Scottish Borders Council

I wrote to the Council asking about the rights to use railway tracks and got a very friendly and helpful e-mail from a ranger there. I appears that the state of the tracks is not completely clear, some are designated as what they call "core paths" and others are not yet designated. On the Borders Council web site is this description.

What are Core Paths?

The majority are off-road, though some may be pavements or reached by quiet roads. These paths vary in type and quality. Natural grassy swards, trodden paths or high-specification constructed paths - a choice that satisfies needs for all users and all abilities.

Above all, Core Paths should be fit for purpose. The Council will endeavour to assist with this duty by signposting Core Paths and assisting with routine maintenance over the coming two years.


He also sent me instructions and a link to access the maps of the Borders showing these paths which I think are essential viewing for walkers and the public interested in walking in the Borders. I reproduce it below and wish to thank the ranger and the Council for the help. Its nice to find our public servants are doiugn good work and friendly and communicative.

1.Go to Maps
2.Click on ‘LocalView’
3.Click on ‘On the Map’
4.Click on ‘View map layers’
5.Scroll down to find ‘core paths’ or ‘wider path network’ and select
6.Click on ‘ Display on map’
7.Click on ‘Zoom to location’
8.Select area from drop down list
9.Click ‘Zoom to area’



You can zoom in or out using the + and – buttons or move around the map by clicking on the hand symbol and dragging the map, click on ‘Map help’ for further instructions.

Walking towards Newtown from the Leaderfoot Bridge

First Bridge on walk towards Melrose

Second bridge

Having realised we could not walk over the bridge we turned our attention towards going South. There is a pleasant walk under trees along the railway, passing two bridges. But the the track is closed by a huge log I suspect put there by the local farmer who has also attempted to close the road access under the bruidsge by putting a large oil drum filled with coal. I guess its because just beyond that the road to Melrose from the A68 cuts the old railway, see map.
We had to take to the road and come back to the Leaderfoot via the A68 a busy road. There is no reason for the blockage unless its the road so I will try from the other end and see why its blocked.

The Leaderfoot Story

The lovely viaduct at Leaderfoot from the old bridge

The barrier to stop you crossing

I went for a walk with my sons to see if it was possible to walk over the lovely viaduct at Leaderfoot. Unfortunately as you can see from the pictures its blocked by a gate. Now I find this to be wrong. The bridge would be a wonderful walk with stunning views and photo opportunity from that height. Its this cotton wool story, the government is determined to cover us in so much cotton wool we can't move at all. I am sure the cry was "oh someone might fall", yes well they might fall from from anywhere mightn't they and they might run out in front of a car, you cannot porotect people only warn them.
Anyway it was a nice day and the Tweed was looking lovely.
The other problem is that without the bridge there is no easy access to the tracks on the other side as the bridge runs into bush.

Near Earlston on B6397

The Google map shows the A6105 on left and the old railway. line

The railway crossed the road here and the bridge has been dismantled

The old Bridge marked on map showing old sign

Although it looks like someone had a stair down to the track its so overgrown you have to look hard to see the wooden handle in the bushes

I am tracing the old line from Gordon back to Earlston. This section cannot be easily walked if at all, as it is very overgrown. The old bridge marked rwr 44 overlooks a very dense foliage and bush noth sides. There was once a stair going down but all overgrown and you would need a cutlass to get down. Further down the track at its juntction with the b road there is what looks like a siding and the farmer has build over it with a shed. Also the railway crosses the B road here and the old bridge has been removed. This is all only 1/2 mile from Earlston going East towards Gordon

Duns Railway

It seems that the track I have been walking is part of the St Boswells to Duns branch line. A web site called Railbrit.co.uk tracks all these lines and I got from them a drawing showing the lines path. This very usefull as using it one can find the old line on Google and see where one can access for walks.

There web site is very good and covers all of Britain.
railway history web site link

The New Waverley Railway

Ccopyright campaign for borders railway

The plan is to rebuild the old Waverley railway from Edinburgh as far as Galashiels (actually a rather overcrowded housing estate outside Melrose) in the next 10 years. Meanwhile the route is perhaps the finest walking on old railways in the Borders. It roughly parallels the A7 and the image shows the route.
there is a web site about the new line from which this image was taken
web site for borders railways campaign they are hoping to get the line extended back throough Hawick to Carlisle, but its taken 10 years to get this one approved, and work has not really started yet.

Join the Mission

This is not my fight, I'm not Scottish by birth (although distantly related to the Buccleughs), but I love walking, and I think the old railway lines should be ideal for walkers and particularly the disabled as they are basically flat. Please join me if you are a walker who knows these routes or anyone with an interest in preserving the finest industrial heritage in the Borders. Send me your details and I will acknowledge all contributors and bless you for helping. If you have pictures of Borders railway walks, bridges, stations or anything send them and I will publsih.

West of Gordon

This is a short walk but pleasant. Unfortunately the entrance by the railway bridge is overgrown and obviously unused. The walk starts to the left of the old station house going out of Gordon towards Edinburgh. The main road crosses an old bridge. Fortunately there is a gated access just before the bridge opposite and ideal place to park on an extended verge. The walk is interrupted by what I suppose might have been a tunnel, its hard to judge, so one has to walk off track for a while. Just past this there is a secondary walk left which brings one back to the Church in Gordon. Continuing is difficult as again a bit overgrown and it terminate of course where the A6105 crosses the railway as the bridge there was dismantled for the road. There should be a good walk the other way going East, but the owners of the old station house have been quite naughty and closed off access with gates. This is an unfair and bad practice and I am trying to get an understanding from The Borders Council of how legal it really is as these railways were all owned by taxpayers.

East of Gordon towards Greenlaw

The map shows the railway as a faint line North of the A6105 Gordon to Greenlaw road. The entry is not signed but is just before a row of cottages on the left side coming from Gordon. The other photo shows the old railways sign. One can walk from here East or West but the West path is difficult and at Station Road in Gordon has ben blocked by what I think is illegal fencing and buildings. To the East however one can walk to Greenlaw if one has the time and energy. There are views to the Lammermuirs

Leaderfoot Railway Bridge

All over the Scottish Borders there are miles of old railway tracks. Some of them like this stunning bridge at Leaderfoot on the A68 are world class views and incredible industrial archeology. This is not unique, there are a lot of bridges and viaducts, tunnels and walks, with views to knock your socks off.
This web site is devoted to exploring the railway tracks, documenting the history of these unique places, and giving detailed guides on the walks, with maps and directions. Not all are so easy to find or so well sign posted as this splendid example of 19th Century bridge building. This bridge crosses the Tweed, the most important river in the Borders. It crosses it at the point the Leader a smaller river joins the flow of the Tweed, hence the name Leaderfoot. The Leader runs through Earlston, famous for Thomas the Rhymer whose predictions have proved more accurate than those of Nostradamus. Thomas as legend has it fell in love with an Elvish Princess and was taken beneath the Eildon Hills for seven years. When he came back he was put under a spell, and could only talk in rhymes of the wonders he saw.
Well there is no spell on this web site and we intend to tell all.