![\"Captain's](\"http:\/\/www.screel.co.uk\/walks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Captains-Road-sign.jpg\")
<\/a>Route: SUW Potburn to St Mary’s Loch<\/em><\/p>\nSpringtime on the Southern Upland Way. I took a T-shirt along in case it was warm and sunny when we got to the start, but I needed neither it nor the sunglasses I’d packed. The morning was wet and windy, the sun not showing its face until the afternoon. As we drove up the Ettrick valley I was still optimistic, the windscreen had an occasional raindrop but not enough to need windscreen wipers. When we parked up, the rain became a little heavier but still light enough to leave some question as to the need for waterproofs. We paused awhile in the car to see if the rain would pass, but as it was we were to have a couple of hours of rain that was heavy at times with sheets of rain driven into our backs.<\/p>\n
So we set off in wet weather gear, the right choice as it turned out, along the single track road beside Ettrick Water, which grew gradually from a narrow stream into a wide river passing through several rocky sections that would have been good places to cool one’s feet if the day had been hot.<\/p>\n
<\/a>22 miles from Selkirk<\/p><\/div>\n
There wasn’t much opportunity for photographs, what with the rain, which was a shame since there were some good views back along the valley. At Over Kirkhope we found an old mile marker informing us we were 22 miles from Selkirk and some sawn tree trunks that I thought looked like a goat.<\/p>\n
The SUW leaves the road at Scabcleuch and starts its climb over Scabcleuch Moss. Before facing the climb we had a break amongst some trees that offered shelter from the elements as well as stumps we could sit on.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Poem at Scabcleuch<\/p><\/div>\n
Where the SUW leaves the road there are steps in the wall and a stone with the first stanza from the poem Ettrick<\/a> by Lady John Scott:<\/p>\n When we first rade down Ettrick, It is a steep walk up from the road and had the field been any muddier it could have been tricky. This section had the best views back up the Ettrick Valley but the rain was blowing directly in our faces when looking that way.<\/p>\n Scabcleuch<\/p><\/div>\n As we climbed onto Scabcleuch Moss, Audrey spotted a small section of blue sky and over the next few minutes the rain cleared and the sun came out. Ettrick Pen was still topped with cloud but the higher tops of Lochcraig Head, Broad Law (with its aerials) and Cramalt Craig were cloud free.<\/p>\n On the slopes of Peniestone Knowe there is a Scottish Rights of Way signpost, pointing along the track we were using (back to Scabcleuch, on to Riskinhope) and also over the moorland to Ettrick Kirk. The OS has a path marked but I could not see it.<\/p>\n The Wiss from Pikestone Rig<\/p><\/div>\n The path continues to climb until it reaches the top of Pikestone Rig from where we got our first glimpse of the Loch of the Lowes and then St Mary’s Loch. The wind on the top was strong enough to push us aside and I don’t think we could have walked in that for very long. Luckily we were sheltered once we started to descend into Riskinhope.<\/p>\n There are extensive ruins at Riskinhope which we put to use as seats for lunch. This turned out to be a teeming thoroughfare compared with our other SUW walks, since we saw two mountain bikers (cycling in very low gear) and two walkers. Four other people on a walk!<\/p>\n
\nOur bridles were ringing, our hearts were dancing,
\nThe waters were singing, the sun was glancing,
\nAn’ blithely our hearts rang out thegither,
\nAs we brushed the dew frae the blooming heather,
\nWhen we first rade down Ettrick.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/a>