Barns Tower WALK 7
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44 Barns Tower WALK 7 Peebles to Lyne Distance 11.25km/7 miles through the park, crossing a footbridge Time 3 hours to continue to a flight of steps. Climb Start/Finish Mercat Cross, Eastgate the steps, turn left through an opening GR NT254404 in a wall and then drop down a flight of Terrain Pavement, single-track road, steps. Walk through the park via a woodland and riverbank tracks combination of paved paths and Map OS Landranger 73 grassland to reach a path signposted Public transport Regular First ‘Neidpath Castle’. Scotland Service 62 between Edinburgh and Peebles Bear left from Hay Lodge Park and cross a footbridge to follow a riverside The River Tweed has a number of path which climbs over some craggy beautiful bridges and several are visited when walking between Bridging the Tweed The bridges Peebles and Lyne. An excellent between Peebles and Lyne are superb riverside path leaves Peebles and examples of design and engineering. passes the impressive remains of The Tweed Bridge at Peebles dates from Neidpath Castle before continuing the 15th century. It was rebuilt in 1663 along the banks of the River Tweed, and further arches were added in 1799. passing the Tweed, Neidpath and Further along the river is the Manor Bridges. This part of the river impressive sight of the Neidpath is well known for its salmon and Viaduct, sometimes known as the trout fishing, and you may see Queens’ Bridge. This sandstone anglers casting their lines. A good structure comprises eight archways and part of the walk also utilises the old was built in 1863 by Robert Murray, a Peebles/Syminton railway line, local architect, as part of the extension which was closed in the 1950s. of the Symington to Broughton railway line to Peebles. Facing the Mercat Cross at the corner The five-arched Manor Bridge was of Northgate and Eastgate, walk west built in 1883 whilst nearby, spanning along High Street. Turn left at a the Manor Water, is the lovely little Old roundabout, cross the B7062 and, just Manor Bridge, dating from 1702. before the Tweed Bridge, descend right The Lyne Viaduct, opened in 1864, and follow a road by the swimming pool crosses the Lyne Water and was built as into Hay Lodge Park. Join the riverside a result of the extension of the path, turn right and follow the path Symington railway line to Peebles. 45 The Tweed outcrops and through a lovely stand of through the magnificent Borders Scots pine. Cross another footbridge and landscape. Follow the track to reach go through a gate where the path Manor Bridge. Go through a gate, cross continues by the imposing Neidpath the road and then go up a flight of steps Castle (see Walk 6 for more back onto the dismantled railway track. information), perched on the crag Walk along this peaceful track through above. The path then undulates over beautiful countryside for around 1.5 more craggy outcrops. Carry on along miles to reach a bridge crossing the the path underneath steep, wooded Lyne Water. embankments to pass through another gate and then continue to reach a fork Cross the bridge and then drop left beside the skew-arch Neidpath Viaduct. down a single-track road to reach Lyne, which consists of a scattering of houses. Branch left underneath the bridge to The road makes its way through Lyne follow the path along the River Tweed, until it narrows down to a path and a eventually climbing a short, steep slope footbridge over the Tweed. Cross the to a gate. Go through here, turning left bridge and turn left into woodland, onto a dismantled railway, which following a path by a cottage to reach provides an excellent means of travelling the entrance drive to Barns. The Nobles of Barns The beautiful Georgian mansion of Barns House was designed by Michael Nasmyth in 1773. James Burnet of Barns, whose ancestors had settled here in the 1200s, commissioned the house. Prior to the building of Barns House, the Burnets had lived in the adjacent Barns Tower. It is thought to have been built in the late 16th century by William Burnet (4th Laird of Barns) and his wife Margaret Stewart – their Initials W B and M S are carved above one of the upper floor windows. After 1773 the tower was probably used as servants’ quarters, and today it is an unusual holiday let. 46.