Swimming 122km of the River Tweed, Scottish Borders Day 4 Dryburgh to Kelso

25th July 2021 –Dryburgh to Kelso (20.2km stretch)

The day dawned on another fabulous morning in the Scottish Borders and the beautiful Tweed awaited all sparkly and calm to take us on another fabulous adventure.

My trusty bank support team came to fetch me aka my mom and aunty Ni, this time with Davy and Gemma in tow too. A team of four what more could swimmers want – we were sure to be kept safe as well as fed and watered today. Mom’s hamburgers after the swim were worth waiting for.

We met on the bank where we had finished the day before and this time our water support team was James in his Kayak as well as Bob in his Canadian canoe. Susan joined me for the swim which meant all in the water were associated with the Borders Water Rescue Team. I was delighted with this as todays swim was to cover the most challenging and dangerous part of the adventure. While we were prepping for the swim my job was to zip James into his dry suit and in the process being told off as I hadn’t fully closed the zip. Did I want him looking like Mr Blobby if he fell in was his retort. Lesson learnt!

This stage of the swim was considerably quieter in the number of people we saw as compared to the previous two days, the exception being the stretch of river past St Boswell’s. Today’s route is less accessible by car which does not lend itself well to sun worshippers basking in the summer sunshine along its banks and children enjoying playing on the little beaches. With being a Sunday there were fewer fisherman on the water too. As a result of the lower impact from people the bird life along the banks was abundant with the beautiful creatures skimming along the top of the water, building nests in the eroded banks and chirping as we passed. There was also an abundance of silvery blue damselflies dancing on the water which were a delight to watch.

The swim had a gentle start as it meandered its way to St Boswells where we had our second encounter of sunken balls as we passed the local golf club, waving back at the golfers. After a tranquil combination of swim, commando roll and walk along the river bed, we came to our first weir of the day which where we exited the water re-entering on the other side of the manmade structure. Once back in the water our swim took us under the fabulous red stone bridge – Mertoun Bridge.

Mertoun Bridge
Designed by James Slight of Edinburgh, the bridge was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1837. Its construction began with stone piers and wooden arches, but a flood in September 1839 destroyed the wooden components. Reconstruction between 1839 and 1841, led by William Smith of Montrose, included raising the piers by 2 feet. The wooden arches were eventually replaced with stone arches in 1887. The bridge is constructed from reddish sandstone quarried nearby and features five shallow segmental arches. It is recognized as a Category B listed building.
Adjacent to the bridge is a historic tollhouse, reflecting the era when tolls were collected for crossing. Additionally, the nearby Mertoun House Footbridge, a suspension footbridge dating from the mid-18th century, spans the River Tweed to the west of Mertoun House.
WIKIPEDIA

Passing under the bridge, the river circumnavigates an Island creating a lovely fast swooshy swim when taking the right channel where the water was restricted and travelled at speed.

After another stretch of intermittent swims, treks and bouncing off rocks through small rapids, we had a brief stop on a lovely pebbly beach to touch base with the land support team and this is where I learnt that Susan was a feeder. She had stashed her sweet treats which she had made in the kayak and so the feast began, raising energy levels for the remainder of the day. After waving cheerio to the road team who would next see us from the road at Floors, we swam our way around the big loop in the Tweed where it comes back on itself as it passes Mertoun Estate.

The next stretch of the river is particularly dangerous as a result of its geological features. The water is forced through tight channels and there are eroded shelves along the banks. We swooshed through the safe section with the on-water support. The stretch which is more dangerous, and which had a particularly emotional connection with the BWRT we all unanimously agreed to walk around.

Jane joined us in the water for the final stretch with a swoosh past Floors castle, with another wonderful Jane, who had waited patiently sitting bank side on a rock for our arrival and waved zealously as we past aiming for the days finishing post at the Cobby in Kelso. The last section of the river was fabulous, long, straight and shallow but had an amazing backdrop of the church spire, where we had a welcoming party of family and a large gathering of swans.
That closed day 4 and what a fabulous day it had been – kept safe by our teams.

The Cobby featured heavily in the lives of my fellow swimmers who were both from Kelso and shared stories from their parents swimming in this spot which historically had included a diving board.

Floors Castle
Constructed between 1721 and 1726 for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe, it was designed by architect William Adam. In the 19th century, architect William Playfair enhanced the castle with turrets and battlements, giving it a fairy-tale appearance.
The castle is renowned for its impressive architecture and beautifully landscaped gardens, including a spectacular Victorian Walled Garden with glasshouses, herbaceous borders, and a formal Millennium Garden.
Floors Castle remains a family home, inhabited by the Ker family, Earls and Dukes of Roxburgh, who have held lands in Roxburghshire since the 12th century. The castle houses a remarkable collection of art, furniture, and tapestries, reflecting its rich history and the family’s heritage.
WIKIPEDIA