Meandering along The Southern Upland Way

We recently shared some information and facts about The Rob Roy Way, and The Great Glen Way, and have since had several requests to share more about The Southern Upland Way – which is one of the 4 walks that we promote, so of course, we have obliged!

The Southern Upland Way is one of two of Scotland’s coast-to-coast long-distance footpaths. The Southern Uplands are situated in the southernmost part of Scotland and the route offers experienced walkers a real challenge at 214 miles (344 km) long. It stretches from Portpatrick on the south west Atlantic coast of Scotland to Cockburnspath on the North Sea coast, and to complete the full walk you should allow 12-14 days on average, ideally between April and October.

The route is a varied one and includes rugged cliffs, lochs, open moorlands, and forests, so a little bit of everything for outdoor and nature lovers.

Compared to some of the other walks, Southern Upland Way can tend to be isolated in some parts, but you will have a real sense of achievement whether you complete the full coast-to-coast walk or simply enjoy even one or two sections of it.

Some of the sections are exceptionally long so you will need to plan ahead and be prepared, but overall, the walk is defined by its length rather than its difficulty and is really rewarding to feel that sense of accomplishment once completing the full walk.

Things to do along the way are varied as usual, and we cover a few here to whet your appetite for your next walking holiday…

St. Mary’s Loch

One of our favourite stopover spots is St. Mary’s Loch, which offers so many scenic views to our walkers. The loch was initially created by strong glacial action during the last ice age and takes its name from a church dedicated to St Mary which stood on its northern shore many years ago, although only the burial ground is visible now. Measuring around 27 meters at its deepest point, the loch is sheltered by steep hills on all sides, meaning that the waters are often still and calm, creating great reflections and many photographic opportunities for enthusiastic photographers.

Castle Kennedy

The first night’s stopover point is in Castle Kennedy, and as this leg of the walk is relatively short, you may wish to spend some time exploring Castle Kennedy itself.

Castle Kennedy itself was built in 1607 and today the castle ruins and its gardens are open to the public during season, and the gardens feature some beautiful and exotic flowers not often seen in Scotland – certainly worth a visit if you are a history buff. The castle also has a beautiful tearoom available onsite, and is a great spot to relax and enjoy the beauty.

Wanlockhead

The village of Wanlockhead owes its existence to the lead, gold and other valuable metals and mineral deposits discovered in the surrounding hills by the Roman’s, as early as the 13th century, however the village was only founded in 1680.

Thanks to the many mining and excavations, the village boasts an interesting and informative museum – the Museum of Lead Mining, which allows visitors to the 18th century lead mine to take an underground mine tour – the only underground mine tour in Scotland, as well as getting a unique look into the past by visiting the miners’ cottages and seeing how the miners and their families lived during the years of 1750, 1850 & 1910.

The village also holds the title of the highest village in Scotland!

Cockburnspath

The end point to your Southern Upland Way long walk – and is certainly a chance to not only rest up after some strenuous days on the road, but also to discover the village a bit more too. Cockburnspath also links to other great trails, such as the John Muir Way and Berwickshire Coast Path.

A stay over in Pease Bay is in order, and this award-winning beachfront area offers several short- and long-term accommodation offerings. It makes a scenic and restful base camp to explore the surrounding area for a few days, enjoy some of the great water sporting adventures on offer, or just relax by the sea too, if the mood so takes you.

Within close proximity are several markets, fishing towns and coastal hotspots to explore.

A visit to Cove Harbour is also an interesting stop in, the harbour itself has a long history dating back to 1792 and is now privately managed and maintained. There are homes and cabins to rent in the area too, offering unparalleled views out over the cove, and Boyne Pier is a popular local fishing spot – the pier itself is currently under repair construction which is due to be completed soon.

Of course, there are many more sights to see and adventures to be had along the Southern Upland Way, and we will share more of those in a forthcoming article in due course.

Wishing all our walkers a wonderful holiday and festive season. See you again soon!

The Walkers Club Team

Photo credits - Wanlockhead and St Mary’s Loch - Visit Scotland. Pease Bay - Hoseasons.co.uk.