Imagine a state of Zen, a state of inner peace. Your body might be creaking and at breaking point but inside you have never felt better.
Where could you find such a feeling? The top of Mount Fuku Fuku in the west of Lesotho? Most definitely, but it’s a bit far away. What about the rural hills and walkways of Northumberland and Yorkshire? Absolutely! But take a minute and turn your head north for a stunning nation that lies at the top of the British Isles, the jewel in the crown of the UK. Scotland stands tall and majestic, but there is one unique part that stands out, that greets travellers from England and further afield the best first impression and natives the best welcome home: the Scottish Borders.
To find examples of why this is, you needn’t look far. Travel down any road, turn over any stone and you’ll see why the region is so great. But one walk in particular recently struck home with me; gave me a calm and peaceful mental feeling despite an aching body – the Berwickshire Coastal Path.
Fields of home
From the moment you leave the first settlement and embark on the path, you’re surrounded by breath-taking sights. Stop at the start of the Creel Path and you’re surrounded by a panoramic view of fields, trees, and distant to the eye, villages.
But make no mistake, that’s merely the beginning. The route boasts some of the most amazing scenery I’ve ever seen. A beach of nothing but the flattest and smoothest rocks, fields of ferns blowing gently in the wind, and ancient structures grace us with their presence. It truly does calm your mind when you’re surrounded by nothing but nature; the roaring sea to one side and rolling fields to the other, their crops blowing gently in the breeze. And if you’re up for a chat, there was a lovely chatterbox of a bird chirping its lungs out.
But the best bit was at the lowest point, when you climb down from the cliffs to navigate a part of the route at sea level. With the North Sea to your east and cliff faces to your west, you’re truly protected from the man-made bustling world we live in. Walk further on and you enter a sort of valley as the path takes you from open grassland and ferns to in-between a gap in the cliffs. Fortifying walls hide you from all the noise of the world and give you a peace of mind – they provide shelter. Even when the rain comes, the shirt shower feels refreshing and you choose to embrace it rather than hide from it under a coat.
More than meets the eye
But it isn’t just the countryside that offers plenty to discover. The villages and towns along the way; Coldingham, St Abbs, Eyemouth and Burnmouth all bring fantastic features of their own to your walk.
Imagine walking along and discovering New Asgard, the place where Thor’s people made their home in Avengers: Endgame? There you’ve discovered St Abbs. Known as Coldingham Shore until the 1890s, St Abbs is a small fishing village which boasts popularity with the St Abbs Head, its pumpkin patch and its beautiful harbour; where the waves crash from gorgeously formed rocks and a seagull pokes its head up above to say hello.
Many quirky towns and villages
But why stop there? For a distance of cliffs and ferns away lies Eyemouth; a fishing town, home of the Herring Queen and the site of the first trace-italienne-style fortification in Britain, demolished in 1551 under the Treaty of Boulogne. This town offers amazing fish and chips across the board, a lovely beach and the famous Giacopazzis who’s ice cream is just to die for.
You can’t stop for long, however, because while Eyemouth has much to offer, the final Scottish settlement on the route is calling – Burnmouth. At first glance, It looks small and like your average village, but hiding it is a hidden gem far from humanity’s hustle and bustle.
Walk away from the A1 and East Coast mainline that dominate Upper Burnmouth, walk down some very steep hills and the coastal path will take you to a perfectly concealed harbour. Take a moment and breath in your surrounds. The noise of a boat with water draining out the back, splashing into the point where the sea meets the land. Trees contain beautiful houses, perfectly hidden from the rest of the world, and the whole place puts your mind in a state of calm as you are truly hidden from the busy world in Lower Burnmouth.
And remember the little village at the start of the route. With a stunning and ancient priory, a beautiful path beside a gushing stream and lush looking Luckenbooth –Coldingham is the perfect place to start any coastal hike.
Once Scottish, now English; the battled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed
In one of Scotland’s most unique regions lies one of its most unique walks. It boasts beauty and hurls history at you from Coldingham Priory at the start, to the ‘bloodiest’ border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed at the end – once a Scottish town, now English. But this walk is unique in more than its looks. It doesn’t just give you exercise and fresh air; it gives your brain a break from everyday life, calms your mind and places it in a state of zen. Your body might be strained and aching but your mind will feel blissfully at peace and completely free.
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