Coastwalk

Eyemouth → Cockburnspath

Distance: 17.16 miles
Ascent: 803 metres
Duration: 6 hours 1 minute

An appropriate metaphor
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For much of today we were shrouded in mist. I wonder how many feel the same way about the referendum. The choice that has to be made is clear: Yes or No. The trouble is being able to see further than a short distance ahead; whichever way you look the way forwards is unclear. Walking through the thick mist and fog for a day was hard enough; it must be difficult to go to the polling stations tomorrow with the same lack of clarity.

This was always going to be the hardest walk of the week, and the weather didn't help.

We tucked our heads down and just ploughed through it. So memories of St Abb's Head — which should be a highlight of the Berwickshire coast — are as limited as the visibility was. I suppose one positive outcome of the mist is that the extensive caravan parks at Hairy Ness and Pease Bay were obscured from view.

Sadly also obscured were the rock strata that have famous geological significance. We never did see Hutton's Unconformity, which surely is one of the most intriguingly named natural phenomena of the east coast.

Eventually we found ourselves above the charming harbour at Cove. This sanctuary is reached by a steeply descending path that begins in Cockburnspath, running down the cliff and through a hand-cut tunnel to emerge at the back of the beach.

The Berwickshire Coast Path is very well sign-posted, to the extent that only twice today could we not immediately identify the onward route. Despite the lack of a view we were able to recognise that this is a jewel of a coast path. If only we could've seen more!