Swimming 122km of the River Tweed, Scottish Borders Day 1 Lyne Station – Innerleithen

Day 1 – 17th July 2021 – Lyne Station to Innerleithen (18.29km stretch)

Making History

To read the preparation and thought path behind the 122km of the Tweed swim, please head to our blog released on the 25th August 2024.

We begin our journey swimming the 122km of the River Tweed at Lyne Station.

We had seven main objectives for the trip
• Traverse as much o the Tweed as possible.
• Stay in the footprint of the riverbed for the entire adventure (with the exception of the weirs and an unsafe stretch of water where sadly fatalities had occurred).
• Complete the trip over 6.5 days (the 1/2 of a day was added late in the planning with the finish moving to the mouth of the river at the RNLI station).
• Learn more about the history of the river as we travelled down it
• Feel the magnitude and the history of the bridges as we swum under them and there was going to be many.
• Encourage safe river swimming which included having safety cover on the river and land each day.
• Support the BWRT through fundraising
• Have fun on the adventure

The prep had all been done and now it was time for the adventure to start.

Our starting point was Lyne Station as this was the closest point to the source of the river we felt we could safely enter with the Kayaks. The Saturday in July dawned and it looked like it was going to be a bright sunny day. My stomach was full of nervous tension and excitement, how was our journey going to pan out. I couldn’t wait to get going.

Lyne Station
Lyne Station was a small railway station located in the Scottish Borders, serving the rural area of Lyne, near Peebles. It was part of the Peebles Railway, which played a significant role in the development of the region during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It served a relatively small and sparsely populated rural community, making it one of the smaller stations on the line. Despite this, it played a role in the agricultural economy, as it was used to transport local produce, livestock, and other goods to market.
The final blow to the Peebles Railway and many other lines came with the Beeching Report in the 1960s, which recommended the closure of a large number of underused railway lines across the UK. The entire Peebles Railway line, including Lyne Station, was closed in 1962.

My mom was my land support and arrived on time (a miracle in itself) to pick me up and whizz me to our rendezvous point, with my aunt in tow. In fact my mom was my biggest supporter on the journey with me all but one of the days. Each day she came armed with patience, having to wait for us to arrive at each point as our land support, food and a steady form of transport.

My water safety team of Cammy and Jim were already there, an indication of their professionalism and that they were as excited for the day as I was. Jane my swim buddy arrived at the same time as I did and we were ready to start the journey after the obligatory launch photographs.

I envisaged swimming most of the river and catching the flow, but heck was I wrong. This was where the trekking started. The euphoria was rife, the chat giggly and interesting as we took in the magnitude and beauty of our surroundings.

The first bridge we swam under was the Neidpath Viaduct a historic railway bridge spanning the River.
Built in 1863 by the North British Railway, the viaduct is a stunning example of Victorian engineering. It was originally constructed to carry the Symington, Biggar, and Broughton Railway across the Tweed, part of a railway line that connected the towns in the Scottish Borders.

After sloshing under the bridge and waiving at our avid supporters who had waited to watch our first stretch, we reached Neidpath Castle where we got our first swooshes as we reached deeper pools. Just under the castle we have what is known locally as the dookits – a pool hewn in the rock to make a great swim spot to dip into.
With the warm weather the area was like the French Riviera, adorned with sunbathers and children having fun in the water.

We were delighted to see some of our Peakers Scotland pals here wishing us well and enjoying the sunshine. I am always game for a photo with a flag, so I joined them on the bank to set this part of the journey into the Peaker photographic archives.

Neidpath Castle
Swimming along the castle fortified wall was empowering, the striking medieval fortress which dates back to the late 14th century and has a long history tied to prominent Scottish families.
Originally built by the Fraser family, the castle passed to the Hay family in the early 15th century. It underwent substantial renovations during this period, including the addition of its distinctive four-story L-plan tower, which is its most prominent feature. The castle was later owned by the Dukes of Queensberry and the Earls of March.
The stone-built castle, with its massive, thick walls, was strategically positioned to control access along the Tweed Valley. Its high vantage point provides sweeping views of the surrounding area. Neidpath has seen various episodes of history, including sieges during Scotland’s turbulent times.

One of our Rotarian’s Andrew was born and raised in Peebles and knows the area well. He said to look out for evidence of the hanging gardens which are a unique feature, combining the rugged natural terrain with cultivated beauty. While little detailed historical documentation remains about the exact layout and plantings of these gardens, their legacy adds to the romantic and picturesque charm of Neidpath Castle.

The water got shallow again and as we neared Peebles Centre we did get some strange looks from passers-by.

Peebles
Peebles is a bustling town, which seems to have the variety of shops and eateries right as it is always a hive of activity. It is a historic town in the Scottish Borders, which grew due to its strategic location at a crossing point on the River Tweed. Established as a royal burgh in the 12th century, it flourished as a market town and centre for wool and textiles, benefiting from its proximity to fertile land and the river for trade. Its importance was reinforced by nearby castles, religious sites, and its role as a gathering point for the surrounding rural community.

Jim and Cammy were still in great spirits, and as we headed towards Cardrona the banks became a little higher. This is where Cammy, put his muscles and skills to the test by rescuing a sheep that was struggling to get back up the banks. It was a successful rescue, Cammy continued down the river in his Kayak and the sheep trotted off to find fresh grass. My favourite quote of the day was ‘it was heavier than I thought it would be’.
With the area being well known for its golf course, which is played both sides of the river, finding balls was going to be inevitable so this became the game for a 1km stretch. 25 golf balls were found and stuffed either into our costumes, or passed to the kayakers, and decanted into a bag once we had reached the road bridge and met up with our land supporters.

Wendy joined Jane and I in the river to join us for the final stretch and we then became the  three amigos.

Tired and happy that the first day was coming to a close we had a mix of swimming, trekking and swooshing as we left the new village behind and headed for the final stretch into Innerleithen.

We reminisced how the day had gone, counted the bruises, packed up the kit and headed away to retrieve the cars left at the start and then home for more water. A long soak in a hot bath.