Walk Details
Hello, I am Charlie Sim, retired engineer living in the Scottish Borders town of Peebles. I love walking and being outdoors – and I’m delighted to be sharing some of my favourite walks here with you.
This is a short walk mostly on the flat. The route starts at Gytes which has a car park.
Follow the path to the main park gates, cross over the main road and into Hydro Gardens. As you follow the path to the rear of the flats you will come to a small road, this is the old railway track and now the multi use path from Peebles to Walkerburn (8 miles away).
On your left is the Peebles Hydro Hotel – an excellent place to stop on the way back.
Carry on to the end of the path to the Soonhope Burn (this is where the Soonhope Circular starts). Take a left then immediate right onto Janet’s Brae, continue along this path to the lay-by on the main road, cross over and you will see a set of steps.
These are the 52 steps that give this walk its name (count them – most people get different numbers!). At the bottom follow the river path back to the Gytes, look out for Kingsmeadow House on the opposite side of the River Tweed (there’s a lot of history online about it – it’s worth a look although it’s now residential flats).
Once you reach the Gytes you can head back into town. The Park Hotel has a lovely garden where refreshments are available. It’s a great place on a summer’s day. The Peebles Hydro also has an outside area with fantastic views.
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