Breamish Valley round

This walk was something of an impromptu, random decision. Mike had suggested a walk for Sunday and did I have any suggestions? With a need to put a few miles in to the legs, a random peruse of the map and I came up with a rough plan.
We arrived in the Breamish valley mid morning. It was overcast and grey but there was a hint that is was going to clear. We set off from Hartside in the direction of the farm at  A'lnham moor. With a bit of careful checking, a bridleway led us uphill to Cobden.

 .Although it is not marked as a right of way I had decided to follow a track that led up and over to link up with Salters Road, an ancient trading route.

A chorus of barking dogs greeted us at  Ewartly Shank. It was noticeable that there was not one sheep dog in the kennels but a variety of hunting dogs.  A steep descent to Shank Burn and then an equally  initial steep ascent up the hill followed by a long plod up past Little Dodd. once over the top a sheltered spot out of the chilly breeze was sought for a spot of lunch.

A steady drop down the hill, around by the farm at Low Bleakhope and then on to High Bleakhope. The farm was still unoccupied as it had been when I had last passed that way. Another uphill plod and then on to the path that skirts High Cantle and leads over to Linhope.

We had a couple of diversions on the way. Ritto Hill was possibly on Mike's to do list. Thus we bagged it, just in case. A second deviation saw us heading off to view Linhope Spout. A nice wee detour. The one slight downside was a broad path that initially followed the beck downstream. At a high deer fence it swung sharply right to ascend steeply upwards.

It was a scramble that had leg and thigh muscles protesting.

Once back on the track it was a steady walk back to the car. A day of good walking covering a distance of just over twelve miles.