The Southern Upland Way. Alan Castle
for nature lovers.
One false impression of the SUW needs to be dispelled. Some people believe that there are huge tracts of the trail through massive forestry plantations of Sitka spruce. It is true, alas, that there are far too many forestry plantations in southern Scotland and the SUW certainly does pass through several of them. BUT, since the Way was first opened in 1994, many stretches have been re-aligned out of the plantations – culminating in 2018 with the magnificent higher-level line taken over the Ettrick hills. Today, by far the majority of the route is outside these forests and on open hillside or in pleasant rural valleys. For example, the last 90km (56 miles) of the SUW from Minch Moor east of Traquair to Cockburnspath on the coast is devoid of any large plantations, and the first two stages of the SUW in the west from Portpatrick to New Luce, a distance of around 41km (25 miles), are more or less free of forestry.
Hopefully by now your appetite for the SUW has been well and truly whetted. So you now want to walk the SUW, but how do you realise your ambition? The introductory sections that follow will help you in planning and arriving at the start of the walk, Portpatrick, and from there the route description should safely guide you day by day on the SUW ‘Over the hill to Away!’
West to east or east to west?
A west to east traverse, as described in this guide, is the direction of choice. The depressions that come all too frequently across the Atlantic bring moisture-laden air from the south-west and dump much of it across our mountains, hills and moors. So the chances are that if you walk from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath you will have the wind, and hence any unpleasant weather, at your back all the way. However, if you happen to be unlucky enough to choose a period when a bitterly cold north-easterly is blowing, which is not uncommon particularly in the winter months, then you may have reason to curse both my advice and your decision. But may the sun always be shining! From a scenic point of view the views are equally fine if the Trail is walked in either direction.
When to go
You can walk the SUW at any time of the year, although during the winter months on the upland sections of the Trail, you will need the usual winter hillwalking gear, together with the appropriate experience. When the hills are plastered in snow and ice then crampons and ice axes must be carried. The Southern Uplands may not be the Highlands of the North, but the landscape here is nevertheless often rough and unforgiving, and once off the route of the SUW then few paths and fewer signposts are the norm.
Loch of the Lowes, Tibbie Shiels, and St Mary’s Loch (Stage 10)
Long-distance walkers tackling all or major sections of the route would be wise to confine their activities to the spring, summer or autumn months, from April to October, when the days are longer and the weather conditions are (usually) less severe. Only the hardiest, suitably experienced backpackers should consider walking the SUW in winter. An appreciable amount of the accommodation and other facilities that serve the Way will be closed from November to March, so winter hikers have little alternative than to backpack and camp wild for several nights. For a winter crossing, it is essential to be fully equipped and experienced enough to cope with short daylength, long, cold and dark winter nights, snow and ice on the route, and winter storms. Several of the long cross-country stages between towns and villages cannot be completed in the daylight available in a winter’s day. Nevertheless a winter SUW completion would make for a very special and magical experience for well-equipped and experienced backpackers, but would be way beyond the ‘comfort level’ of most ramblers.
Summer has the advantage of generally warmer days, but as this is the period when the majority of people take their holidays there will be more competition for the available bed space in the area. Those who prefer solitude in the hills, moors and forests should not dismiss the main summer holiday time period as neither Dumfries & Galloway nor the Borders receive the number of walking visitors that often overcrowd the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and other areas south of the border. The Southern Uplands offer one of the few areas in these densely populated islands to get far away from the madding crowd at any time of the year.
Spring and autumn are the seasons of choice. High pressure is perhaps more common during the spring in Scotland, and days during May and June often (but not always!) present ideal walking conditions – bright, sunny and not overly warm. The general freshness and rebirth of life is stimulating during springtime and flower displays are a particular joy. A visit to the Kennedy Gardens (refer to Stage 2) passed at the western end of the SUW can be highly recommended at this time of year.
Autumn is a charming time of the year in southern Scotland, with its mellow colours and general feeling of seasonal contentment. The heather moorland is a blaze of purple, and the landscape is at its driest of the year after the warmth of the summer sun and before the winter rains arrive. The romantic roar of stags can sometimes be heard during the annual rutting season in October. Accommodation tends to be less fully booked than in July and August, and days in early autumn are still of an adequate length for walking relatively long distances.
Ways of tackling the SUW
Border fence on the SUW between Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders (Stage 9) (photo: Alan Castle)
For many, the challenge will be to walk the SUW from coast to coast as a continuous walk across Scotland. It forms the basis of a superb walking holiday of about two weeks’ duration, carrying the minimum of equipment (but always taking sufficient warm and waterproof gear). However, this cannot be done in its entirety using only overnight stops on the SUW itself. The closure in 2013 of Tibbie Shiels Inn currently leaves Stages 9 and 10 as a combined day of 54km (33 miles) – plus a bit more if your accommodation is in Innerleithen. This is beyond a daywalk for all but the truly superhuman. The two sections from Bargrennan to Dalry and Dalry to Sanquhar, both more than 41km (25 miles), are also uncomfortably long. And for 2018 it seems that the Kenmuir Arms in New Luce may be closing its bedrooms at the end of Stage 2 (though a lonely B&B at Waterside in Stage 3 is a usable alternative). Please see the Itinerary planner (Appendix A) for more detail on the accommodation you can find along the route.
The best solution at present is to arrange transport pick-ups at various points, with return the following morning. The useful pick-up points at stage ends are:
Stage 2: New Luce back to Stranraer or Castle Kennedy, or south to Glenluce
Stage 4: Craigenbay (west of), for transport forward to St John’s Town of Dalry
Stage 5: Stroanpatrick track end, for transport back to St John’s Town of Dalry
Stage 7: Overfingland, on the A701 Dalveen Pass, for transport to Leadhills, Thornhill, etc
Stage 9: Scabcleuch, Ettrick valley, for transport to Selkirk, etc
Various B&Bs and inns do provide such pick-ups, and these should be detailed in the official SUW accommodation listing. Several companies offer a bespoke self-guided holiday using these options (see Appendix D and the SUW website). With this programme, the longest day will be 19 miles (30km), with a daily average of 15 miles (24km).
The alternative is backpacking the route, carrying your tent, food and cooking equipment. Scotland’s access laws allow wild camping almost anywhere along the route – a huge choice of idyllic camps; there are also the five bothies available as wet-weather fallbacks. This removes the need to complete a full stage each day in order to reach accommodation. Of course, the down side is carrying all the extra weight.
If you do not have the time available or the energy to walk the entire SUW as one expedition, then break it down into two or more sections. The best point to split the route in two is at Beattock/Moffat at the end of Stage 7. Here, there is good motorway (M74) access, and bus transport readily available north towards Glasgow and Edinburgh or south to Lockerbie and Carlisle, from where transport connections home are plentiful. The western half of the SUW will take approximately 8 days to accomplish, but longer if time is spent at the various places of interest along