212 miles (340km) - Portpatrick to Cockburnspath
For the experienced backpacker the Southern Upland Way (SUW), opened in April 1984, offers a challenging coast-to-coast crossing of Southern Scotland from Portpatrick on the west coast to Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, a total distance of 212 miles/340km. Of this total 82 miles/130km is in the Borders, passing through or near St Mary's Loch, Traquair, Yair, Galashiels, Melrose, Lauder, Longformacus, Abbey St Bathans and on to its terminus at Cockburnspath.
It is possible to walk sections of the route in a day, although adequate clothing, footwear and food should always be taken. The route is maintained by the Scottish Borders Council, largely funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and is fully waymarked throughout with the SNH symbol of a thistle inside a hexagon.
After leaving Beattock, SUW heads up through forestry to cross the regional boundary at Ettrick Head. It continues down the Ettrick Valley along a quiet country road to Scabcleuch, and then climbs over a ridge to drop down to Tibbie Shiels Inn at the southern end of St Mary's Loch, the largest natural sheet of water in the Borders. Tibbie's has associations with many famous characters including Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg, the poet known as the "Ettrick Shepherd", whose monument is nearby. It continues to this day its long tradition of offering shelter, hospitality and good food to the traveller.
The Way traverses the southern shore of the loch past Bowerhope (pronounced Boor-up) to Dryhope and Blackhouse, two of the many Border peels or towers built in more violent times. From Blackhouse a steady climb along a fine track with lovely views back towards the loch leads to the crossing of Blake Muir and the descent to Traquair. The famous house here, with its Bear Gates and home-brewed strong ale, is open to visitors. Accommodation is available in Traquair or nearby in Innerleithen.
The next stage follows an old drove road over Minchmoor, past the Cheese Well, where in former times travellers left offerings for the fairy folk, and on to the notable triple cairn of the Three Brethren, marking the boundary between the estates of Yair, Buccleuch and Selkirk Burgh.
Descending through Yair Forest, SUW crosses the Tweed at Yair Bridge and soon reaches Galashiels. The Tweed is crossed again by a former railway viaduct and a riverside path leads to Melrose, where the ruins of the great abbey should not be missed. Here you can pick up an interesting souvenir in the form of a miniature of Southern Upland Way whisky, an enterprising piece of marketing by a local shop!
The Tweed is crossed for the third and last time by a suspension footbridge, then the Way heads north to Lauder, partly along an arrow-straight track inevitably thought to be Roman. Lauder is an attractive town with a broad main street, and its many interesting buildings include Thirlestane Castle, home to the Earls of Lauderdale. It has 98 rooms and is noted for its plasterwork ceilings, historic toy collection and Border Country Life exhibition.
The penultimate stage of the Way leads out from Lauder over extensive grouse moors with magnificent views to the large cairns on Twin Law, each with a stone seat which makes for an intriguing photograph. A steady descent takes you down to Watch Water, a reservoir popular with anglers, and on to the small village of Longformacus.
The last stage is across farmland and low hills, passing through Abbey St Bathans and continuing to cross the A1 (one of the more dangerous moments of the trip) and the main east coast railway to walk down Pease Dean, a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve with many fine old trees and rich birdlife. Pease Bridge, which crosses the burn here, was at the time of its construction 200 years ago thought to be the highest bridge in Europe at 140ft/39m.
The sea is now in sight and is reached at Pease Bay. The coast is followed north to the lovely little Cove Harbour, but the Way is not yet quite over. It swings inland for a short distance to its terminus in the village of Cockburnspath.
If you would like assistance with booking accommodation on route or to simply ask questions please contact one of our customer advisors email or telephone 01835 863170
The official guide to the Southern Upland Way, published by Stationery Office Ltd, is currently out of print, however there is some detailed map and guide books in our online shop that cover the route. It includes special Ordnance Survey maps of the route. Scottish Natural Heritage produce free leaflets giving general information on the route and details of accommodation. These are also available at Visitor Information Centres.
Southern Upland way official website