The signs were not propitious driving down from Edinburgh – rain, sleet and temperatures of 1 to 2°C.  Luckily the rain stopped by the time we gathered at Traquair although it was very misty on the hills.  Seven of us set off at an easy pace up through the forests towards Minch Moor.  Once we came out of the forest we were in thick mist and there was half an inch of snow on the ground.  We paused at the Cheese Well to offer a shiny new penny to the fairies in the well for good fortune on our journey – this was later to prove to be a Good Move.  We continued on through the forests then out onto the high ridge of the old drove road, all the time cocooned in the enveloping mist.  Later on it began to clear a little and we could see down into the valleys although the distant views of the Eildons just had to be imagined.

We soon came to the imposing cairns of The Three Brethren and by now the mist was clearing well.    A vague and muddy path took us over the aptly named Foulshiels Hill to the woodland above Broadmeadows where we had to negotiate some slippery duck boards to get into the woods.  At Broadmeadows youth hostel there was a very convenient picnic table in the garden so we stopped for lunch.  Although the sun had come out it was very cold so we didn't stop for too long.  A delightful woodland path took us down beside the deep river valley to the road; on the way Julie stopped to look for conkers for her children.  A short stretch of road running brought us to Yarrowford, notable for its bright orange village hall.  Anne left us here, waiting for Ian to come and pick her up.

We climbed steadily on the Minchmoor Road in a perfect afternoon – crystal clear visibility and the sun shining on the warm yellow and brown colours of the hillside.  The fairies had brought us excellent weather.  At the top of the Road we rejoined the old drove road and plowtered our way back along the muddy forest tracks.  On the way, Julie offered us cheese & carrot flavoured jelly babies – the result of an earlier lunch box malfunction – but there weren’t many takers.  From Minch Moor it was a relief to have a steady descent back to Traquair.  While we were changing in the car park I heard a strange moaning, bellowing sound – I thought it was a rutting stag but it turned out to be Digby trying to bend down to get his shoes off.  We rounded off an excellent day out with a visit to the Traquair Arms Hotel on the way home.

Nigel Rose