Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

Getting to Moffat by public transport takes some care but it really is worth the planning and the effort. Moffat lost its railway branch line some years ago and is now dependent on bus connections. Nevertheless, the West Coast Mainline still runs near it but the nearest station is Lockerbie. And there is the A74(M) for those endowed with a motor car.

Speaking of Lockerbie, the obvious thing to do is to get the train there when travelling to Moffat. However, the connecting bus (Stagecoach 382) to Moffat is not as regular as it might be. Another option is to get to Dumfries and catch a bus from there: these are more frequent. However, getting to Dumfries is then the trick. There are train services there from Carlisle but there is an air of irregularity about them. There is, however, a regular bus service (Stagecoach Cumbria 79) between Carlisle and Dumfries with a journey time of up to 90 minutes. From the north, there are somewhat infrequent services from Glasgow (Stagecoach Western 974) and Edinburgh (McEwan’s Coach Services 100 and 199).

I am back home after taking advantage of the fine weather by taking myself off to Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway to take in some of the walking missed by the hordes passing north on their way to the Highlands; they do not know what they are missing, even if the hills show themselves to all and sundry proceeding along the West Coast mainline and the A74(M). The Southern Upland Way is a major walking attraction around here but there are loads of hills to explore as well. They may not be high like the Munros but the rough country does demand some preparation and respect.

My previous encounter with the place was last June when I based myself in Lockerbie. That time, I got in the section of the Southern Upland Way between Moffat and Ettick Head but the day remained cloudy until my return to Lockerbie for the night. This time, I walked the Southern Upland Way from St. Mary's Loch back to Moffat, also covering the ground that I explored on my previous visit. I had designs on more walking but the after effects of a 20 mile stroll and a heavy pack returned me to my senses.

To get to and from Moffat, I travelled by train between Macclesfield and Dumfries (well, apart from a rail replacement bus service between Manchester and Stockport: they were at the line yet again). On Friday evening, a taxi got me to Moffat and I left the 114 bus do the honours on the return. There was a bus on the Friday but a 60 minute wait would have been in order. Mind you, if I had been more patient, I might have avoided a bizarre taxi conversion laden with strange coincidences.

Over the weekend, I stayed at the Balmoral Hotel which offered exactly what I needed. The only fly in the ointment was the locals talking loudly among each other out on the street until 02:00 in the morning. And no, I have no idea what was going on. It never endangered my plans, though.

A useful Saturday only service (Houstons 130) got me to St. Mary's Loch and would have been a useful fallback if I decided not to walk all the way back to Moffat. Both St. Mary's Loch and nearby Loch of the Lowes looked so magnificent that I could have spent the whole day on their shores but I had other walking on my mind and it really did take some willpower to get going. Most of the Way followed paths and tracks through the hills but a five mile road walk was endured in the middle, a minor complaint given what else was on offer. As regards terrain, the only tricky section was around between Craigmichen Scar and Ettrick Head where the effect of landslips is obvious to all. The sight of sheep grazing on steep slopes littered with them was nigh on unbelievable; it looked like reckless behaviour. Recent land movements has resulted in the redirection of the Way around here (be warned if following the OS map) but I suspect that a more permanent route will have to go up and over West Knowe some day, a potentially tiring but safer diversion.

Dumfries and Galloway Council is a good port of call for public transport information, particularly timetables. Stagecoach Western Scotland is the major bus operator in the area but smaller operators like McEwan’s Coach Services abound as well. Stagecoach Cumbria operates services from Carlisle into the region. And DGC operates social services itself as well. First Scotrail and Virgin Trains are the rail operators in the region.

The last two weekends have seen me revisit southern Scotland. This weekend saw me among the Southern uplands. My base was Lockerbie (of Pan Am 103 fame) but my walking took me in and around Moffat. One of my rambles was a circular route involving the Southern Upland Way. I was returning to Moffat by road when a friendly motorist offered a lift to Moffat and I took him up on the offer (not something that I'd normally do for obvious reasons…). That gave me more time for exploring and I got a glimpse of the Devil's Beef Tub to boot. I also got to Lochmaben, four miles from Lockerbie. All this got done yesterday but, though pleasant, the day was largely cloudy and the sun came out just as I had to leave Moffat for Lockerbie (sod's law, really): a later bus would have been perfect. The threat of rain today brought me home on the first southbound train of the day. Nevertheless, the scenery was wonderful and a return is very tempting.

Last weekend, I planned to savour the hills of Northumberland but accommodation availability in Berwick-upon-Tweed changed my plans: it was still useful for a Friday night arrival. Next day, I took myself off to Galashiels and dropped off part of my load at the Abbotsford Arms Hotel (Abbotsford was the name of Sir Walter Scott's home in the area) before heading for a ramble from Peebles to Innerleithen by way of an old drovers' road and the Southern Upland Way. Unlike yesterday, the sun was very much out and it would have been quite hot if a useful, if strong, breeze hadn't blown up. Sunday saw me take a short stroll around Galashiels before heading home.