Southern Upland Way
The Southern Upland Way is one of Britain’s 18 official National Trails and is Britain’s first official long-distance path to run coast to coast.
Situated in Southern Scotland, the Southern Upland Way runs from Portpatrick on the west coast through varying countryside and terrain to Cockburnspath, some 212 (340km) miles away on the east coast.
Luckily, you don’t have to tackle the whole 212 miles in one go - the Southern Upland Way is effectively comprised of series of smaller, more manageable walks.
Even so, with the breathtaking scenery can come breathtaking weather. Whether walking one of the shorter sections or tackling the entire Southern Upland Way, the weather can change dramatically and can catch you out.
Some of the sections are particularly exposed so walkers are advised to take the same precautions they would when starting out on any challenging outdoor route.
This includes strong boots, water and windproof clothing, detailed map and compass, emergency equipment and food supplies, as well as letting people know of your planned itinerary.
Most people walk the Southern Upland Way west to east. There are numerous advantages in doing this, not least that the sun and wind will tend to be behind you for most of the way.
Some of the sections are quite long and remote, for example, those around St. John’s Town of Dalry.
There are various local pubs and hotels along the route which offer backup services, effectively shuttling you between the Southern Upland Way and their establishments. Additionally, the route is served by various bothies and youth hostels
Tackling the entire Southern Upland Way in one go is recommended for fit, experienced walkers only.
It’s estimated that between 10 and 20 days would be required to do this, depending on your pace, the weather, how much local sightseeing you do and so on.
For the casual walker, day-tripper or weekend rambler, the diversity of the Southern Upland Way’s comprising sections means there’s a walk to suit all tastes and abilities.
The trail is well served by a local ranger service and information shelters. Southern Upland Way management would prefer you not to take your dog with you, or indeed to use mountain bikes.
Each section has its own character, offering its own rewards and sightseeing highs to the walker. Here is a summary of the main Southern Upland Way waypoints, running west to east:
Section | Description |
Portpatrick | The start point of the Southern Upland Way National Trail. Things to do near Portpatrick |
Portpatrick - Castle Kennedy | This first section of the Southern Upland Way is mainly along flat open fields, after a contrasting steep climb up the cliffs out of Portpatrick. |
Castle Kennedy - New Luce | There some steep climbs over such hills as Craigairie Fell on the way to New Luce. As such, the going is more challenging than before and you should be appropriately equipped and prepared for mountain walking. |
New Luce - Bargrennan | The pathway runs across open moorland initially before entering forestry land and so, wooded sections. |
Bargrennan - Dalry | Continuing initially through forested land, this challenging but scenic section runs past Lochs Dee and Clatteringshaws and on to St.Johns Town of Dalry. (St. John's Town of Dalry should not be confused with Dalry Ayrshire, which is not part of the Southern Upland Way!) |
Dalry - Sanquhar | The longest section of the Southern Upland Way. The trail takes you through scenery varying from forested undulations of Dalry through to higher moorland as you approach Sanquhar. |
Sanquhar - Wanlockhead | With plenty of walking at height on this section, you should be sure of your mountain preparation and equipment on. Despite exposed moorland, there is lots to see from grouse moors to relics of Wanlockhead's gold and lead mining heritage. |
Wanlockhead - Beattock | The pathway makes its way down from the Lowther Hills through forestry and down into lower land as it approaches Beattock. |
Beattock - St Mary's Loch | Lowland walking, yet with some climbs, from Beattock to St. Mary's Loch via Moffatt. |
St Mary's Loch - Traquair | An easier route, this scenic section of the Southern Upland Way continues along St.Mary's Loch through woods and moorland and on to Traquair. |
Traquair - Melrose | The Southern Upland Way's only section through developed land as you pass from woods and moorlands through Yair and into Galashiels then on to Melrose. |
Melrose - Lauder | Another of the Southern Upland Way's easier sections as the trail passes through less rugged woods and farmland. |
Lauder - Longformacus | Open, rolling farmland abounds here, but the route is quite exposed, so be sure to take proper outdoors equipment and protection. |
Longformacus - Abbey St Bathans | The Southern Upland Way's shortest section and effectively a continuation of the previous section. |
Abbey St Bathans - Cockburnspath | Here the route runs out of the Whiteadder Water valley and on past Cove to Cocksburnspath and the completion of the Southern Upland Way. The route varies from woodland through to more rocky, open ground as the trail nears the coast. |
You can continue reading about other National Trails and Long Distance Walks using the links at the bottom of the page.
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