Старикашки И Kарей Бурн             February 10th.

Burns Day.

Strictly speaking this is not a gadgie walk, although two of us qualify as true gadgies and I suspect one will be a gadgette.
Regardless, on a day when we have been promised snow in the late afternoon an intrepid team of Russian speakers of various degrees from incredibly low to just like a native are going for a walk on the Carey Burn.
The walk starts at the Carey Burn bridge which is reached from Newcastle by means of that now familiar route; A1, A697, turn into Wooler, turn first left up the hill, take the right fork, ignore sign for Wooler Common and Earle, turn right for Langleeford. Go through Skirl Naked, down the hill and pull In on the grass verge on the right.
The map to use is OL16, the Cheviot Hills.
The team of eight consists of: Irina from Siberia and her husband Jeremy, Irina from Ukraine, Liz from America and her English husband John, Susan from Rowlands Gill, daughter Kate and me.
The walk starts on the car park side of the bridge on the right. If you do this walk note that the footpath is not marked on the map but it is such a popular route a sign post points the way.
The path follows the Carey Burn, as did we all, spread out and chattering on a cold cloudy day with a chilly breeze to make some people wear snoods.
At one point  there is a pretty waterfall where we stopped for a photo opportunity.

The mighty Carey Burn pours over the rocks on its way to join the Harthope Burn.

                         Don't go near the waterfall...........

                Jeremy, Irina from Siberia, Irina from Ukraine,John, Liz from America, Susan, me.
(Photo courtesy of Cake Poppins)
Shortly after this halt I pointed out the spot where we had seen a family of adders last spring. This caused people to move a little faster in spite of my protestation that they would all be tucked up in their beds.
Next stop the footbridge across the burn. I told Kate that this is where she and sister Lucy must fling my ashes when I go to that great Youth Hostel in the Sky. She said she might dump me in the wheelie bin .Kids ain't got no respect today and blah blah. (There is a footbridge marked on the map but in the wrong place, the actual structure is nearer the spot marked ford)

                                               A bridge with a view, but not troubled waters.

                             And the view from the bridge.
Having crossed the bridge we continued on the path, slightly uphill and looking down on the Broadstruther Burn which we eventually crossed by footbridge and continued to Broadstruther itself.
When I first walked in the Cheviots Broadstruther was a ruined farm but  a few years ago the building was seiously renovated and is now used as a rest home for grouse shooters in the season.The windows can be barricaded against the marauding birds and there is an endless supply of pioneer women to reload the guns.

                                             Broadstruther.
Having admired the building we turned back down the track for a short way before turning off to the right and crossing yet another footbridge over Hazelly Burn. From here we followed the markers that led   below Steely Crag and Smear Hill until we came down to the sheep pens at Carey Bridge.

                                    On the last leg, almost literally.

                        Kate demonstrates the advantages of a snood on a cold and windy day.

As we arrived back at the cars it started to snow,perfect timing. We drove in convoy to the Anglers Arms at Weldon Bridge and enjoyed an excellent pub lunch. Great pub, good beer, friendly staff, well worth a visit.
As this is not an official gadgie walk, and anyway Dave the pedometer man isn't here, there is no matrix but good old Outdoor GPS gave a distance of 5.19 miles, which was just about right.

 PS. Not a lot of wildlife. We saw a dead badger on the roadside and a live squirrel near Wooler, a distant kestrel and a dipper who is named bird of the blog

                                                      A dipper, lovely little birds that hunt in running water.