[cessna152towser]

Wednesday was a braw day for a hill walk. After a brief meet up with David Dalglish and his wife Helen in Hawick I took to the hills. Destination, the summit of Penchise 1,436 feet. This is a view on the way, with some kilts on the hoof, and Penchrise rising in the background.

I soon reached the top. There was a lot of old concrete lying around as there had been an army watch tower here during World Wars I and II. The army camp and ranges around this area closed in 1959.

The view looking towards the south west and Dumfries, which is out of sight beyond the hills.

A telephoto view looking north towards Hawick, which can just be made out left of centre through the distant haze.

Time was short to get back for Ann so I returned along the old railway track.

The railway followed the valley of the Slitrig Water all the way down to Hawick.

The railway company built these cottages when the railway was built, to provide living accommodation for track maintenance workers. The cottages have been unoccupied since the railway closed in 1969 and have become derelict but the daffodils in the gardens still bloom every year.

A good view of Stobs Castle from the railway embankment. The castle was requisitioned as accommodation for army officers during World War II but is now a private residence.

[Bugbear]

Sounds neat! Guess daffodil bulbs do well and can become naturalized where you are.

[McClef]

Another lovely kilted walk with pics there Alex!

[Darkislander]

Nice collection Alex. How the heck can you bare the heat in your kilt? I wouldn't even attempt it. I'm having a running battle at the moment with work colleagues with the aircon. I set it to 20c, they switch it off making the temp go back up to 26c. Go home with a headache.

[Cynthia]

Beautiful. I could sit up there for hours, looking around and thinking to myself. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

[7 miles]

Thank you for the tour of your walk. Breathtaking really.

[walkerk]

Thanks for the pictures, Alex. Must be mild weather if you're at the summit with no hat and wearing a t-shirt. Lots of tracks in that third picture - are any of them Roman roads?

[cessna152towser]

Thanks for the pictures, Alex. Must be mild weather if you're at the summit with no hat and wearing a t-shirt. Lots of tracks in that third picture - are any of them Roman roads?

The straight track running across into the trees on the left is a historic cattle drovers road, though nowadays it is mainly used for logging lorries accessing the modern forestry plantations. A herd of black cows can however just be spotted along the track near the centre of the pic.
The darker tracks are probably the remains of early twentieth century army trenches. The army trained here from 1903 till 1959. The vegetation grows more lush because the trenches accumulate water.
No Roman roads here that I know of - the road which follows Hadrian's Wall is a few miles further south, and the road north from there to Trimontium (near Melrose) is a few miles to the east of here.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Great pictures Alex :-)

[auld argonian]

Alex, I always enjoy your photo sets. I also envy the fact that it seems like you can take a short stroll out of town and be out there in the middle of all of that fresh air and splendid scenery.

Best

AA