A bit of bagging in the Borders

[Walking Englishman]

Mike,

Thanks very much for all the detailed information. Peebles it is and I am going to take your recommended walks with me when I travel up which will be in the spring - I find spring the season to be the most reliable for getting some decent walking in and I want to do the walks you recommend in the best conditions possible (not that I'm averse to a wet one now and again!). Looking at your recommendations I note one of your walks goes close to White Coomb, Loch Skeen and Grey Mare's Waterfall - a walk I had in my list on the recent Scotland trip - and one I will add to those you have so graciously provided for me.

Thank you.

[mike knipe]

More work for my list-ticking pencil - today added two more hills to the Border Bag - Penchrise Pen and Pike Hill. I expect its unlikely that anybody outside Hawick has heard of them - which is a shame....

More and better details on www.northernpies.blogspot.com

[agentmancuso]

This is a grossly underused area for the hillwalking -

Astonishingly so sometimes. I was out for a few hours round Megget Reservoir yesterday- clear skies, frozen ground, little wind, snow underfoot. I could see for miles in every direction, but not a single other walker was spotted all day.

[mike knipe]

We once went around the Hart fell/Capelgill round one August Bank Holiday and only met two other people.
Shame in a way... but on the other hand, its nice to have quiet hills

[Walking Englishman]

Its not the area that is the drawback, a fantastic wilderness but there are few guidebooks or promotions. I live in Harrogate and neither of the WH Smith and Waterstones walking sections have one book on the Scottish borders walking. Also the lovely towns like Hawick, Peebles, Selkirk, etc do't seem to be promoted South of the Border. Probably a good thing though - Keswick in the Lake District was a great mecca for walkers in the early to mid 90's - now its too much touristy and the best thing about the lowlands is their remoteness. I want to walk them that way so don't promote the area too much until I have been!

Incidentally, best book for walking if I stay in Peebles?

[agentmancuso]

Try The Border Country. Cicerone also do similar guides for the Lammermuirs, Galloway & the Lowther/Carsphairn areas, so the whole of the Southern Uplands are covered.

This is a nice one to, based on some local newspaper walking column. Only ever seen it locally though, and surprised to find it listed on line.

[mike knipe]

I use the SMC guide to the Southern Uplands quite a bit, although my copy is now well out of date..

Ordnance survey is quite good too!

[agentmancuso]

No-one else in sight this morning either, on the NW side of Broad Law. Though maybe everyone was put off by the fact that the wind was making it impossible to stand up over about 700m...