Beattock to Abingdon- 18.2 miles

You never know what sort of day your going to have when your walking. It was supposed to be a straightforward walk mostly along a cycle way through conifer forests the road gradually rising until you eventually breakthrough the hills and descend to the river Clyde at Crawford. This was going to be my stopping place tonight at the Crawford Arms. When I arrived there the place was locked and a for sale notice was posted on the building. A lorry driver had arrived to take away the cooker and some other stuff. Obviously there was no room in the inn and nobody had let me know. It was time for plan B . After taking some local advice   I headed three miles up the road to Abingdon. There I found a hotel and managed to get a room for the night. It was friendly and comfortable and I was glad to have arrived. Later that evening four elderly men dressed in tartan sang Scottish songs and everyone had a great evening. I reflected on how fortunate I was not to have got my "first choice "accommodation.

Lockerbie to Beattock-14.5 miles

Having drawn back the curtains I could see the day did not look promising. The sky was dark and steady rain was falling. Breakfast however always changes the situation and my mood On top of this, as a bonus the sky was beginning to get brighter. Setting out on the road things changed very quickly and the theme that would be repeated many times would begin to play out. A heavy shower would blow in only for it to stop as soon as I put on my waterproof trousers. This exciting game between the clouds and me happened numerous times throughout the day. It was the long open road again today, easy map reading but hardly stimulating. I was forced to sing to myself on several occasions to cheer my spirits. Time passes of course and the miles are gradually strung together and you eventually come to your destination. I have be more than struck by the friendliness of the Scottish people, kind and helpful.

Tomorrow is a similar day but I know I will see some smiling  people along the way 

Kirkpatrick Fleming to Lockerbie- 12.7 miles

It felt chilly this morning when I awoke as the heating had not yet kicked into life. Despite this I was washed dressed and packed by 8.30 ready for breakfast. A local person then gave me " helpful " advice on the shortest route to reach the road I needed. I checked my map and found it would have added miles to my journey. Easier by car but no good to me where every mile counts. When I joined the road it was straight and seemed to go on forever and reminded me of that scene in North by Northwest where Cary Grant has a meeting with a man who does not turn up and get dusted by a crop duster plane. The only difference was I was not in Indiana, the skies were grey and it was very windy. ( no chance of any crop dusting). I reached Ecclefechan the birthplace of Thomas Carlyle and headed into Lockerbie. My B and B was 2 miles up the road from there. When I arrived no one was about so I opened the door and tried to find someone and make my presence known. I was on my own  so I fell asleep in a chair until they returned from a shopping trip. The place is splendid and friendly so well worth the wait.

Carlisle to Kirkpatrick Fleming - 18.2 miles

After having breakfast with Jon we headed to the city centre and said goodbye as he caught the 9 o'clock train back home. I headed for the chemist to get some more plasters and a fruit market to restock my banana supplies. I  left Carlisle about 9.30 and crossed the river Eden that  led me to the city's suburbs. My route then took me on a minor road that runs parallel to the busy A74 M . It was a frustrating sort of day, very windy, stop start walk, due to the rain showers. I had not yet got my mind in solo persons walk mode . Eventually I reached Gretna where I had a chat to an End To End cyclist. In a pub I had something to eat and escaped  from the strong wind. The B 7076 can only be described as a very boring road although it does make map reading easy. I soon reached my B and B and that evening  got a lift to and from the pub  to take on board some more calories.

Caldbeck to Carlisle- 15.5 miles

We now said goodbye to the mountains and followed the lush pastures and wooded valleys of the river Caldew. Here Sand Martins nested in the river banks and caught flies in the fields. Further along the river Dippers were catching insects by diving under water and quickly emerging again. The woodlands were white with Ransoms and Bluebells fringed the footpath edge. The riverbank path gradually changed to a cycle way and we soon entered Carlisle. Tomorrow I cross the border to Scotland 

Keswick to Caldbeck -15.8 miles

To make our journey today required that the weather was sunny and visibility good. Thankfully it was. This was necessary because our route took us via Skiddaw house a remote building that used to hold shepherds. It is now the highest hostel in England. From here the route turns sharp right and follows the River Caldew through the mountains to High Pike the highest point on the Cumbria Way. As visibility was clear we made the steep climb through the Heather up to the Lingy hut, a shelter to protect walkers if they get caught in bad weather. After the climb over High Pike we descended rapidly to the village of Caldbeck. We had our evening meal at the Oddfellows Arms which was excellent and reflected on our adventure.

Dungeon Ghyll to Keswick- 18.2 miles

At last a wonderful clear morning on which to ascend Stake Pass and go through the fells to Borrowdale. The walk started steadily up Great Langdale where stake pass begins. The pass is named from wooden marker posts that used to highlight the route. It is a long winding path that climbs to 480 metres and then descends into Barrowdale. It was here the Cuckoo called out from across the other side of the valley. There were plenty of signs about being aware of Red Squirrels but I never saw any actual squirrels . We had to cross some stepping stones across the Stonethwait Beck and Jon over balanced and ended up in the stream. After his quick change of clothes we headed into Keswick following the shore of Derwent water. We eventually arrived in Keswick at 6pm and I was glad for a soak in a hot bath.