Biggar Ramblers met in the lovely, busy town of Pebbles in the Scottish Borders with the river Tweed flowing through its centre. The group of six walkers made their way past the hundred-year-old Oak Tree on the roundabout in the town to pick up the waymarked route of the John Buchan Way, named after John Buchan (1875-1940), a writer and diplomat who had associations with the area. One of his most famous books was the 39 Steps.The trail took the ramblers from Pebbles to Broughton and is in two distinct sections. The first section took them to Stobo, this being the halfway point at just over 7miles. The path headed out onto the hillside. The weather had turned warm and sunny and gave them cracking views back over the town of Peebles and beyond. Once reaching Cademuir Hill where once there were Iron Age Fortes the route gradually contoured gently around the hillside on a quiet and attractive path leading to a road in Manor Valley. Following the markers the group crossed the bridge into Stobo.and gradually built up height. Once through the evergreen wooded area they got their first views of the Broughton Heights. These hills are an impressive circuit of high undulating tops which proves to be so popular with walker’s and visitors alike. Also, this place has a profound sense of remoteness even though the village of Broughton is just a few miles over the brow of the hill. The ramblers had an enjoyable day out with pleasant weather for walking. www.biggarramblers.org
