increasing size until finally, after a monster of a day, getting to Windlestraw Law and the high point of the route before a not insignificant walk back to Walkerburn.  In short, this is a tough hill day.  The concern about distance itself wasn’t the main issue I had (there are some heinous days on the SUW or Pennine Way and people still do them in their thousands) but access is a real issue here.  We have, as everyone knows, the right to roam and responsible access but the initial stages of this were a real combination of intense farming and difficult terrain that just wasn’t working out. It might be with negotiation that this could be overcome on my original route but that wasn’t on my agenda for now. The alternative is a lot of road walking out of Clovenfords to Newhall and up a lonely but interesting track to Caddonhead before the big climb up The Moorfoot Hills.  This route has loads to recommend it, but it just felt like a bit too much road walking.  So that’s where it got too, my ambitions thwarted for now, but the idea still lurking inside me.  I haven’t given up on it, some more days to explore the lovely countryside around Clovenfords are needed (I could even try and make a feature of the closed to vehicle traffic Cloven to Caddonfoot road, perhaps justifying the council’s decision to block it off), and who knows what will happen in the future.  If you are reading this and thinking I could help with this then get in touch ;)

Oh, and stage 4 would have been nice and easy – Walkerburn to Innerleithen, iconic Lee Pen, over the tops to Glentress, Venlaw, Cuddyside and finish at the Parish Church steps for another selfie.