Day 63: Kirk Yetholm Rest Day

A very damp day today. I’m glad I didn’t have to walk. Sadly, staying in the hostel wasn’t exactly the relaxing day I had planned. 

• Date: 22 May 2024
• Start: Kirk Yetholm
• End: Kirk Yetholm
• Miles: 0.0
• Total miles: 827.9
• Accommodation: Friends of Nature Hostel

I had a great sleep last night, but had to get up early this morning due to the hostel’s rules. 

They require that you vacate the building between 10am and 5pm, something that wasn’t clear when I booked the place. I wasn’t even allowed access to my bedroom between those hours, which was frustrating. 

Given the horrible weather, I was allowed to stay in the lounge area, which I did until lunchtime. I spent the morning planning out my journey to Milngavie, which is the start of the West Highland Way. I’ll be starting that next Friday. 

Between now and then, I need to walk to Edinburgh, and then across to Glasgow. It’s fairly easy walking in general, but most likely quite dull with three days on canal paths. 

Given the kitchen in the hostel was now closed, I had no choice but to go for lunch at the pub I was in last night. There’s really nothing in this town. 

I happened to bump into Neil who I’d been walking with the last few days. He had just finished the Pennine Way, spending the previous night camping at the top of the Cheviot mountain I’d climbed yesterday. A couple of other Pennine Way walkers arrived as well, all absolutely soaking. I was glad I did the final section in one go yesterday. 

I plucked up the courage to walk the 15 minutes to the town shop, so I could get something to cook for tea, and grab lunch for tomorrow. 

Now I’m off a national trail, I can walk whatever route I want. There’s weather warnings in place for tomorrow again, with rain forecast all day. I haven’t decided whether to press on to Jedburgh and camp, or deviate to Kelso and stay in a hotel, which is only about an 8 mile walk. I’ll make that decision in the morning.