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Ramblings

Creaking Trees and a Full Rainbow at Innerleithen

Ramblings

BBC

Science, Nature, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.6732 Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2024

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The beautiful Borders of Scotland is the location for Clare’s walk this week. She’s exploring the area around Innerleithen with Stewart Wilson. After a career in finance Stewart made a handbrake turn in his early 40s and became a tour guide and travel blogger. He says most visitors to Scotland bypass the Borders for Edinburgh or the Highlands and Islands but – in doing so – are missing out on gorgeous scenery and fascinating history.

So today Stewart wants to share what it is about the Borders, and Innerleithen in particular, that should make people want to stop and explore. He grew up there in a family who, for generations, had worked in the textile industry. It’s a sector that has all but disappeared, apart from a few high-end makers, so the area has to try and develop a new identity. History, mountain biking, and of course hiking are all a draw, including the challenging long distance Southern Upland Way which passes nearby.

Stewart begins today’s walk at Innerleithen Parish Church on Leithen Road. From there he then leads Clare over Leithen Water at Cuddy Bridge and, after a couple of stiff climbs through a forestry plantation with trees creaking in the wind, arrives at the disused relic of Kirnie Law reservoir. It's a great view point, which thanks to the rainy, sunny, sleety weather, created a full rainbow over the heathery hills beyond. It's a circular route that takes them back down to Innerleithen, just over five miles in total.

Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello, I'm Greg Jenner. I'm the host of Your Dead to Me, where the best names in comedy and history

0:05.5

join me to learn about and laugh at the past. You are a traitor. And in the new series, we'll meet

0:11.2

Aristotle. I think he might have been a time traveller. Someone who's like almost a glitch.

0:15.3

We'll dive into the causes of the British Civil Wars in the 1600s. In England at this period,

0:19.8

there's people can't get on the housing ladder.

0:21.5

This sounds familiar.

0:23.2

And we'll discover the arts and crafts movement.

0:25.3

I love the clothes.

0:26.3

I love the vibe.

0:27.1

Yes, we're a comedy show

0:28.0

that takes history seriously

0:29.3

and then laughs at it.

0:30.5

You're dead to me.

0:31.3

Listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:34.3

BBC Sounds.

0:35.6

Music, radio, podcasts.

0:37.6

I think the birds of Inhalithen have decided BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:44.6

I think the birds of Inalithen have decided to take on a little competition with each other.

0:53.1

Standing in the car park outside the church, which is built of strong, pale sandstone.

0:56.2

And through the gap between the church hall,

0:57.4

what was the church hall,

0:58.8

which has got a grey slate roof and the next door grey cottage,

...

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