Siccar Point, Berwickshire

Last year started with high winds and this year is proving the same. The last two weeks have seen gusts over 45mph nearly every day. On some days the winds have been hitting 60mph. My cycling has suffered as I simply don't enjoy sitting in a granny gear struggling to make any progress. So with time off today I took the opportunity to go for a decent walk with Fly.

I parked at Pease Bay and set off on foot across the little bridge, Fly has difficulty with bridges.

The wind on the cliff tops was bracing to say the least.

The aim of today's walk was to visit Siccar point. This natural outcrop of weathered stone and windswept grass has a long history. It was once the site of a Dun, or fort, which was populated by the Britons. They were a busy bunch who lived from the Forth down to northern France. ( North of the Forth was populated by the Picts). They farmed, traded and generally got on with their ancient lives from the iron age until the middle ages.

The other reason that people trek along the cliffs is to see Hutton's Unconformity (the mis-mash of rock above). A quick Geology lesson; 400 million years ago sediment on the sea bed formed rock layers. Over immense periods of time the rock was folded as mountains formed. This was then eroded and 55 million years ago more sediment was laid down by rivers which also formed rock. This too eventually eroded and 200 years ago James Hutton, a local farmer and amateur geologist, sat bobbing in a little boat with a couple of friends and observed what he regarded as conclusive proof of his theory of uniformitarianism.

Hutton's work was challenging, it both suggested that the Earth was ever evolving, and also that it was immensely older than any previous suggestions that were based on biblical texts. As you can imagine this led to all sorts of confrontations.

Back to the present and poor Fly was freezing, I was feeling the biting cold too and we headed off along the coast to find some shelter.

St Helens chapel is a fine old ruin. It would once have been the church for the parish of Old Cambus. I'm not sure why, but this was absorbed into Cockburnspath. The graves are 18th Century and unfortunately unreadable now. It must have been a bleak trail to church on a winter's morning.

The western wall is still intact and provided a very welcome break out of the wind. Tomato soup in the flask and the camera strap in the bottom of the pic.

A very cold and windy walk, and a few million years of history when you look hard enough..

A weekend of quiet Harbours.

This weekend El was feeling a bit better and wanted to get out and about. We went to Burnmouth which is a place I'd like to include in my cycle diaries but the road is just to steep for me!

We tried to enjoy a wee picnic but it became a little weird when a pensioner couple parked their car a couple of feet from us and then sat drinking out of their thermal mugs and staring at us. I wasn't offended, just a little perturbed as to what they regarded as a day out.

Fly wasn't bothered at all.

Sunday and I went out to the Heron to take down the flags I had dressed her with for 'Lifeboat Day'. I stopped at the sailing club to help clear up from Saturdays excess.

I didn't stay long because I'm well behaved.....

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I bought a 62cm Long Haul Trucker frameset, old trucaccino!  Don't tell El. This is going to mean a lot of handbags and shoes!

Sunday Cycle to Cove for Coffee

On Sunday morning the rain finally stopped. I grabbed the chance to get the old Falcon out and went for a cycle to Cove, near Cockburnspath. This little harbour is one of the hidden gems of Berwickshire. I remember being brought here as a kid and fishing for crabs. In those heady days of the 1970s it was always sunny! The weather has changed but not much else.

Cove is a little village built around 1810 by the Halls of Dunglass to house the estate workers and fisherfolk. There has been a harbour of sorts since the early 1600's and in 1740 the access road was built. Just before the road reaches the cottages there is a tunnel that leads to the beach. You can see it on the far left of the above pic.

The road was a bit bumpy but not any real problems until my front brake failed, then it became interesting. There are a couple of boats still fishing from Cove. These creel boats will mostly fish for the lobsters. With all the rain this summer the sea is brown from the rivers. There's not a lot of fishing to be done in these conditions.

 Old frame, older stone.

The red house below the cliff can only be reached across the beach. Guess if you want a piano it is going to have to come in by boat.

I didn't bother with the stove today. Just brought a wee flask of freshly pressed coffee. A fine place to sit and enjoy Sunday morning.

As well as being a wonderfully peaceful little harbour, Cove was also instrumental in 19th Century Scottish art. From 1883 to 1888 an informal group of artists lived here. They became known as 'The Glasgow Boys'. Sir James Guthrie spent a lot of time painting the lives and people who farmed and fished in those days. The post box has 'VR' so must have been installed during Queen Victoria's reign. Given that post was the only means of long distance communication in those days, Guthrie et al must have posted their letters home from this very box.

There seems to be a resurgence of an arty feel to the hamlet although whether you can compare this with the work of The Glasgow Boys is a matter of personal opinion.

If you visit Cove by car there is a small parking area between the cottages. Originally this was a common ground where the workers for the Halls family grew their vegetables. The Scottish word for a farm labourer is 'Hind'. Guthrie painted a lass tending the vegetables when he stayed here.

James Guthrie's A Hind's Daughter, 1883. Photograph: National Gallery of Scotland




A fine Sunday cycle in a beautiful place. The coffee was good too.

19.5 miles. 12 Degrees, cloudy, damp F1 NE backing. New brake cable outer needed.