On the Drove Road...

In the 1800's, this river crossing was on the Cross Border Drove Road. Hardy black Highland Cattle were driven down to West Linton and then on - passing here by Peebles before crossing the hills to the Yarrow Valley and southwards on the long road to Norfolk. There the cattle were fattened up, before travelling on to Smithfields.

Each drove consisted of anything between 100 and 1,000 head of cattle. Individual drovers and their dogs might look after 50-60 cattle, walking 10-12 miles each and every day for weeks on end. The drovers slept alongside their cattle to guard them overnight, wrapped only in their plaids, surviving on a few handfuls of oatmeal and two or three onions. A ram’s horn filled with whisky was sipped sparingly morning and night.

She seems to wait for me now on my morning walk.