With several hundred geocaches around our postcode we set off to nab a few more goodies – first a clamber up Peniel Heugh and to the Waterloo Monument. Fighting our way through clouds of flies (exercising our arms more than our legs at times) we reached the top to get rained on – great view from the top with a rainbow and diffused rainbow patterns over the Cheviots and hte forests around were originally set out in the pattern of the battalions at Waterloo (although reforesting has rather destroyed the original aim). Found the cache finally (the GPS was essential for this one) and headed down into one of the battalion forests to tramp to the Barons Folly on the next hill.
The Barons Folly was where a local Baron was supposed to have built his trysting house for his mistresses – now it is left to the pigeons to tryst judging by the amount of guano on the floor. We marched through nettles and in pouring rain to find that the dark (and probably dry) forest way was blocked by a barbed wire fence and ended up heading for the old roman road of Deer Street through the side of a wheat field – we were soaked to the skin.
Only remedy for a good soaking was a good Indian curry – so stopped off in Jedburgh at the ‘Sunrise’ restaurant where, after a long wait, my patience was rewarded with a superb spinach pancake to munch in the car and a delicious vindaloo at home. Food is cooked to order and an interesting menu (including Tandoori Duck) will guarantee a return visit.
The next day was still non-flyable so more geocaching in Peebles this time – to Neidpath castle and a lovely walk along the Tweed to the Neidpath Viaduct which took us over the river and into a very dark railway tunnel – using Stuarts mobile phone light we made our way gingerly along the pitch dark, gravelled floor decorated with empty beer cans. It took ages and in the middle where the tunnel bends around there is total darkness with either entrance invisible. It doesn’t help doing this just after seeing Creep (London Underground horror) and The Descent (caving horror). The exit is lovely albeit boggy and we made our way back to Peebles along the Tweed Walk.
We finished hte day with the standing stones at Lyne Station, a fish supper at Big Ebs in Peebles (superb) and a delicious icecream at Caldwells in Innerleithen (our second that day… Innerleithen is just full of people illegaly parked and eating icecream).
That is most of the Scottish Borders geocaches done now – although there are oodles in Northumberland and especially around the Cheviots.
