LEJOG
Distance walked – 11.5km (7.2miles)
Total Distance – 1274.3km (796.4miles)
Looks like we made it
Or I thought so till today
Barry Manilow – It’s a Miracle
We completed the Pennine Way today. It has been 16 days of really tough walking during which we have climbed countless mountains, crossed seemingly endless valleys and trudged over mile after mile of featureless moor. There have been some amazing highlights, but also some terrible lows. We have grown to both love and loathe the Pennine Way in equal measures, but above all, we have finished it with a very healthy respect of the granddaddy of the UK long distance paths.
Inside the Bothy
Our day started high in The Cheviot Hills where we had wild camped at the Hen Hole Mountain Bothy. Louisa decided to sleep in the bothy last night, for a new adventure, while I slept in the tent outside. No marital disharmony, just there wasn’t room for both of us on the floor and we couldn’t get our mats to fit on the benches in the hut. It was actually pretty cold last night, and I think I was much warmer in the tent as the hut was very draughty.
Izzy D??
We only had about 11 kilometres to walk today, an easy half day, so we took our time packing up and had a leisurely breakfast in the hut. The walls are covered in graffiti, including it would appear from our daughter, Izzy Dunk! Our favourite one read “Final stop on the odyssey that is the Pennie Way”. For us, the odyssey of our LEJOG continues after today, but we definitely feel that we have completed a journey in our time on the PW.
View back to Hen Hole. The hut just visible below Auchope.
We set off in cold, damp, grey weather but in high spirits. The Pennine Way still had one last climb to throw at us as we ascended The Schill, reaching the summit at 601m, except in true Pennine Way fashion, we just missed the summit (there was an optional side path which we ignored).
The near summit of The Schill
Descending from The Schill
We descended from The Schill, continuing along the English/Scottish border that we have followed most of the way over The Cheviots. We stopped to admire the view of the green hills dropping down to the flatlands of the Scottish Borders from a craggy outlook.
They will never take our freedom!
Soon, however, we reached the final border crossing, the border being a slightly more substantial stone wall here. Scotland will now be our home for the next 30 days, during which time we will walk to its furthest mainland extent. We paused for a few cries of “They will never take our freedom!” before setting off.
I think we’re in Scotland now. . . . .
Just after the border crossing we reached a decision point where the Pennine Way divides into a high route (longer with more ascent/descent) or a low route (direct shorter option). We choose the low route which turned out to be a lovely walk through easy, pleasant, green farmland. Soon we were back in civilization as we passed several farms and gained a tarmac road. We passed several walkers heading up the mountains, one of whom was wearing a kilt and a thin t-shirt (we still had all our layers on). We knew we were in Scotland now!
Kirk Yetholm
A final surprisingly steep push up a hill, and we were standing looking down at the village of Kirk Yetholm, the northern terminus of the Pennine Way.
Border Hotel and shoe shrine
We walked into the village and arrived at The Border Hotel which is the official end of the PW for photographs and celebration. There is a wonderful shrine of used walking boots to mark the end. Both of our shoes are showing significant signs of wear, but we need them for the next five days to get us into Edinburgh, so we were unable to make an offering to the Gods of the Pennine Way.
Mountain Survival Hut 2.0
It was only 11:00am so we sat on the large village green at a picnic table while we waited for the pub to open. Kirk Yetholm is a really pretty village and a worthy endpoint for the PW. We made a last minute boking of a B and B (we had planned to camp but Louisa is still scarred after her night in the hut) and then had a great lunch at the pub (Vegetable curry/Nachos). At 2pm we set off for the B and B and were soon checked in to our luxurious room. What a great end to the Pennine Way!
