Day 2. Through Craik to Ettrick and Phawhope.

The A7 does lack the preferred delights associated with cycling on a small quite country road, as the timber lorries thunder past, so there`s only one thing to do: head down and pedal. After about 4 Km of uphill pull, the Mosspaul Inn comes into sight, a favorite stopping-off place on the journey north in days gone by, I`m told. But now alas, it is an Inn no more; just a large self catering establishment.It has gone the way of so many other rural hotels. Crossing the Watershed a little further up the hill, and the adrenaline rush of a long steady downhill past Linhope to Teviothead, is an invigorating joy. 

Just beyond, the V.Route takes a left turn-up an unclassified dead-end road past Falnash, and a little tree clad hill called Merry Naze. Forest roads through Craik provide easy cycling, even with that heavy pannier on the back; there is a sense of engagement with the terrain, with the ebb and flow of successive hills along the way. At Rashy Hill, the metaled road is left, to cut through on a rough track of sorts, to Howpassley and Craik. This is one of those well-intentioned early forestry villages, which soon fell out of favour on account of its remoteness. Forestry families wanted to live in towns, with all of the associated facilities.

The V.Route west takes careful navigation through a network of possible forest roads, but only the one by Howdub Knowe leads on successfully to Gair, on the B709. Its been most rewarding to find a route through this stretch of forest, and whilst it is a bit to the north of the Watershed, it shadows well its twists and turns up there on Craik Cross and Post Office Knowe. At Gair its necessary, out of respect to take a fifteen minute trip up to the Watershed itself, above Over Dalgleish, to nod affectionately to Eskdalale, and then cruise all the way back down to Ramseycleuch and Ettrick village. Left turn for a long gently meandering pootle up beside Ettrick Water, and into the embrace of the Ettrick horseshoe of hills that carry the Watershed all around. The names provide a litany of gently rounded tops, from Bloohope Head, Ettrick Pen, Capel Fell, Bodesbeck and all the way northward to Herman Law, within yodeling distance of St Mary`s Loch.

Just before Potburn, the tarmac gives way to forest road once more, and a short slightly bumpy ride to Over Phawhope Bothy; destination for the night. A wisp of smoke rising from the chimney heralds bothy companionship and blether for the night.