ENVIRONMENTALISTS who are walking from Portsmouth towards Glasgow for the COP26 conference stopped in the Borders at the weekend.

And they were joined by local activists.

The group of ten Spanish activists are taking part in the Marcha A Glasgow to highlight the issue of climate change.

On Sunday (October 24) the group, joined by two Borderers, walked 21 miles from Wooler to Kelso.

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“It was absolutely terrific,” said Kate Prasher, a member of Extinction Rebellion Scottish Borders, who joined the walkers for 10 of their 21-mile trek, along with Kath McDonald.

Kate, 67, told the Border Telegraph that although the Spanish group may not spend the full two weeks of COP26 in Glasgow, their goal has been to highlight the climate crisis.

She said: “They have made links with people across the country, from Portsmouth to here.

“There is now a string of connections between people of all backgrounds.

“These people have left their lives in Spain behind and they are literally walking for the sake of the climate.

“To be part of that is a privilege.”

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On Monday the Spanish group set off from Eccles to Lauder.

Over the course of their 1,000km journey, the group has updated their followers with a series of blog posts about each of their stops.

While in Kelso the group shared: “A long and eventful day today saw us leave Wooler and up the Cheviot hills between the gorse and bracken, hauling ourselves up and down and then up again until the murmurs of discontent subsided when we reached the peak of Yeavering Bell which is 361 metres above sea level.

“Here the wind was vicious and almost blew us off our feet but we were rewarded with a panoramic view stretching from the North Sea across Northumberland to the Scottish Borders.

“Once off the hills we picked up the B road which was almost as quiet as the mountains but much more conducive to completing the day’s 21-mile walk before dusk.

“The long, straight, quiet county road seemed to go on forever as we walked west toward the falling sun, finally turning northward to be greeted by local activists and a photographer from the local paper who led us into the beautiful old town of Kelso where we drank whisky and listened to a bagpiper in the town square before heading to the local Friends Meeting House for dinner and folk music from local musicians.

“As ever the food and hospitality was absolutely top notch, wherever we go we are treated like royalty.”

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Ms Prasher will join other activists from across Scotland in Glasgow on the weekend of November 6-7 where she will take part in a march and will help to display the Stitches for Survival banner – which a number of Borders knitters, crocheters and stitchers contributed to – on Glasgow Green.

To follow the rest of the Marcha A Glasgow group’s journey, visit: marcha-a-glasgow.net/en/home/