Training Log Archive: JanetTIn the 1 days ending Aug 7, 2019:
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Wednesday Aug 7, 2019 #
10 AM
Other 40:00 0.8 km (50:00 / km) +30m 42:06 / km
ahr:71 max:125
At Smailholm Tower near Melrose in the Border District; counting from the car park to the tower plus up and down the spiral staircases. Track left to give an idea of where exactly we were, but it couldn't keep track inside the tower, apparently. Plus I forgot to stop it until we were a ways down the road.
Smailholm is notable because 1) it's near the Border with England and therefore was historically a base for either raiding farms across the border or for defending Scotland, and 2) it's also close to where Sir Walter Scott's grandparents lived (the farm property we drove through to get to the car park) and where he spent a lot of time while growing up, being inspired by the tower and the ballads told about what happened in the area. 3) It's really impressive to see as you come down the road towards it, standing tall with few or no trees around it. And you can see England from there (including Flodden Field, site of an England-Scotland battle in 1513 where the Scottish King, James IV, died).
On the way back west, headed to Lanark and the Clyde River Valley, we went under another railway viaduct (not used by trains) over the Tweed R, this one made of bricks and having 19 arches. Very impressive.
Smailholm is notable because 1) it's near the Border with England and therefore was historically a base for either raiding farms across the border or for defending Scotland, and 2) it's also close to where Sir Walter Scott's grandparents lived (the farm property we drove through to get to the car park) and where he spent a lot of time while growing up, being inspired by the tower and the ballads told about what happened in the area. 3) It's really impressive to see as you come down the road towards it, standing tall with few or no trees around it. And you can see England from there (including Flodden Field, site of an England-Scotland battle in 1513 where the Scottish King, James IV, died).
On the way back west, headed to Lanark and the Clyde River Valley, we went under another railway viaduct (not used by trains) over the Tweed R, this one made of bricks and having 19 arches. Very impressive.
2 PM
Walking 2:25:08 6.95 km (20:53 / km) +92m 19:36 / km
ahr:89 max:135 shoes: 2019 Altra LP4.0 9 rspb
At the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve in New Lanark, Lanarkshire.
Walked from the World Heritage Site (New Lanark seems to have been a mill town) south/upstream along the Clyde, checking out the multiple falls including Dundaff, a gentle drop; Cora, 84'; and Bonnington, a set of falls across a wide set of cliffs.
This area protects otters and badgers, and used to have a pair of peregrine falcons nest on a cliff face (not seen since 2014). It has a wildlife trail but all we saw were a potential badger burrow, a half dozen cows, two white horses, and a field of sheep. And a couple of wrens in a tree near the visitors center. Nice hike.
Then we had dinner in Lanark at the Crown Tavern which had, in addition to the ubiquitous fish-and-chips and steak-and-ale pie, a salmon and broccoli pie with a tarragon cream sauce, and a salmon and king prawns (shrimp) pasta dish with a cheesy cream sauce. Yummy!
Walked from the World Heritage Site (New Lanark seems to have been a mill town) south/upstream along the Clyde, checking out the multiple falls including Dundaff, a gentle drop; Cora, 84'; and Bonnington, a set of falls across a wide set of cliffs.
This area protects otters and badgers, and used to have a pair of peregrine falcons nest on a cliff face (not seen since 2014). It has a wildlife trail but all we saw were a potential badger burrow, a half dozen cows, two white horses, and a field of sheep. And a couple of wrens in a tree near the visitors center. Nice hike.
Then we had dinner in Lanark at the Crown Tavern which had, in addition to the ubiquitous fish-and-chips and steak-and-ale pie, a salmon and broccoli pie with a tarragon cream sauce, and a salmon and king prawns (shrimp) pasta dish with a cheesy cream sauce. Yummy!