Scottish Borders

Before we left Berwick we shopped ot the M&S foodhall to tides us over the next couple of days. Then we headed south west for Scotland crossing the border at Coldstream and then on to Kelso, following the River Tweed before stopping in Jedburgh for a lunch break. 

When we arrived there was a strange smell of bacon frying. The hairy Scots lad in the car parked next to us was making bacon sandwiches on a primus by his car. Probem solved.

We tried to visit Mary Queen of Scots house, it was closed, but we ate a Stovie in the imacculate gardens and a coffee outside the Abbey cafe. The ruined abbey was also closed. The gift shop was open however so we bought a card to send to our neighbours children Charlie and Alfie who had seen us off on holiday.

We crossed back into England over the scenic Carter Bar pass where we stopped to admire the views. Visibility was excellent and we could see for miles in all directions.

On the Englsih side is the Northumberland AONB and Keilder Forest which we entered briefly before finding a sign telling us it was 4x4 route. So we went on to a Water Board overnight stop by the dam at Derwent Reservoir. After the day trippers had gone we were on our own for the night. We walked up to the dam before dinner. It was the longest day and shortest night so it never got dark enough to see the milky way despite the fact that the park is in a dark skies area clear skies.