Day 85: West Linton to Uphall

Starting out from the village, we again followed the Cross Boarders Drove Road, which follows the route that for more than 200 years was used to drove cattle down from the Highlands to English markets. Today, once again we began with a constant uphill walk that was just steep enough to be interesting but not too taxing. Initially the path was a paved lane,

which turned into a footpath and soon left the gentle landscape behind to become open moorland

inhabited by hill sheep and beautiful highland cattle... So gentle!

The day was damp, misty and mizzlling but very pleasant, and as we climbed, the views through the mist were stunning.

Our route followed "Thieve's Road", so named because robbers and cattle reivers would hide along this section of the cattle route to relieve the drovers of their charges.

Walking the track, I could well imagine the nervousness of those early drovers as they drove their cattle through the mist as the scene across the moors was both mystical and mistical (not that there is such a word).

Theive's Road goes over Cauldstane Slap, which is the name of the pass between East Cairn and West Cairn Hills and is at an elevation of about 440mtr.

and after reaching the pass we began our descent to the valley below. At this point the path became increasingly boggy but not too challenging and the views offset any discomfort.

Thieves Road ended at Little Vantage and from there we had a few Km of road walking through tamer rural land until we reached East Calder,

and were able to pick up a footpath which we followed over the River Almond and on to our destination. A most enjoyable day of walking!