There is something quite special about going for a walk or hike during the darkest days of winter, when daylight is at a premium, the cold bites hard and there are the excesses of Christmas needing shaken off. Hill walking is my favourite hobby (in fact, next to this blog it is probably my only hobby), and I love the walking we have on offer in and around the Tweed Valley. It’s accessible, can be challenging if we want it to be and there is beauty to be found among rolling hills, peaceful valleys and quiet forests. Todays blog is a description of some of my favourite walks in the Tweed Valley and will, I hope, serve two purposes. Firstly I hope some read this and will be inspired to go and try these routes perhaps for the first time. Secondly, I suspect many of these routes will be well known to readers but if reading this helps to give you a deeper understanding or appreciation of the route then it’s job done!

In the interests of safety (and litigation!) I must point out that walking comes with dangers and anyone doing it does so at their own risk. I’m providing these suggestions free, and would always suggest having a map and compass when out on a walk - and knowing how to use them. You can get maps for the area from our local hiking shop Out and About in Peebles or The Hub in Innerleithen. You can also find more detailed information on websites, Walk Highlands is the best out there. There it is, now here are the walks!

This is a fairly straightforward loop which was created by Traquair Estates in 2019/20 - it was a blessing to locals during the spring 2020 lockdown. Starting at the Red Bull/Mountain Bike car park on Traquair Road, the best way to do the walk is clockwise (getting the stiff climb out of the way first!) The route is way marked with cute wee Traqauir Bears. After the climb the well built path skirts Taniel Hill and eventually reaches a sturdy bench with a brilliant view back towards Lee Pen and Innerleithen. The path was built by local firm Glendinning Groundworks and the bench is a memorial to Alan and Graeme Glendinning, brothers who both tragically died from cancer in 2013. It’s a perfect spot for a seat and a swig of hip flask on a wintery walk. From there the path eventually joins up with the Southern Upland Way and descends to Traquair village. You can then follow it through attractive native woodland and back to the starting point. A leisurely hour or so stroll, perfect for short winter days.

The iconic New Years Day walk for Innerleithen folk, although it’s a great hike all year round. Lee Pen looms over Innerleithen and has legendary status - its site of our annual hill race, has its own visitors book and for a while even had its own Facebook page! Fit people will complete the ascent and be back in front of the fire in about 90 minutes, but I recommend a more leisurely pace, especially on New Years Day where you are likely to have company! Route finding isn’t much of an issue here, a well worn path takes you to the top (a new finger post sign on the saddle at Caerlee Hill helps remove any doubt). The biggest challenge is the last, steep section but if time and care is taken this can be negotiated. At the top you are rewarded with lengthy views all the way from Northumberland to Lanarkshire, as well as the visitors book to sign. If you happen to be there at first light on New Years Day you may well bump into me, getting wired into a breakfast whisky or two. As we say in Innerleithen “Oor no drinkers” (but exceptions can be made 😉)

This is a walk which perhaps is at its best during the autumn months. The broadleaf trees that line the route are beautiful in russets and golden colours. The route does however have lots to offer in winter, and gets you up close and personal with the River Tweed, in perhaps the most dramatic section of its whole 97 mile journey. The steep sided ravine the river winds through here is wonderful and this is a popular route for Peebles folk and visitors. Starting at Haylodge Park you can follow a path on the north side of the river, taking you right underneath Neidpath Castle. After about a kilometre or so you arrive at Neidpath Viadcut. This skewed former railway bridge is now a footpath and will get you over the Tweed with dry feet. From here you have two options - drop down the woodland path to follow the riverbank back towards Haylodge park, or dare the tunnel! The tunnel (known locally, and erroneously, as the half mile tunnel) is guaranteed to be an exciting addition to any walk but be warned - you’ll need a head torch and the ground on exiting is very boggy. Whichever way you go, you’ll soon be at Fotheringham Bridge. This silver footbridge crosses the Tweed just downstream of the Ford used by the mounted cavalcade during Peebles Beltane week. I love this wee walk in Peebles, even if it brings back some painful memories of cross country runs under the watchful eye of Mr Henderson during PE lessons. Brutal!

Thanks to Mark Sansom for the brilliant drone photo.

I’ve written extensively about Glen here and here so won’t go into too many details around this great place. Suffice to say there are many great walks, the best of which is the loop to Loch Eddy, up on to the moor and Glenshiel Banks before returning via the top road to Glen Village. The path from Loch Eddy to the cottage at Glenshiel Banks is rough at best, so be prepared for a bit of heather louping! A request as well to please park sensitively if driving to Glen.

The commercial forests of the Tweed Valley have added a great variety of walking routes over recent years. These are under used and underrated in my view, with Mountain Biking hogging the limelight a bit in The Tweed Valley. Snowy winter days are a great time to explore the forests, because the massive spruce trees look more at home with a dump of snow on them - squint a bit and it could be Canada not Cardrona or Tromso not Thornilee. Any of the seven forests are worth exploring, but I would recommend the Tower Trail at Glentress or the Pikes Knowe Trail at Cardrona.

Thanks to my sister Claire for the image of an alpine Glentress, with Lee Pen looking like a mini Matterhorn.

There you have it, some of my favourite Tweed Valley winter walks. I hope your own festive period involves a big dollop of outside time. The good news is that come 22 December we start to get daylight back, slowly but surely, and guess what??? These walks are great in the spring too 🙂

Merry Christmas!

Stewart.

Winter Walks

22 Border Hills in 2022

Winter wonderland on the John Buchan Way