Friday 6th & Saturday 7th June

Route Notes

Starting at the wonderful Macdonald Cardrona Hotel you will start ScotPLOD with a short walk along the banks of the famous River Tweed before starting a gentle climb to sample your first hill of the Scottish Borders countryside. You will summit your first hill of the night before dropping down to your first checkpoint where you can arrange to meet your support crew for a quick spot of re-fuelling. From here you will start a long but gentle climb along the edge of a forest to your next summit before turning south and descending a beautiful ridge to the historic weaving town of Walkerburn and the next checkpoint.

After some much-needed TLC from your support crew, you will then head off along the south banks of the River Tweed (where it is believed there was a small hamlet called Linkumdoddie, as immortalised in the famous song by Robert Burns during his travels in the Borders). While walking along the riverbank you will pass below the ruins of the 16th Century Fortified Manor, Elibank Castle. Elibank was the home of the legendary Muckle Mou'ed Meg (or Muckle-mouthed Meg) who can claim amongst her many descendants the world famous Sir Walter Scott. This long but easy section ends with another checkpoint allowing you to sort out any aches and pains you have.

Next, you climb to the enchanting summit of the Three Brethren. The top is dominated by three 10 foot high cairns, from which you will (hopefully, weather dependant) have panoramic views extending over the surrounding countryside. At the summit, you will find another checkpoint to allow for a quick fuel stop before setting out along a section of the longest of Scotland’s long distance footpaths, the Southern Upland Way, which stretches coast to coast across the border countryside.

Heading West across the old drove road of Minch Moor you will be following in some famous foot steps inc. Edward I (who had marched along this route on his way to conquer Scotland!) William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and the Marquis of Montrose (fleeing from the Battle of Philiphaugh). You will pass the famous Cheese Well where you might come across some crumbs of food! Here you will find two stones that mark a small freshwater spring. It's said that if you pass the Cheese Well you should leave an offering to the Fairies who are believed to haunt the area. This would ensure a safe and successful journey. It's possible that the Cheese Well may have been a pagan shrine in the past.

You will drop down from the Minch Moor into the small village of Traquair and your final checkpoint before the finish. Traquair is the location of Traquair House, Scotland's oldest inhabited house. Dating back to 1107 it was originally a hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland (27 have visited). Later a refuge for Catholic priests in times of terror the Stuart's of Traquair supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobite cause without counting the cost. It is said that the Jacobite Fifth Earl of Traquair shut the gates to Traquair House one late autumn day in 1745 after waving his distinguished guest, the Bonnie Prince Charles Edward Stuart, good-bye and stated that they would remain locked until a Stuart King is restored to the Throne (....they are still locked!!!!).

So...your last climb has you head to Cardrona Forrest and the home stretch. In the forest you will pass the remains of an Iron Age fort and Cardrona Tower, a 16th century stronghold of the Govan family, before reaching your goal of the finish line at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel.