All being well today will be a landmark day. I will have walked across the entirety of England and arrived in Scotland. I will also have come to the end of my walk along the Pennine Way as I was going to turn off towards Jedburgh before the end of the Way at Kirk Yetholm. What’s more, it was sunny and sun was promised all day. In the last two weeks there’s been a fair amount of rain and cloud. Hopefully that was about to change for good.
I said goodbye to Karen and Rob and walked the short distance into Bellingham to the Lunch coffee shop for a latte, a smoothie, bacon sandwich and a triple chocolate scone. Everyone was very friendly, but I tore myself away to begin the first part of the days walk to Byrness.
They were great views on top of the hill above Bellingham when suddenly from nowhere a jet plane tore across the crest of the hill practicing low-level flying . It seemed really close but was gone in a flash before I could even think about taking a photo.
I then spent a couple of hours walking up and over hills decked with heather and bracken, stopping from time to time as I remembered that this was the best part of today’s walk and it was sunny with a gentle breeze, perfect walking weather. I climbed a steep hill with a dry stone wall to one side up to the tree line where I would enter the forest. I stopped again and aired my feet. I was in no hurry. Happily Natasha then arrived and we had a lovely chat while she ate her lunch. We then walked the remaining miles to Byrness, mainly along paved forestry roads, together.
I wasn’t staying at the Forest View, but popped in with Natasha to refill my water bottles. They remembered me from when I stayed four years ago which was nice and I had a welcome cup of tea before climbing the very steep hill from Byrness into the Cheviot Hills. At the top of the hill I found Rob and Karen again. They had pitched their tents and were enjoying a late afternoon snooze. I walked over to have a chat (they must’ve thought I was stalking them) and then walked on for a couple of hours.
There was late evening sun and the views were amazing. I passed through the gate into Scotland about 8 pm and shortly afterwards found a lovely spot with a great view and pitched my tent. I was rewarded with a glorious sunset.
Day Summary
The Pennines end as they started in glorious sunshine. I made it to Scotland at last.
Discover more from Henry’s very long walk
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Congratulations on making it to Scotland! Impressive.
Thankyou Tracey. We’ll see if the Scots are similarly impressed
Haha well Rob was certainly ready to go. Was lovely to see you at the top of the big hill. Can’t believe you did it in one go! I stopped about five times on it. Was lovely to see you again at our camp spot and thanks for the mango chunks 🥰
Hurray what a massive achievement – one country down and one more to go! They say Scotland is God’s own country. A claim also made by ‘they’ of Wales. No one has said it about England. Godless, perhaps. I have noticed fewer food photos lately. Please correct.