Scotland mostly - through nsl4u

After a decent night refreshing and socialising with the additions to the team …Nathalie, Keith and Kate, we were well sorted for this leg over to Lauder but on a bit, to a farming friend’s place above Oxton.

The start was a good road roll-out of Peebles and back to Traquair to pick up the SUW trail again.

It was a long but another excellent day with stunning views north to the east end of the Uplands and towards the Moorfoots and Pentlands, and directly ahead and south into the rolling Border country. Far off south east we were able to see the Cheviots too.

The tracks were brilliant and good open country most of the time and the Three Brethren (beautiful big stone cairns picking up the Border County boundaries or meeting of three ‘Marches’ they’d say) were a highlight on the way to Gala.

Nathalie went over to Gala and did a super long run of about 12-14 miles over the trails on the SUW out and back to the town.

The ‘’Magnificent 7-1’’ biker boys cycled into Gala Town with lots of ‘’looks’’ from the office folks in the gardens out sunning – amazing what knobblies on tarmac and lycra can do, even to a set of ‘uggies’!

A good lunch break and then off towards Lauder – stunning country trails again through lots of ancient farm tracks mostly over grassland. We hooked over Collie Law and had a great social evening again but from bought-in provisions (thanks Dermo, Nathalie) and very typical farming hospitality, meeting John (JW) and his fine young sons Craig and Mark – John’s brother David, his wife Lesley, their son Ellis, and grandma Alice. Party time again!

A special for me and Keith was the setting sun scenes and later on a stunningly black, scattered starry sky, mostly devoid of city-blush from the street lights (Edinburgh’s glow about 30 miles off north).

Key points – Meeting 2 auld codgers way up the hill, one of whom knew of my old company Brunton's of Musselburgh; the pint in the Lauderdale Arms Hotel – the trail out to an old pal’s place; Dermo and Nathalie’s super shopping choices; JW’s cooking; Des amigo's bunnet!

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Best regards,

Denis

# posted by Denis Bell @ 9/10/2007 02:12:00 pm