Dai's Slow lejog

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Day 27 Innerleithen - Musselburgh (Edinburgh) 35 miles (851 )

A wild wet and windy night in an unheated overpriced room was followed by a poor breakfast although I did get to meet a kiwi who travelled the hills selling aerial bracken spreading.
So, wrapped up well, I set forth northwards into the Moorfoot hills. At times the North westerly wind was funnelled down the valley which made progress painful and slow but it is lovely country and the poor weather conditions made it easier to see some of the breeding birds closer. The highlight was good views and the sounds of lekking blackcock, but also oystercatchers, curlew, common sandpipers and golden plover could be seen and sometimes heard at close proximity. After a struggle for a couple of hours I eventually made the final summit and then had a long decent through pleasant farmland into Dalkeith . Even this was hard work against the gale force winds, but by lunchtime the rain had gone to be replaced by sunshine. After lunch in Dalkeith I reached the coast at Musselburgh and then turned west to finish in Edinburgh( I cheated the last bit by catching the train at Musselburgh as the head wind was so strong!)

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Photos

Moorfoot hills
Moorfoot hills in the rain

Breeding oystercatchers
Breeding oystercatchers Moorfoot hills in the rain

Moorfoot hills
Moorfoot hills in the rain

Blackcock at Lek Moorfoot hills
heard them calling and caught a glimpse

Moorfoot hills
the final climb

Moorfoot hills
the top!