The land
of Guthrie
and Hislop
The Hawick area in the Borders of Scotland is famous
for turning out some of the best Scottish rugby players,
finest knitwear but also some of the best Scottish
motorcycles racers. This area tends to receive a lot less
attention that the ever popular Highland and West Coast
routes but has equal attraction for riding in terms of the
roads, scenery, history and culture.
Hawick, sitting astride the A7, centre's a number of great
circular routes taking in the sights of Selkirk and former mill
communities of Walkerburn and Innerleithen. This is a delightful,
although at times busy route but there is an equally beautiful and
quieter alternative route on the other side of the river through
Traquair and Cardona. Both routes take us to the bustling market
town of Peebles, a royal burgh since the 12th century and thriving in the
21st.
Following the Tweed upriver for the next 20 miles, passing the impressive
Neidparth Castle before turning off for a leafy road past the Royal Botanical
Gardens at Dawyck and on, through Drumelzer to the brilliant A701. This
road will take you quickly and enjoyably to Moffat if you let it but we're
turning off at Tweedsmuir after running beside an old railway built solely for
the construction of Talla Reservoir. At the head of the reservoir the road climbs
steeply without passing places so check nothing is coming down before you
head up.
As you head for Meggett Dam your fairing will take a bit of a shaking on the narrow
road. We pass the old picturesque AA box at Cappercleuch turning north onto the
Selkirk road a few miles then its back into single track to Tushielaw and up the steep
sided Rankle Ridge to Alemoor reservoir.
The A7 is arguably the best motorcycling highway between Scotland and England, the
route is picturesque without being restrictive, and it's a joyful run down towards Langholm.
Now, hairpin bends help us back into the hills past the monument to poet Hugh
MacDairmid. Passing the moors gives a feeling of isolation before a brief detour to Hermitage Castle. Steeped in history and blood the owner was once boiled to death in lead from the castle roof!
Fine architecture speaks to the beholders and Hermitage seems to be telling the outside world 'where to go', so it's back to Hawick on an exhilarating road more of less following the trackbed of the famous but long since closed Waverley Line.
(extract from The Motorcyclists Guide to Scotland)
Photo: Keith Jardine
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