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Friday 17 May 2013

Day 6. Carlisle to Edinburgh


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Today's journey will take me from Carlisle to Peebles via Gretna Green, Lockerbie, and Moffat. Once there I will be fund raising for three hours before driving into central Edinburgh where I hope to be able to drive Princes Street and get up to the Castle for a Photo.  Then I have to drive to another store in Meadowbank to the east of Arthurs Seat.






The journey to Moffat would prove quite strange. The road was probably re laid when the M74 Motorway was built losing the road that the 1900's drivers would have used.

It is almost straight all the way for miles and miles only broken by the villages of Gretna and Lockerbie. It switches from one side of the motorway to the other.

The road was almost empty and I could see the traffic on the motorway finding that I was often going faster than the 'Slow Lane'.


To get me onto the road north I had to take some devious route through Rockcliffe.







Crossing the River Esk

Now we are on the empty road alongside the Motorway.


According to the sign, 'The First House in Scotland'.



Going through Gretna Green I came to the Famous Blacksmiths Forge where Eloping English Couples would go to get Married without restrictions.



At Ecclefechan, I realised that the old road was still there going through the town. I had bypassed this so I did a U turn and drove through in the opposite direction before turning back to go northward again.



You can see how straight the road was as i headed for Locherbie.



As I drove through Lockerbie I could not pass without thinking of the Pan Am 747 Flight 103 bombing in 1988 where so many of the passengers fell onto the towns streets killing some of the local people at the same time.. It must have been an awful experience.


Switching to the east side of the M74











Driving through Moffat. A lovely town with a high number of Tourists around the town.

The A708 road from Moffat to Peebles is another of those most supberb driving roads. It twists and turns as it climbs high over the barren hills with their snow pockets. This next sequence of photos shows how it looks through a camera lens.








These road works were going to give a big surprise to the long line of  ZX4's who passed me driving like 'Bats out of Hell' towards it going in the opposite direction to me.









Finally we arrive at the top and begin the decent into Peebles 











As I approached this Hotel and before I could take this photo, I passed a banner stating 'Help Save the Crook lnn ' There were a group of people painting and gardening to bring it back to a formal glory. It has been purchased by the local Tweeddale Community.











Crossing the River Tweed who's Spring we had passed somewhere in the hills.





As we approach Peebles the roadside verges are a blaze of yellow daffodils. 




Driving through the centre of Peebles heading for the Sainsbury's store there.




The best shots come when no one is watching.

Leaving Peebles for Edinburgh, there were yellow Daffodils of one verge and White Narcissus on the opposite one. 




As I entered the City, I became aware that there where horrendous road works everywhere. Edinburgh is getting a Tramway. 

To install the tracks requires that road closures would prevent vehicles getting along the traditional routes, I spent an interesting hour or more trying to outwit the restrictions providing the opportunity for the next sequence of photos of famous buildings. 














The nearest I was able to get to the famous Edinburgh Castle.













Arthurs Seat in the background. My next stop would be behind the hill.




Eventually I arrived at my Fund Raising location where I had to book for an Evening Slot from 5pm to 7.30pm.

I did my stint and then made my way out of the city to my overnight stopping place.


Fund Raising today was:
Saoinsbury's Peebles            -  £138.27
Saionsbury's Meadowbank   - £  91.98

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