Southern Upland Way (Part 2)

Sanquhar – Galashiels,   10^th – 14^th June 2021

Introduction

It was a long time in the planning. The reservations for this trip had been made almost 18 months ago. In early 2020, I put together a schedule for the second part of our Scottish coast to coast adventure. In 2019, Mike and I had walked 90 miles of the Southern Upland Way (SUW), from Portpatrick to Sanquhar. A further 80 miles in 2020 would set us up nicely for a 2021 completion of this, the longest National Trail in Scotland. But man plans and God laughs. The lockdowns in 2020 postponed everything for twelve months. One hotel returned my payment, the others kept the money and changed the year of the booking.

After a two-year break, therefore, we set off for the Borders to resume our challenge in the Southern Uplands. Uncertainties with the train timetables had persuaded us to use the car for our major journey north. The train that we planned to use from Carlisle was removed from the summer schedule a month in advance. We were left with the option of an early morning home departure to catch the late morning train. Using the JustPark scheme, we dropped the car on a private driveway a mile or so from Carlisle station, leaving us time for a coffee and cake on the platform. Then we boarded the train to Sanquhar arriving just after noon. Our new schedule gave us a more leisurely afternoon for our first stage of this year’s walk.

Thursday 10^th June 2021                  Sanquhar – Wanlockhead – Leadhills

Into the Clag

 

Our train pulled into a deserted Sanquhar station at 12.15pm The clouds lay thick on the hills, almost down to ground level in this elevated spot. We walked for a mile south-east of the town to Blackaddie Bridge and the point at which we had left the official SUW route two years ago. A pleasant walk along the River Nith took us to the edge of the houses where the path took an easterly turn and our journey really began. There was a short section along the main road back towards the town centre but we quickly turned under the railway line and up Cow’s Wynd, a track that climbed steeply up the hillside into the clag. We were not to see another view for almost 24 hours. We briefly lost the path near a house called Bogg but were soon back on route continuing our climb over a high col and down to a track and a coniferous plantation. Another steep climb began the traverse of Glencaber Hill. I am sure the views must be beautiful but we saw nothing in this thick fog.

 

Descending down a long grassy track, we finally emerged from the cloud into an industrial landscape of slag heaps and ruins of quarries and mines. Only feet below cloud level, we were now in a gloomy valley with attractive cottages disappearing up the hillside and into the mist. The lane into Wanlockhead passed the walled and tree-filled graveyard and then turned onto a climbing footpath through ruins from the lead-mining age, often with interpretive boards explaining the history of the area. Pulling out into the village at the lead-mining museum, we climbed a set of steps up to the main road and the end of today’s section of the SUW. There was no suitable accommodation for us in Wanlochhead so we turned north down the road towards the next village some 1½ miles away. A signed SUW link path took us down the narrow-gauge railway to Leadhills and our hotel.

 

Sanquhar dep. 12.16, Leadhills arr. 16.55

GPS 11.25 miles in 4hrs 36mins 30secs walking time including a 10-minute stop.

We stayed at the Hopetoun Arms in Leadhills, a fabulous pub/hotel, supposedly the highest in Scotland. A chicken curry, rice & naan was washed down by a couple of bottles of Hopping Hare (4.0%) from Badger Brewery. A sticky toffee pudding & ice cream was to follow.

After the meal, Mike persuaded me to go out once more into the mirk to visit the curfew bell and weathervane in the village centre. Very little else was visible.

 

Friday 11^th June 2021                   Wanlockhead – Beattock

Storming over Lowther

 

At breakfast we got talking to a couple of cyclists, Linda & Tony from Weymouth, who were on a 500-mile journey on electric bikes. Following much of the JOGLE route, they were encouraging support for the Sustrans charity for quiet and safe cycle routes across the UK. The hotel owner was waiting to drive us back up to Wanlochhead so that we did not have to repeat last night’s 1½-mile diversion. As he dropped us back on the SUW route, a storm blew in. Having packed for a warm summer expedition, we were now wearing everything we had brought with us, covered by waterproofs over bodies and rucksacks. The climb up Lowther Hill, the highest point on the trail, was up a straight grassy track with the mast road zigzagging across us. The gale, mist and rain battered our backs. At least it was blowing us up the hill.

 

I had long been looking forward to crossing the Lowther Hills. The views must be staggering. But not today. In the driving fog, we noticed the slope had flattened out so assumed we were near the summit but we saw absolutely nothing. We must have been yards from the huge golf ball, the radar station on the summit but it was only after we were on the descent and the weather started to clear that we could look back and see the massive structure emerging from the clouds. By the time we had reached Cold Moss and were heading up Laght Hill, the last peak in this range, the sun was breaking through and we got our first views of the trip. These we enjoyed as we bounced down a glorious grassy track to the A702. With waterproofs safely stowed away, an easy level section was ahead of us, through and around plantations on a good forest track. This quickly brought us to Daer Reservoir where we crossed the huge dam with a factory below to our left and one of the largest expanses of freshwater in southern Scotland to our right. Time for lunch.

 

The afternoon walk started with a steep ascent onto another range of grassy hills, Sweetshaw Brae and Hods Hill. The route then took a gratuitous loop to the south around the edge of the forest before turning eastwards again and into the trees. Surprisingly, much of this forest had been clear-felled and it was a bleak path that followed a gas line marked by tall orange posts.  After crossing a stream in the valley bottom, near a bothy, the path up the other side was remarkably boggy, the only time we got mud on our boots in the entire trip. Back on dry ground, we walked over Craig Hill and followed the gas line down to a road. Then it was tarmac for 2½ miles to Beattock with the motorway and railway in full view. The pub was only a few yards from where we emerged on the main street and we happily made our way through drinkers sitting outside in the sunshine. It had been a very long day, a day with all four seasons.

 

Wanlochhead dep. 08.50, Beattock arr. 17.20 

GPS 20.22 miles in 8hrs 13mins 46secs walking plus 20 mins lunch break (12.55 – 13.15) at Daer Reservoir.

We stayed at the Old Stables in Beattock. Steak and black pudding pie was followed by syrup sponge & custard. We were back on bottles of Hopping Hare, the draught beer not being up to our real ale standards.

 

Saturday 12^th June 2021                   Beattock – St Mary’s Loch

I’ll take the Highroad

 

It was a grand morning. The sun was shining, a cool breeze was making it perfect for a good walk. The sun-cream was on and the sun-hat was at the ready. After a huge breakfast at the Old Stables and clutching the more than ample packed lunch, we tootled through the outskirts of Beattock to the motorway junction. Here we found a delightful wooded path beside the river which led under the motorway and onto a quiet country lane that bypassed the town of Moffat some 1½ miles to the north. We had got an early start because of the long day ahead of us and a rendezvous with a pick-up from our next hotel. All we had to do was to get there without a navigation error. Famous last words!

 

Crossing a low ridge, the route followed Moffat Water onto a forest track. We then missed the right turn up the Romans and Reivers route and continued up the wide track into the plantations. This came to end at the eastern boundary of the trees. Well and truly lost, Mike got out map and compass and took a bearing on Croft Head. Following this bearing involved hauling ourselves up steep heather slopes and burnt strips of easier ground. Amazingly we pulled over the crest of the hill to find ourselves back on route, the high-level option of the SUW. We followed a fast-moving walker onto the summit of Croft Head: this fellow was collecting Donald’s, the 2000ft summits of the Lowlands. The descent from this hill was probably the highlight of the entire trip.
 

A glorious grassy ridge led down to a beautifully engineered zigzag path down its almost vertical end. In front was a huge cleft in the opposite hillside. We by-passed this to the south, climbing a narrow trod, crossing an arched footbridge, to reach the col at Ettrick Head. Down into the forest, we followed a shady forestry track to the bothy at Over Phawhope where we stopped for our lunch break. The six miles of road that followed was not so enjoyable. Out of the wind, it was unpleasantly warm, not helped by the need to average 3 mph to make up for lost time. With much relief, we arrived at Scabcleuch and turned north up the burn. After a steep start the route quickly levelled out to pass between the hills and onto the grassy ridge of Pikestone Rig. Another steep descent to the ruins at Riskinhope Hope led to our final climb of the day to gain the wide track down to St Mary’s Loch. As we bounced down the lane to Tibbie Shiels, a red car backed up to the gate, a gentleman got out looking at his watch and announced that we were four minutes early. Not bad for such a long and exciting route and an excursion off-piste. One of those magic days in the hills.

 

Beattock dep. 08.40, Tibbie Shiels arr.17.26

GPS 20.72 in 8hrs 22mins 11secs walking time plus 20mins (13.10 – 13.30) for butty break at Over Phawhope Bothy in the Ettrick valley

We were picked up at Tibbie Shiels by Gordon, a friend of the owners of the Gordon Arms near Yarrow. He drove us to the hotel, our accommodation for the night. We ate a lovely meal of fish & chips (Eyemouth haddock) and apple crumble & custard. The beer was Born Amber from the Born in the Borders Brewery in Jedburgh. This brewery has recently changed the names of their beers to be less controversial.

 

We were introduced to Bev and Dave, a couple walking the SUW in the opposite direction. I hope we gave them good advice as to their onward journey.

 

Sunday 13^th June 2021                     St Mary’s Loch – Innerleithen

Fire, Fire: Pour on Water

 

An early start was not required today. This was to be our easy day. After two consecutive days of more than 20 miles, a shorter walk was welcome and it fitted in with the hotels ahead. Our lift back to Tibbie Shiels was fixed to depart at 9.00am and Gordon was ready to drive us on this lovely morning back along beautiful St Mary’s Loch. Back up to the gate we went, no cheating on the official route, at least not by choice. The weather was perfect, with a cool breeze and a clear sky. The three-mile stretch along the shore of the loch was a delight and it was with some sense of regret that we reached the eastern end and had to leave this idyllic setting and cross the main road.

 

We had time today to do some sightseeing. Dunhope Tower, the birthplace of one of Sir Walter Scott’s ancestors, had a metal spiral staircase so we scrambled up to the platform on the battlements and looked back over the loch. As we did so a helicopter flew overhead, dangling a bucket, It filled up with water in the loch and flew back again over us and the hills. It was to pass to and fro all day along our entire route. We could only assume that a fire somewhere, in a forest maybe, was being soused with water from St Mary’s Loch. We followed the direction of the helicopter around a grassy set of hills to reach Blackhouse, a remote farm some 2 miles off the road, where James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd and Scottish Poet, got his first job. In the plantation above the farm, we encountered a bench and an obvious lunch stop.

The afternoon session was short and sweet. Blake Muir was traversed on a pleasant grassy path and a long descent featured views over Innerleithen, our target for the day. But first we had to negotiate 2 miles of road from the church at Kirkhouse, passing the hamlet of Traquair, and along the long straight road into the town of Innerleithen and our hotel for the night. So early were we that we had a pint in the bar whilst watching the afternoon kick-off of the England match.

 

Tibbie Shiels dep. 09.16, Innerleithen arr.15.25

GPS 13.98 in 5hrs 42mins 58secs walking time plus a 20min break (12.35 -12.55) stop in the plantation above Blackhouse.

We stayed in the Traquair Arms in Innerleithen. The sea bass was superb and we finished with stick toffee pudding. The beer was Armadillo West Coast IPA (3.8%) from Tempest Brewery at Tweedbank. It was sad to learn that the Traquair Brewery is closed, probably permanently.

 

Monday 14^th June 2021                    Innerleithen – Galashiels

Two Brethren Meet Three More

 

Before breakfast I slipped out to the local bakers and had some butties made for our lunch. After another full Scottish fry-up, we set off on a cool and windy morning back along the road we had used yesterday and back to join the SUW at Traquair. A tarmac lane continued as a wide track that climbed for nearly two miles, views back to Innerleithen and Walkerburn opening out below. Minch Moor was crested although the diversion to the view point was spurned. It was getting really windy now but this was from behind and we tramped on without donning any wind-proofs. The grassy track undulated along the crest of the ridge, over Broomy Law and down to a stream crossing. Splendid views were to be had in all directions, with the Eildon Hills dominating the view ahead. This high-level traverse ended in the most dramatic way. The last top sits above the steep drop to the River Tweed and the compact summit has three very substantial pillars of stones along with a modern trig point. We had arrived at the Three Brethren.

 

We plunged down into the Tweed valley. Out of the wind the temperature rose markedly. We emerged from the woodland path onto the access road to the Yair estate. This crossed the river to reach a main road, Fairnilee Farm and the start of the last climb of the day. But before we attempted this, a picnic table tempted us to pause a while to eat out sandwiches and cake. The ascending field path was rutted and ankle-breaking, but the underfoot conditions got more pleasant on the descent into Galashiels. We had just enough time to get round the town centre by following the SUW along Barr Road and the continuing track and field path. We descended to the A7 and onward to the banks of the Tweed. After a few yards on the riverside path, it became marginal whether we could reach Tweedbank station in time to catch a train back to Galashiels. We did the sensible thing, minimising the risk of missing the Carlisle bus, and finished this year’s trip at the car park near the end of Tweed Road. 15 miles had been achieved en route and we quit whilst we were ahead.

 

Innerleithen dep. 08.47, Galashiels arr. 15.30

GPS 17.53 miles in 6hrs 23mins 33secs.

 

Conclusion

 

It was a 1½ mile walk back into the centre of Galashiels, passing the football/rugby ground and university in Netherdale. A coffee shop opposite the bus stop enabled us to sit at a pavement table having coffee and cakes whilst watching out for the X95 bus to Carlisle. The 2-hour journey passed through some delightful countryside and dropped us outside the railway station from whence we walked back to where we had parked the car five days earlier. Road closures led to an awkward diversion round the south of the city but we finally gained the M6 and the way home.

 

So we finally got to complete part 2 of the Southern Upland Way. Another 80 miles towards the North Sea, Getting round the awkward loop round Galashiels, we have set ourselves up nicely for the last 50 miles to Cockburnspath next year, giving ourselves the opportunity to throw in the Berwickshire Coast Path as an encore. Finding that the number 60 bus runs between Berwick and Galashiels makes for a perfect link between the start and finish. Let’s hope that next year’s travel issues are less restrictive.