Melrose to St. Boswells along the St.Cuthbert’s Way
Melrose Abbey
Melrose
At the start of St. Cuthbert’s Way, Melrose is a cute border town in Scotland with a handful of hotels, inns and B&Bs. We stayed in the Kings Arms Hotel, one of my favorite places we stayed. It had good food and drinks, nice rooms and friendly people.
The Melrose Abbey was closed for restoration when we were there and we couldn’t go inside. Perhaps the most fascinating thing is that Robert the Bruce’s heart is embalmed and buried beneath the Abbey. The Abbey has a rich history, being built in 660 A.D., burnt down by Edward II, and rebuilt by Robert the Bruce in 1322. But for some reason, I was fascinated that his heart, and only his heart, is buried there. Where is the rest of his body? Is it scattered all over Scotland? I thought maybe I would find out along the way but had to look into it later.
Day 1: Melrose to St. Boswells
8 miles, Ascent:1058 ft./323 m
Based on everything I had read, I was worried about this first climb. Andrew from EasyWays (the booking company) warned me this is the steepest and most strenuous climb of the walk. I was nervous with anticipation, and he was right it was a heart burner. But I don’t think it was the most challenging climb of the trip. I will break it down for you so you don’t need to think about it again.
Part of the initial staircase climb
Right after leaving Melrose, the path takes you to a long staircase (with handrail) with steps of wooded slats covered with chicken wire. The staircase is long but there is a bench at the top to rest if needed. As soon as you’re done with the staircase, you go straight to a dirt and gravel path with a wooden step every 3-4 paces. There is another bench at the top of this section for a little rest. The path then becomes a packed clay surface. It is still steep, but more of a switchback leading to the top of Eildon Hill.
The total climb was 793 ft./241 m, 1.38 miles, and took us 40 mins.
The section of packed clay surface
From the top, the view over the valley was amazing. The remaining 7.6 miles were nicely downhill through forest tracks with a dirt path. There were a few more ups, but nothing challenging, just birds singing and the wind blowing in the trees all the way to St. Boswells.
After the day’s hike, I was thrilled to have made it up the “most challenging” climb without wanting to give up. I knew then I could make it up anything this trail would throw at me.
St. Boswells is a lovely town with beautiful homes, churches, and gardens. We stayed at the Buccleuch Arms Hotel, well located in the center of town and with a great beer garden. We sat out and enjoyed the afternoon sun, drinking beer and chatting until the sun went down. The only downside of our experience in St Boswells was it was a Saturday and the two main restaurants in town were booked out (a wedding at the Italian restaurant and a 21st birthday at the hotel). We ended up having Chinese takeout while sitting on a picnic bench in the beer garden.
Enjoying a beer at the end of the day
