Winter Walks

With things being “local” again it has been cheering to feel the temperatures drop and to see snow in the air. I love winter walking and I am lucky to live in an area full of excellent options.

Although there aren’t any Munros in the Southern Uplands there are Corbetts and plenty height to be gained. There are also numerous criss-crossing long distance trails that run through Border country. The Southern Upland Way is the most notable of the trails and at over 200 miles end-to-end it is big undertaking. As the uplands turn to farmland and rolling countryside on route to Berwick, the Three Brethren stand tall above Selkirk. It is a fantastic spot with great views and a popular location for local photographers. The Southern Upland Way is Scotland’s only official coast-to-coast trek.

The Borders Abbey Way is an historical route linking the 3 abbeys of the Borders in Melrose, Kelso and Jedburgh. At 60ish miles it is one of the shorter long-distance trails, but it takes in some lovely countryside as well as interesting historical sites. It also basically circles my home in the Borders so I often use sections for a walk.

St Cuthbert’s Way is also steeped in history and begins at Melrose Abbey. After taking in the iconic Eildon Hills the route winds its way to the sea, and ultimately Holy Island. From the rolling Border countryside to the wide expanse of Northumberland’s coastline it has a bit of everything. We will be running our first ever St Cuthbert’s Way guided trek this summer (places still available).

On my Christmas/January wanders I have crossed paths with all these routes, enjoyed the views and been reminded of the longer treks that lie in wait once we return to something resembling normality.