Alemoor Loch on a fine August day
A bit of a jump to this page, from temples and bamboos of the area around Hà Nội, to a corner of The Borders that is virtually unvisited by tourists. Between the Moffat Water Valley and the Teviot Valley lies Craik Forest. From the border town of Hawick a small road with big views winds its way across to join the Selkirk to Langholm road, and on its way passes through Roberton, Buccleuch and runs beside Alemoor Loch. At Roberton an even smaller road runs south to the hamlet of Craik deep in the forest of that name. This page has photographs from the forest and those roads. Sadly the 'forest' is a huge area of monoculture in the form of sitka spruce, with the inevitable paucity of wildlife that brings. These photos show the contrast of the dense dark commercial planting of sitka, with the natural local delights.
Heather by Alemoor Loch in full bloom
Water abounds, running off the local hills...
...which range from 1,000 and 1,500 feet in height
Deep in the woods, the peaty nature of the stiller water shows
Here enough light reaches a path by the burn to make a
walk enticing
A sapling flourishes clear of trees
Horizontal light enhancing the lure of the distance
The dark woods as backdrop to shrubs that bask in the full light
Looking across the forest from an unplanted
area of willow herb
From a style offering access to the woods
Views of Craik's dark clothing of sitka spruce
Of a hillside
Of a valley
Maybe a more balanced view of the forest abutting an open valley of green fields,
two houses and a ruin
If the wind can find unprotected trees, the shallow roots of plantation planting are no match for it
A holm with protective cliffs once seemed a suitable spot for a circular sheep pen
Rough grasses give opportunity for spiders
The sheep pen above, seen closer, does still offer shade
Spiders' webs seek to catch the midges which nest in the grasses. Given the high volume of midges locally these spiders must make a fat living
Out to the more open country near Roberton
A delta of paths
The Hawick road, nearing Tushielaw after Buccleuch, runs beside Rankle Burn
The road tumbles down pointing towards
Rubers Law
A dyke and a ditch join to point...nowhere
And a peep, from near Buccleuch, over the moors towards the next page
- The Eildon Hills
Trailers...
The next Picture Posting page
picks up from that last photo and takes you to, and around, the Eildon hills.
The next page
of the Mosaic Section is headed 'Proximity and Responsibility'.
Or go to the contents Go to the contents of the Mosaic Section. of the Mosaic Section.
The previous page featured three day-trips from Hà Nội
...guide to this site