I had a mixed summer as I developed a calf injury only five minutes from home which took a couple of weeks rest to recover. I then walked in to Ben Alder Cottage from Loch Rannoch and was overcome with heat or rucksack weight. Fortunately, I had an ex-nurse daughter-in-law with me so was OK. Two months later I had a repeat of the calf injury crossing the road near home.
However, I did get back on the hill in the early autumn by using my bus pass on the new Coast Rider X7 on day trips from Auchmithie to Newburgh, including Donald Trump's new golf course. Then it was Cockburnspath to Edinburgh from my son's Edinburgh home on day trips so that I only left Mary on her own for one night.
I broke this rule for the final 2011 trip, taking the morning bus to St Abbs. After lunch, I did a circuit around St Abbs Head and down into Eyemouth for B and B. Next day, it was out to Ayton Hill which appeared to have three tops? Then down to the border and into England for 15 minutes to cross the east coast line and back to Eyemouth. Next day, I took the bus to St Abbs and walked to Cockburnspath, where the two-hourly bus service waited for me.
Along this stretch there was one windmill constructed as the start of a windfarm; the next week the radio reported it had come down in the gales. Sorry if I have rambled on - old age, I'm afraid - but I am hoping that I will be on the hills next summer to add a third Munro round to my other completions. This should be a multiple completion, with my son Chris finishing his fourth round.
St Abbs Head (photo: Alan Dawson)
