Hi all,

I'm hearing rumours that Uswayford Farm no longer does B&B. Is this correct? If so does that mean there is nowhere to stay between Byrness - Kirk Yetholm?

Refuge Huts.
Dave.

We stayed at the first one (out of Byrness) in August 2007. Had a wonderful tranquil evening with wild goats and a stunning sunset! Also water available from a stream just a couple of hundred yards away. (directions on notice board in hut!!)
Alternatively contact Joyce at Byrness hostel as she will collect you from Chew Green area to shorten the last day puttinf KY within reasonable reach!

Have a great trip!

Regards
Pete Oates

There are alternative farms that Uswayford used to liaise with, however, few are as convenient. They may be willing to collect you from the nearest motorable road. Look them up on the internet. I am sure Joyce Taylor will advise you.

I have applied to govt to run my Fiat Doblo as a bus to Trow road end car park this is as close to half way as I can get. The lady at Vosa has said that they are no longer licencing busses with less than 9 seats but my MP has asked Mr Khan the minister for Transport to see if anything can be done so that I can run my business legally. Tyndale council suggested just doing it and hoping not to get caught but that it not an option. It is legal to give `occassional lifts` but not `regular lifts` but no-one in authority will clarify occassional or regular so I need to err on the side of caution. I am hoping to have this resolved in the next couple of weeks I have been trying since shortly after Christmas when I realised that there was a problem.I will keep you informed when I hear I will hopefully be able to offer 2 nights with a lift to half way point. Joyce

Thanks for that Joyce.

I did Hadrians Wall - KY last year (after walking the wall) and did the Byrness - KY section in one go. I did it but it finished me off and I wouldn't really want to do it again. Would your service be open to people who stayed at Byrness Hotel, or just the hostel?

It depends on the conditions that vosa impose. Also as it is a small veichle priority would go to my own guests first.Forest View is not a normal hostel it has the comfort of a good quality B&B with the added extras of Boot room and great Drying room.
We dont have dormitories (although we will sell a bed in a 2 bedded room to a solo walker).
Our rooms are mainly 2 bedded rooms for friends or couples walking together + 1x3 & 1x4 bedded rooms for groups of friends walking.We are fully licenced (we currently have in stock 16 different bottle conditioned real ales) and have a good choice of evening meals,Forest View is 4* Visit Britain inspected.
The only reason we have chosen to keep calling it a hostel is so that we can take YHA members via the Enterprise scheme.
P.S. The Byrness is no longer a hotel it let its licence lapse 3 years ago and became a B&B

Has the petrol station / shop in Byrness also closed down?

Yes but guess what we have a small shop inside Forest View, Beans, noodles, pasta, tuna, chocalate etc. etc.
If you are wild camping you can just use the shop.

Joyce,
I am a little confused. I know that if you look into doing the right thing and making sure you are legal in all respects, you can sometimes get bogged down when in reality, often there is a simple answer.
I had this with my business of Professional carpet cleaning following my investment in a £60,000+ 'Truck Mounted' cleaning unit. With environmental considerations and EU regulations there was a big question of where we were legally allowed to dump the waste water. Answers varied from, disposing of it onto grassland, down the customers toilet etc. Finally the official answer was to put it down the drain at the house where the job was being carried out, or take it home (Tank in the van) and empty down my own drain - simple!
There was also a similar dilemma regarding plastic fuel tank for the same machines. The only regulation published that referred to plastic fuel containers, was the standard Jerry Can type, which limited the capacity to 5 Litre. We carried 25 Litres. After months of searching, inquiring, like you are doing about your lifts. I finally got the answer that it was a grey area, in other words, never tested before, and that they had decided that as it was a reservoir required in order to fuel an on board machine then a 25 Litre plastic approved tank was okay.
The guist of what I am getting at, is, could it be that the answer to your problem turns be as simple. If you are not charging people for the pick up, then surely all you are doing is giving them lift and they then become your passengers. The lift is then not part of your business. They become your clients once they have booked in.
I know it may not be that simple, but then again it may?
Dave.