Day 24 - Lauder to Dalkeith

Oh boy, today was tough.  Scotland had to throw the elements at me as a last slap in the face before journey's end.  The weather was AWFUL- pouring rain and really cold.  The rain set in early on and the long climb over the hill of Sutra seemed to go on forever. My much loved coat is now a bit useless in torrential rain and i could feel myself getting wetter and colder as each hour passed.  The last straw were my wonderful, thick gloves which got completely soaked and my hands started to freeze. (i have the circulatory Raynauds disease in my hands which means that i shouldn't spend too much time in freezing cold weather but hey ho - bit late now).  Every time a lorry passed us the spray would pour into our faces as if we'd been set upon by an unruly hosepipe - and it didn't let up!  On we plodded and, to add to the miserable scene, my right foot became more and more painful until i was limping along looking rather pathetic really.  Still, i willed myself to keep going and thought about all the people, like my father, who suffer much worse discomfort on a regular basis and put up with endless chemotherapy and treatment without complaint.  I pulled myself together, cursed my wet feet, hands and upper body (the good old waterproof trousers never let me down so at least one bit of me was dry) and just kept on plodding.
I have to say an enormous 'thank you' to my friend Katie who was an absolute star and endured the weather, carried my backpack most of the way (she's a saint) and made me laugh all the way to Dalkeith when i could have so easily have sat on the side of the road and sobbed!  Thank you to the lady at the B&B near Pathhead (the only place for miles around) who let us come in and shelter for a little while and another thank you to the lovely shopkeeper who opened up her cafe JUST to give us some hot chocolate and marshmallows (yum).  These people are the reason I'm still here plodding and feeling positive - the kindness of total strangers has kept me going.

As we were approaching the outskirts of Dalkeith (at long bl**dy last) the sun appeared on the horizon and I got my first glimpse of Arthur's Seat and Edinburgh Castle.  I simply couldn't believe my eyes.  I had nearly done it.  The countdown had truly begun...