Cleikum Mill Lodge

St Marys Loch ...... Looking forward to the next visit. Formed in the last Ice Age....its not really a long wait in the big scheme of things.........
#cyclepast #drivepast #walkaround #Southernuplandway #cafestop #wildswim #glacialpast #moffathills #eaglespotting #picnicspot #wow #aweinspiring #bepatient #weareinthistogether #stayhome #lockdown2020
... Great video thanks The Scottish Borders .
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FREE during lockdown is the Independent Hostel Guide .
The 2020 Hostel guide will give you ideas of fantastic places to stay at great value for money.
The handbook of Independent Hostels UK, the largest network of hostels and bunkhouses in England, Scotland and Wales. It is a great introduction to a huge resource of self catering accommodation in amazing places provided by bunkhouses and hostels.
... Its worth having for reference at home to help plan future adventures. Independent Hostel Guide .
https://independenthostels.co.uk/buy-inde pendent-hostel-g…/…
#stayhome #futureadventures #lockdown2020 #ukholidayplans #readinglist #guidebook #holiday #indiehostelsuk #groupaccommodation #visitscotland #cyclingholiday #walkingholiday #hiking #goexplore
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A short walk from town? . No need for a car. . Spoilt for choice here. #theluckyones #walklocal... #pathsaroundInnerleithen #pathsaroundWalkerburn
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Gravel riding is superb as we already know in the Borders! In the current circumstances affecting the UK I think the gravel bike popularity will soar with MTB trails shut and miles of quiet forest roads to explore, its great seeing walkers and cyclists using these forest roads, with an amazing variety of views and wild life and colours.
Gravel bikes are ideal for traveling at reasonable speed, comfort and efficiency, both on and off road, the extra speed on the road is very... noticeable compared to a mountain bike and they are ideal for double width forest roads, so a typical “gravel” bike ride can be a mixture of on and off road and thus are very flexible, and make an enjoyable experience.
The gravel bikes design allows space for bigger tyres and a better geometry for road riding than a cyclocross bike, although they are fairly similar, but a cx bike is typically designed for short sharp races and thus do not have the range of low gears for climbing long (steepish) hills and some frames are stiff and less comfortable for longer rides as they are designed for acceleration and quick steering.
A traditional Touring Bike makes a great gravel bike with low gearing and robust build and I used mine for many years. before progressing to a dedicated bike with discs brakes.
However its not really about the bike, with a numerous forests surrounding Innerleithen there are miles of forest track to explore.
The Future? In my view the gravel bike will evolve into a sort of Full suspension adventure bike. Think XC Mountain Bike with full short travel suspension and dropped handlebars. In fact a bit like a Tomacs 1990 s Raleigh bike pictured below
Do not buy a road bike , buy a gravel bike!! Especially with pot holes on todays roads!! Not much difference in speed on the road but heaps more fun when the road ends!
#gravelrocks #gravelfun #tweedvalleyforrestpark #weknowthebestroutes #startplanningyourgraveladventure #donotcancel #postpone
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If your like me and love looking at maps and planning future routes , or just looking at the historic names, you need a good source of maps. As a trained Land Surveyor and Cartographer , I always use Ordnance Survey Maps as first choice, they were probably one of the very first organisations in the World making maps and the first map of Scotland was started in 1747 by a 21 Year old Engineer and the accuracy was remarkable and he paved the way for the mapping the whole of the... Great Britain. The Ordnance Survey was officially born in 1791 and the mapping of the whole UK was started by triangulation (measuring of angles and creating triangles across the whole country .....hence Trig pillars on the top of tall hills and mountains).
You can now get every map for the whole of GB for £2.99 per month or £23.99 per year. Thats over 600 maps to view,print or download.!!
So check out the latest options from the OS for maps on your PC or phone or navigation device and plan your next adventure in the UK all 243,241 square km of it!! Or just explore around where you live, I do and its quite addictive.!
(Picture is the Trig Pillar at the Three Brethren on the Southern Upland Way).
#planforfutureadventure #staylocaljustnow #donotgetlost #bereadyforwhenthisends
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/os- maps-online.html
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Lots of this to be done in the future. Pic taken on the Capital Trail , the Lammermuir Hills on the horizon . The natural boundary between East Lothian and the Scottish Borders . This a great 2 or 3 day Mtb Tour passing through Innerleithen and the Tweed Valley. Possible luggage transfer options too by us from here and advice and tips. #travellight #wemoveyourbaggage #worththewait ... #thisplanetinamazing #miniadventure #littleandoften #thegreatoutdoors #takeyoutime #bandb #orsleepunderthestars
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For the doggy friend in your life. Doggy Pedalling gadgets. I love the Go Pro The dog pull harness looks......interesting . it could go very wrong! from Cycling UK magazine.

Something for future guests to look forward too.

So the extra time this week has been put to good use. An outdoor hot tub is being installed next week outside the front of Cleikum Mill. Thanks to the Council for granting the permission during a busy period of time. The tub will be for guests only, and we just hope they do not wash bikes in it! We think the tub will be in ideal High St location for watching the World go past.... Edit: This has been postponed until April 1st next year now!! Ha ha!!! #noprankaftermidday #aprilfoolsday
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Some time on your hands? Get your bikes registered with Veloeye Help prevent bike theft and help get reunited if your bike is stolen . When I sold a bike recently I transferred the ownership and could prove it was not stolen . All easy to do and does make sense. Helps Police trace bikes too.... In my view should be sold with every new bike to prove ownership and help prevent theft.
https://www.veloeye.com/
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Innerleithen ,some past history of DH and Enduro in this short video.
Remember EWS 2021 is coming home :). #addictivetweedvalleytrails
#thingstolookforwardtoo #wearelucky #bepatient #startplanning #innerleithen #ewsworldseries #ridescotland
... https://youtu.be/PDx73K6Ne6A
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Happy Memories.....! No puffing up here for a while.
#glentress #spookywoodclimb #lookafteryourlungs #lookaftereachother... #bepositive #bepatient #weareinthistogether #supporttheNHS #spreadnothing #onlyspreadsmiles😄
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The Statement below is from the Scottish Government yesterday, which I had already decided in my mind a few days beforehand. We look forward to giving you a warm welcome back to the Scottish Borders in the near future. The hills will be there, the walks ,the trails and the fresh air, something to really look forward too now and appreciate even more. Thanks for the messages. Haste ye back!!! When the times right. Graham
... The Statement. “To our hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation – you should not be accepting visitors. Provide accommodation for your staff and make yourselves available to help essential workers and support essential services – that is all.
"Scotland is a warm and welcoming country and I fervently hope it’s not too long before we are opening our arms and our countryside to visitors again – but right now our priority must be to protect people from this virus, protect our NHS and protect Scotland.”
We fully support this additional guidance from the Scottish Government. It has become apparent in recent days that people have not been following current guidelines and putting lives at risk.
We welcome this guidance for visitors, as well as for our tourism operators and we understand that it is a particularly worrying and stressful time for everyone.
We want to protect our communities right across the country for the future as they are what make the visitor experience so special. There will be a time when we can welcome visitors back with open arms to enjoy all that is special about beautiful Scotland – but now is a time for staying safe and close to home.
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Cleikum Mill is working to the Scottish Government guidelines and will be closed for new guests outwith this area until further notice. We will help locals and vulnerable people if we can provide them accommodation/help . Current guests booked in will be contacted in the next few days. Stay safe and be responsible for all your actions everyone.
... Graham
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A short walk from the car and well worth exploring is a visit to the remains of Tinnis Castle. It was built on a impressive natural and commanding rocky knoll with a steep drop to the valley below, overlooking the Tweed Valley. Its easy to get to, on a fairly easy graded old road which twists round the hill. As you go up you will pass the rock fragments of the castle remains which was blown up in 1592 using explosives, following a family feud when it was owned by the Tweedi...e family. Some remains of the castle are visible at the top. The views are stunning and it really feels like you are walking in historic footsteps.
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The sheep are keeping apart too.

If your not too far away come and social distance in the Scottish Borders with your family. Have some fun in the fresh air , forests and hills and leave the mayhem behind. We will only book ONE family in the building at a time. So up to 5 bedrooms available, book for two people or more its your call. We offer Self catering facilities here and local CAFES are also doing deliveries and takeaways treats , even afternoon tea and prosecco delivered to the door. ... The supermarket has essentials too. Local guides and skills companies are working to guidelines. , Due to event cancellations the next 3 weekends are now available including this weekend. Drive directly here and then get up in the hills , no crowds and away from everyone. Feel the breeze, watch nature, and here the sound of silence. Book and pay on arrival. Self check in . Call or email. The building has been empty over 70 hours , and we have additional measures in place too. Our cleanliness is well regarded anyway. We are working to government guidlines and following things closely.
#treatmum
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No one about up here. Get away from it all.