This week there’s was chance to catch up with a friend on St Cuthbert’s Way. Camilla is on her sabbatical and wanted someone to walk with for the two days she’d been unable to find someone else so we said yes and here we are.
It meant an early start to get to the route at Maxton by 11am but we made it. We did walk the St Cuthbert’s Way in 2014 and sat on the same bench at Maxton church.
We were soon pounding out the miles along Dere Street, another local example of what the Romans did for us. There were a lot of quite large fungi, it being that time of year, as well as acorns and such like.
We stopped for cake at the Woodside garden centre, and the cake was every bit as good as the one we tasted 5 years ago. Unfortunately at this point it started raining. Then it was onto Harestanes visitors centre where you can get your route card stamped if you are mindful of these things. We then had to take a small detour at Monteviot House due to a wasps nest (and angry wasps) on the path.
The suspension bridge over the River Teviot was a slightly wobbly experience.
The rain was not too heavy and we finished the day at Mount Hooley, not too wet. We drove onto our accommodation at Kirk Yetholm Hostel, where we have stayed before. It was lovely to walk together and share walking stories.
From Isaiah 55
The trees of the fields will clap their hands and we’ll all go out with joy.
It was lovely to be on the St Cuthbert’s Way today winding through the green countryside. It was a different season but it felt more like being on the End to End again. I am thankful for friends to share it with.
God grant us a quiet night
JAL 24.09.2019