Newcastleton

This is night No. 2/2020 living in a caravan. It's the second night at Lidalia Affiliated C&MC in the village of Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders.

Today was a day of walking around Newcastleton, in a couple of nearby forests.

Got up at the amazingly late time of 0815 after an almost 12hr sleep! Incredible! This Puck I'm in has a very, very good bed. After getting dressed, took the dogs for a walk along the woods next to the site, passing the old Bull Park, where the village bulls were kept, over the disused mill lade and back through the village.

After breakfast, too the short drive south of the village to Thistlesike. There's a carpark for walking in  the Buccleugh Estate woods at Demainholm.

Very close to the Border, in fact the hill in the picture is actually in England.

Great walking woods with a fine way marked trail.

The forest borders a FC wood, the wall probably is also the boundary.

Although soggy in places, the path took a great route through the trees.

And along the banks of the Tinnis Burn.

A lot of very old native trees in some of the fields the route crossed.

Again, through some cuttings amongst the trees. Makes for really pleasant walking.

Returned to the van, and after lunch, took the short drive east to Newcastleton Forest, a forest which joins the Keilder and Kershope Forests in England making this a massive plantation.

Parked up, and headed to follow the Priesthill Trail.

Nice couple of ponds at the start of the walk.

Again, brilliant walking.

The route circles the hill following well marked posts.

The route passes high above Liddel Water. A huge hill north, maybe Armton Fell?

Looking down towards the road heading into Newcastleton and the old Parish Church.

A fine pond on the route, complete with Bullrush!

A great days walking, covering a good few miles, some of them fairly hilly. An overcast day, but dry and fairly mild, probably around 6c.