The weather forecast for today was looking good, so we decided on an outing with a couple of friends from the village. The numbers then went up to five for a brief while before going back to four then finally down to just the two of us. Well, at least the forecast was still good, so we decided on a longish run, taking in Innerleithen and Peebles, and returning via the Meldons.
A dreich start to the day, looking over towards Gladhouse reservoir
As we left the house, the promised sunny intervals were nowhere to be seen, and instead we had overcast skies with a fresh southerly breeze and a steady drizzle. It was already fairly unpleasant ascending the Innerleithen road but we felt the full force of the wind on the other side of the first hill, making progress difficult. After nearly 10 miles, we were on the verge of turning back, when we caught a glimpse of sunny hillsides to the south, with the weather system being rapidly whisked away to the north. So we made the decision to carry on with our original plan.
It was sunny when we arrived at Innerleithen and we made a stop at Adams the baker for some stuff for our picnic. Also some water, as Colette had managed to leave both her water bottles back in the house. Then we made our way to the old station where the cycle path to Peebles begins.
Who knew carrots grew on trees? Somewhere in there, I thought I heard a woodpecker…
Shortly after getting going along the path, I heard a woodpecker drumming in a tree very close on my right. I gazed over at the tree to see if I could spot the bird, but didn’t realise that I was veering to the left. Suddenly I found myself on the narrow grass verge, then bashing my left arm against some cast iron railings. When I tried to brake, the handlebars whacked sideways into the railings and brought me to a stop. I was worried that I might have damaged the bike, but luckily my hand cushioned the impact and no damage was done, except to my hand that is. The index finger of my left hand was cut and dripping with blood. It was all very sore for a few moments, when I considered turning back, but then the pain subsided (probably adrenalin kicking in) and reality took hold. It was only a cut and all it needed was a plaster, so I just had to be brave and carry on as planned, heading towards Peebles.
The offending finger
We found Boots in Peebles quite easily, and Colette went in to buy a box of plasters, after which we headed over to the toilets at the car park over the bridge. I opened the box to find that instead of individual plasters, there was just one great long strip! Colette had accidentally bought the wrong type. Maybe the adrenalin had worn off by now, as I hadn’t a clue what to do next. Thankfully Colette remained calm and suggested that the man over at the burger van might have scissors, which indeed he did. With the plaster applied, I felt a big sense of relief and was re-energized to carry on with our bike ride.
So next, we followed the A72 out of Peebles into the countryside and after a few miles, turned right following the sign for Eddleston via the Meldons. The road seemed very quiet, and the number of people camping by the roadside had dwindled since the last time we passed through. Summer wasn’t totally over though, as the south wind now felt quite warm (for me, that’s mid to high teens celcius) and was at our backs, gently easing our way up the hillside. After a while, we stopped at a picnic table and got our lunch things ready. I also took off my gloves and inspected the injuries. There was surprisingly little to see, and Colette admitted that she had fully expected to see me end up sprawled across the cycle path when I first lost control. It all could have been a lot worse!
A peaceful spot in the Meldons for our picnic
With the picnic over, the sun was still shining brightly and it would have been easy to stay a while and relax amidst the perfectly quiet, purple heather-clad hills, but I was aware of the forecast warning of heavy rain returning later in the afternoon. We therefore pressed onwards, up and over the top, then descending into Eddleston to meet the A703.
Going north up the A703, Colette suggested we stop at the Scots Pine Tea Room for a cup of tea. It was a wise decision, and we left with a spring in our step (or was that the following wind?), to help us get up the main road at a good rate of knots before turning off right at Waterheads. We climbed the hill that followed a bit slower than usual, now feeling the miles in our legs, but once we went past the access road to Portmore loch, we were on the home straight. As we cycled past Gladhouse Reservoir in warm sunshine, it struck me how silly we’d have felt if we had decided to give up in the drizzle on our way to Innerleithen. We had definitely made the best of today’s sunny weather, and it was somehow gratifying to see the rain start pelting the windows about 30 minutes after getting home.