Lammermuir Hills

Image via Wikipedia

Had a run tonight over the Lammermuir hills in the glorious late August sunshine. Frank, Harvey and I set off from the road that leads to Hopes reservoir and headed east up a path on the side of a hill, which heads in the direction of Hope House. We got onto the higher hills after skirting around an area near the tennis court. From there on it was ‘going up’ all the way. Harvey was in his element, dashing off in every direction after hare, rabbit, grouse and pheasant scents. Fortunately, I had him on the end of a lead but that so he didn’t dash off over some distant hill, but it was a bit tricky being pulled this way and that and trying to run. We took a circular route over up to the top of the hills on sheep tracks and through heather and were rewarded with fantastic views of the farmland and coastal strip. Nearer to hand was a grand view of Hopes house, which is built in the Adams style and is hidden in a cirque of hills. It looks like something out of a BBC classic drama… I wonder who lives there. We were careful not to get too far away from the track from Hopes reservoir because the nights are fair drawing in. By the time we got back into the valley and along the road, it was dusk. I haven’t run in those conditions for a long time and although I managed to fall down a hole, I got back to the car in one piece.