Eriba Man

This is night No.4/2020 living in a caravan. We've now moved on from Lidalia in Newcastleton, and have pitched up at Melrose Gibson Park C&MC in the town of Melrose. I've been here many times, the last being for 4 nights last November. Got up around 0730, took the dogs a good walk, than after a shower, packed the van to move further north. However, the route means heading south to Canonsbie, then heading north on the A7. Stopped a few miles from the site, to give the dogs another good walk before the drive. I had walked in this wood a few days ago. Continued up the A7, and stopped of at Langholm to have another walk, as the weather was definitely improving. The Ewes Bridge, which we crossed. Headed for a walk around the ruins of Langholm Castle. Next stop on our journey was Hawick. The weather was definitely getting better as we took a good walk round the excellent Victoria Park. The museum and war memorials. Also a statue comme...

This is night No.3/2020 living in a caravan. This is the third night at the Lidalia C&MC Site in the village of Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders. I had received a very good book on the history and construction of Hadrians Wall, and part of the reason for coming this far south was to give me the opportunity to visit some of the remains of the wall and it's structures. I've visited a site before, but with what I'd learnt from the book, I was keen to see it for myself. A bit of real living history. My first sighting of the wall was from besides the approach to Birdoswald. It's been robbed over the years, but a surprising amount still stands and looks pretty sturdy! The Roman Fort at Birdoswald is closed for the winter, but the wall continues east from here to Gilsland. I could see some foundations over the fence into Birdoswald Fort. From here, we took the short drive to Gilsland. A fair bit of the wall remains here. The remains o...

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 grea...

First trip of the year! So, I suppose this is night 1/2020 living in a caravan. I've got my brothers Puck on this trip. My Troll is still under a winter cover and it's far less faffing around by simply taking the Puck. Very much 'plug and play' caravanning. Left the house around 0930 for the 4 hr drive to Newcastleton. Staying at the Lidalia Site, a C&MC affiliated site situated right in this Border Village. An uneventful drive in fine weather. Stopped a few times to let the dogs out, and a decent run around at the Leaderfoot Viewpoint near Melrose. As I crossed the hills on the Bonchester Bridge road, the fog rolled in and it's been quite foggy here since our arrival. Quite a contrast from the clear and bright weather we left back at home. The site itself is very quiet. There are a few seasonal pitches on use, a few look like workers in the area, and maybe one or two tourers, but it is a nice small site of 30 pitches. A foggy look around the site....