I completed the Pennine Way in 16 days in 1974 so we were starting on the 50th anniversary of this! 

Last time I backpacked the whole way with 2 friends but this time I was hiking with good friend Al from Gloucester who hasn’t walked the Pennine Way before. We were also using Brigantes luggage transfer so we just needed light day sacks. We’ve used Brigantes many times before as they are very reliable. We were staying in pubs and hotels, so luxury compared to last time.

2024 is the first of 3 parts over a total of 21 days, so a bit more leisurely than last time:

2024: Kirk Yetholm to Alston 6 days

2025: Alston to Horton-in-Ribblesdale 8 days

2026: Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Edale, just a few miles from where I live, 7 days

I made a note of some places of mileages and times through each day but this was weather dependent to a certain extent. Rain stopped me doing this at times. Our usual walking pace is around 2.5 mph on hills, maybe around 3 mph on roads and 2 mph or so on steeper uphill slopes. Stops for photos and note taking are not included in these speeds.

We drove up on Monday 3rd June. Al followed my wife Jan and I in his car and dropped it off in Alston at the Alston House Hotel car park, as pre-arranged. 

We had a stroll to stretch our legs after nearly 3 hours in the car and found a cafe in the square for a tea break. My wife Jan then drove all 3 of us the last 2 hours to Kirk Yetholm where we stayed in the Border Hotel. It was about 220 miles from home in Tunstead Milton. 

The Border Hotel is usually the end of the Pennine Way for most people but for us it was going to be the start as we made our way from north to south. It’s about an 8 mile walk from home to Edale so I know the southern end quite well but haven’t walked the northern stretch since completing the Pennine Way 50 years ago. I managed to persuade Al to start in the north so that I could be in unfamiliar territory to see how much I remembered after 50 years.

Most of the days we will walk from north to south but for logistical reasons a few will be walked from the south going north. The first day is an example of this so that we are dropped off in the wilds of Cocklawfoot rather than finishing there and expecting my wife to wait until we turn up. Walking into the bar at the Border Hotel seemed a much better end to the day!

Tuesday 4th June 2024 Cocklawfoot to Kirk Yetholm

Day 1 14.6 miles 7 hours

Jan drove us to the start of today’s walk at Sourhope, near Cocklawfoot.

Jan dropped Al and I off a mile before Cocklawfoot, we crossed the bridge over the stream and walked along the road to Cocklawfoot Farm and the track up the hill.

The track was actually a major route over the ridge in days past called Clennell Street, an old trading route between Morpeth and Kelso.

It was 3.4 miles from Sourhope to reach the ridge at 11.05am and about an hour from Cocklawfoot Farm. It was noticeably windy here, we were obviously sheltered on the way up.

Then it was along a well slabbed path over the peaty landscape, so different to the miles of deep peat bog I struggled through in 1974. Kings Seat was quickly reached before heavy rain started at 11.45am.

At 12.20pm we passed the path junction for The Cheviot and continued for 10 minutes to Auchope Cairn 725m. The wind speed measured 37.5 mph on my anemometer, which is just about Gale Force. We pressed on steeply downhill to reach Auchope Refuge (also called Hen Hole Hut) at 1pm and 7.7 miles. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t the one I sheltered in 50 years ago, they seem to have replaced the old railway goods wagon with a large garden shed! The rain eased off so I took a few photos.

After a 20 minute break we continued to Schil summit at 2.15pm and 9.5 miles, just off route. It was reached by crossing a stile and climbing the summit rocks, it was dry.

At The Schil the wind had dropped to 32 mph but the windchill reduced the temperature we felt from 6°C to 0.5°C.

We had sunny spells from 3pm as we made our way down through a farm to the road to Kirk Yetholm.

We reached the Border Hotel bar at 4.45pm for a well earned pint and stayed at the Border Hotel again.

14.6 miles in 7 hours, 2910ft (890m) ascent. Max height 2457ft (750m).

Wednesday 5th June 2024 Cocklawfoot to Byrness

Day 2 17.2 miles 8 hours

Jan drove us round all the way to Cocklawfoot Farm so it was just an hour to do the 2 miles along Clennell Street to the ridge. There’s lots of room to park cars and turn around before the bridge near the farm entrance. We started at 9.25am.

It was bright, sunny and a bit breezy but we soon warmed up as we climbed the hill track to the ridge.

The ridge going south was similarly well slabbed like yesterday to the north so we covered the ground quite quickly. We reached Windy Gyle at 11am 3.5 miles in the rain and wind. We didn’t stop long! The sun briefly came  out soon after.

Mozie Law 552m was reached at 12pm 5.5 miles. The rain had stopped but it was still windy.

Lamb Hill was just a few minutes further on at 7.2 miles from Cocklawfoot, and the sun came out!

Another 10 minutes and half a mile saw us at Yearning Saddle Lamb Hill Refuge. We sat outside having a 15 minute break for a chat with other Pennine Wayfarers who were heading north. The refuge was a similar large garden shed type design, similar to the Auchope Refuge closer to Kirk Yetholm.

At 3pm 11.5 miles we reached Chew Green Roman Fort. We wandered around here to try and gauge the size of it – it’s huge and photographs don’t seem to do it justice. The defensive ditches around the outside are still quite deep in places too.

The route follows the edge of a military firing range and red flags were flying so we pressed on.

We followed the tops, like a high plateau, before descending steeply from Byrness Hill through freshly cleared forestry to Byrness.

Just before reaching civilisation Al decided to head butt a tree after tripping over a rock on the path. Luckily the tree was unharmed. It was difficult to tell if Al was affected as he still kept coming out with his usual gibberish! I was sure he’d be fine after a pint or so and this proved to be the case.

We arrived at Forest View Inn at 5.30pm, our abode for the night. I tried to stay here in 1974 when it was a YHA hostel. I was backpacking with good friend Chris but the YHA was closed and in quarantine because someone had an illness that the local GP couldn’t identify and thought it could be something serious. We camped on the campsite down the road instead.

Forest View was a very friendly place full of other Pennine Wayfarers from far and wide. There were 14 people walking north but only Al and I were walking south.

Dinner was Spanish Chicken with Chorizo Sausage and beers from the First and Last Brewery in Bellingham. 

During the evening I received a message from Jan to say our accommodation for tomorrow night at the Cheviot Hotel in Bellingham wasn’t available. Our booking was lost during the change in ownership! 

Fortunately, Jan managed to book us into the Riverdale Hall Hotel on the edge of Bellingham instead. 

17.2 miles in 8 hours, 2.7mph average moving speed, 2752 ft (840m) ascent.

Thursday 6th June 2024 Byrness to Bellingham

Day 3 16.6 miles 7.8 hours

The only downside of Byrness Forest View was that our room was too small for me to do my normal morning stretches for my bad back. Luckily I managed to find a small bit of floor to do a few to get me going.

We had a good cooked breakfast, had our photographs taken outside for posterity by Oli (he photographs most people that stay with them and posts the pics on Facebook), and left at 9.15am. It was sunny with a cold breeze.

It was easy walking on good tracks to start while I warmed up so I was fine.

We walked along forestry roads for quite a way. There were lots of huge log stacks beside the tracks.

Eventually, at 11.20am we turned off the forestry tracks onto footpaths through forest to open country.

There were quite a few birds in the area around Black Hill and Brownrigg Head including Stonechats and Sky Larks.

We stopped for our lunch break by a stream at 2pm. By this stage we had seen 20 people walking north.

At 3.45pm we walked into Bellingham and spotted an A-board near the old station  directing us to the First and Last Brewery. We didn’t want to appear churlish so we immediately diverted and as luck would have it their tap room, adjacent to the brewery, was open. I can highly recommend the Eclipse Milk Stout.

From the brewery it was just 15 minutes to walk the ¾ mile to the Riverdale Hall Hotel.

We checked into the hotel at 5.30pm and were in room 2, a huge twin room, with French doors leading out to a balcony overlooking the hotel cricket ground. This was definitely the best room of the trip but it was also the most expensive.

Coincidentally, the hotel also sold First and Last Brewery beers, even though when we asked the staff at the tap room they said the hotel didn’t sell it. 

16.6 miles, about 6¾ hours excluding brewery diversion.

Friday 7th June 2024 Bellingham to Once Brewed

Day 4 15.7 miles 7.2 hours

Breakfast was good, lots of it and fast service so we were away by 9am. It was sunshine and showers from the start so we put on full waterproofs before venturing outside.

At 11am and 4.8 miles we stopped at Low Stead for a bite to eat. I just had a chocolate bar. There was a conveniently placed chair at the side of the track so we had a sit down for a short break too.

At 1.10pm we stopped for lunch in a sheep byre on Haughton Common between Currick and Hawk Side. This was quite a memorable place for me because this was where I wild camped while backpacking the Pennine Way in 1974.

We reached Hadrian’s Wall at 2.55pm, just west of Housesteads Roman Fort and Cuddy’s Crags.

At 3.40pm we walked down to what should have been Sycamore Gap but it looked a bit sad without the tree. A mindless act of vandalism cut the 150 year old tree down on 23rd September 2023.

This is what it used to look like. I took this in July 2006 on the way back from taking landscape photographs along the Northumberland coast for my portfolio.

At 4.10pm we walked into Twice Brewed Inn where we had a room booked. We went straight to the bar before checking in. The Twice Brewed Steel Rigg Porter was very good.

We stayed in room 2 (same number as the hotel in Bellingham last night) but this one was a tiny twin room at the Twice Brewed Inn just south of Hadrian’s Wall. It was so small that Al could just reach over from his bed to hit me every time I snored. It was probably the smallest room for 2 people I’ve stayed in for a long time. Unfortunately, they have a captive audience as, apart from the hostel next door, there’s no alternative in the area if you’re walking.

15.7 miles in 7¼ hours, 1400ft (425m) of ascent with 2.7 mph average moving speed.

Saturday 8th June 2024 Once Brewed to Greenhead

Day 5 7.8 miles 3.8 hours

I had to do my morning back exercises and stretches on the bed as there wasn’t any spare floor space. However, the breakfast was good being both a cooked breakfast and buffet.

At 9.15am we left the hotel and in 10 minutes had retraced our steps back to Hadrian’s Wall. 

Just after this, at Steel Rigg, there was a country showground which looked like it was about to open to the public. We didn’t stop.

A bit later we reached the road at Caw Gap. The wall climbed away quite steeply on both sides of the road.

Shortly after leaving Milecastle 42 the path descended to a track to Cawfields Quarry, now flooded and used as a recreation area and car park.

There was no information or active archaeology going on that we could see at Great Chesters Fort. The site was very large but obviously part of a working farm. There were very few areas visible above the greenery, just the odd bit of stone wall here and there. The outline of the fort was very clear though.

We reached the Greenhead Hotel soon after Thirlwall Castle ruins. It was just a half mile detour from the main route.

I had a Blackhall English Stout, another very nice beer. 

When I backpacked the Pennine Way in 1974 I tried to stay here with my 2 friends. We were soaked through and just wanted somewhere to dry off. The receptionist was just finding us a room when the hotel manager came along. He asked what was going on, the receptionist told him, and he instantly said they didn’t have a room. He left us in no doubt that he didn’t like the bedraggled look of us. Unfortunately, that also meant that we had to walk another 2 miles to Gilsland to find a bed and breakfast to stay, making it a 21.5 mile day.

Luckily, times have changed and Al and I weren’t bedraggled so they let us in. 

We stayed at the Greenhead Hotel in a very comfortable room to the rear of the hotel. The restaurant was busy in the evening but they managed to fit us in and we had a tasty meal.

7.8 miles in 3¾h with 630ft (195m) ascent at 2.6mph average moving speed. 

Sunday 9th June 2024 Greenhead to Alston

Day 6 17.5 miles 8 hours

The cooked breakfast was good and set me up for the day. Then we packed our bags and Al took them down to reception ready for Brigantes to pick them up and take them to Alston. 

We left the hotel at 8.50am in the sunshine, but it was chilly. It stayed dry all day.

At 11.20am we stopped for a short break at a ruined barn after Hartley Burn. It was cold, dry and windy.

We soon crossed the A689 and were walking over moorland with few good features to pick out.

We could see a path through the vegetation beside the road up to the old railway track above and at 1.25pm we were on top of the Burnstones viaduct near Knarsdale Hall. Al went down to the road below to find out from a passerby where the nearest pub was. With her directions we diverted to the Kirkstyle Inn just up the road. It was marked on the map but we didn’t know if it opened at lunchtime. It was just a few hundred yards off route so we were soon there.

By 1.35pm we were sitting down in the Kirkstyle Inn for a mostly liquid lunch of Corby Ale and a bag of crisps.

The break didn’t last long as we were on our way at 1.55pm in the sunshine heading back to Burnstones Viaduct to pick up the trail again.

Al had painful feet from blisters on blisters, a common occurrence for him on our long treks. The path from Slaggyford officially crosses several fields to reach Alston but there’s a footpath beside the railway tracks all the way to Alston. This was much easier underfoot such that Al limped into Alston station at 4.25pm.

We headed into the main town square and went to the Turks Head for a pint of Black Sheep bitter. Beer is a well known remedy for sore feet and the good thing is you don’t have to rub it in, you just swallow it!

We left the pub and arrived at the Alston House Hotel at 4.50pm. Al had left his car in their car park on Monday – and it was still there!

17.5 miles in 8 hours with 1900 feet ascent 2.7mph average moving speed.

Monday 10th June 2024 Travel Home from Alston

We had a family room with 3 single beds so there was lots of room for the 2 of us. Al had 2 beds – one to sleep in and one to put his bag on. I only needed one, my bag was on the luggage stand! Having a bad back it really helps when I don’t have my bag on the floor.

After a good cooked breakfast we packed up and loaded our bags into Al’s car which was still parked in the hotel car park. Al then drove us back to Tunstead Milton to drop me off. After a bit of a break Al drove back to Gloucester.

Summary

In total we walked 89.4 miles in 6 days from Kirk Yetholm to Alston, including pub and brewery diversions. 

In 2025 we return to the Alston House Hotel to start the next leg of the walk to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Equipment

Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ100, a good travel camera as long as you can keep it dry. Al once poured his pint over a previous one and it couldn’t be repaired so I had to replace it. Quite why he wasted perfectly good beer doing that I’ll never know.

On wet days I used my Motorola Edge 20 mobile phone in an Aquapac waterproof case to take a few pictures. All the mobile phones I’ve had take acceptable pictures until you try and zoom in to the subject – then they’re rubbish! That’s why I use the little compact camera rather than just relying on the phone. Being a professional photographer makes me more critical of picture quality than most people I guess?

There are over 150 images in this blog post and every one of them has been edited in Photoshop. They were all cropped, often just top and bottom to remove parts of the image that were distracting or didn’t add anything to the scene. I also set the black and white points and then often adjusted the brightness and contrast. That was pretty much the extent of the picture editing. The colour balance has not been touched and everything that you see was on the original file so they are effectively the views that I saw, nothing has been added. So if you go to the same place these are views that you will see, the lighting and weather may be different but the view will be very similar if not the same.

Maps, Etc

Satmap Active 20 with Ordnance Survey 25k and 50k detailed maps. I programmed the route and uploaded it onto the GPS so route finding was very easy. I used it exclusively in the OS 25k map view for the extra detail of field boundaries and similar helpful features. 50 years ago I had to carry all 10 of the OS 1 inch to 1 mile maps (63.36k) for the entire route in my rucksack. It’s so much easier these days with GPS and luggage transfer so I only carry maps for 1 day!

Harveys Pennine Way North 40k waterproof map. I used this daily to see a larger view than that shown on the GPS screen to pick out the names of the neighbouring hills, etc.

Ordnance Survey 25k maps covering the daily route, just in case we wanted to divert off the narrow area shown on the Harveys map or something happened to the Satmap GPS. I didn’t use these at all but I still always carried them – you never know when you might need them.

Cicerone Guide ‘The Pennine Way’ and OS 1:25k map booklet. The guidebook wasn’t carried but was referred to each evening ready for the next day. 50 years ago we all carried a copy of the Wainwright ‘Pennine Way Companion’ guidebook – the one that pretty much everyone used at that time. I bought mine in 1973 which was 5 years after it was first published and it had already been reprinted 18 times! It was essential as the OS maps didn’t clearly show the route of the Pennine Way. In places the OS maps didn’t show the route at all! The main advantage of the Wainwright guide over the Cicerone guide was that every mile was marked on the hand-drawn maps in the guidebook – this was really helpful, as well as the detailed sketches of features to look out for.

The Cicerone map booklet was used every day to see the way ahead and around us, except when it was raining! The GPS screen is quite small (3×2 inches/7.5x5cm) so having a map for the wider view is useful.

I always carry a compass or two but I didn’t need to use either. It’s very different now with GPS technology compared to 20 years ago. For example, when I did the Munro’s from 1984 to 1996 I had to carry a map and compass in my hand all the time and refer to them almost continuously in bad weather or on untracked mountainside. Now I just glance at the GPS hanging from my rucksack strap which clearly shows the planned route superimposed on an OS 25k map and my exact position. The GPS is also completely weatherproof and has an excellent battery life of well over 20 hours.

Anemometer 

Kestrel 2000 pocket anemometer. It gives wind speed, temperature and wind chill. Always useful to carry if expecting windy or very cold weather. 

The post Pennine Way 2024 North to South: Kirk Yetholm to Alston appeared first on Dave Butcher.

The Southern Upland Way is Scotland’s official Coast to Coast Trail from Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway on the west coast, through the Scottish Borders, to Cockburnpath in Berwickshire near the east coast. It was 218 miles long and took 15 days in two parts – 12 days in April and 3 days in September 2023. Mostly I walked it on my own with my wife Jan dropping me off in the morning and picking me up in the evening. Some days Jan walked with me in the morning for a few miles then turned back to the car so that she could pick me up later. The official website for the trek is run by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

I decided not to carry my heavy professional camera equipment for this trip as I also have a chronic back condition. Just using a small, light digital camera was the compromise I decided upon, hence all the colour photos in this post. 

I also took Naproxen every day after breakfast because I’ve found over the years that taking it before the pain starts reduces the pain or stops it completely. Taking it after the pain has built up does nothing.

To view larger versions of the pictures go to the Google Blogger version of this post which is in 2 parts:

Southern Upland Way Part 1 Portpatrick to Beattock and Moffat – on Google Blogger for bigger pictures. Click on each picture for the largest version.

Southern Upland Way Part 2 Beattock to Cockburnspath – on Google Blogger for bigger pictures. Click on each picture for the largest version.

Day 1 Saturday 15th April 2023 

Portpatrick to Castle Kennedy 14.4 miles 6.2h

Jan parked us near the public toilets at the end of Portpatrick Harbour. There weren’t many cars about at 9.30am on a Saturday. As soon as I got out of the car I could see birds flying over the harbour water heading into the harbour walls, they were Black Guillemots, lots of them and they were nesting. I loaded up the Mamiya 7 Camera with Ilford 400 Delta 120 film and headed around the harbour for some photos. There’s a new Southern Upland Way finger post at the far end of the harbour from where we parked, pointing to the start which is by the toilets. It was warm and sunny 12°C with a cold wind.

I started from the information panel at the start at 10.05am and immediately walked up the shallow stone steps to the cliff path at the top – good view over the harbour from the top.

Then there’s a good track to follow to the sandy cove of Port Mora. There was a waterfall over a cave entrance – Ouchtriemakain Cave – as the path led to the beach.

The first undersea telephone cable between Scotland and Ireland was laid in 1852 between Port Kale and Donaghadee 27 miles away on the Irish coast. The old cable house, a double octagonal building, is on the edge of the cove.

The Killantringan Lighthouse, 11.40am 3.2 miles.

Jan turned back here and took my heavy Mamiya 7 camera and my fleece jacket that I didn’t need.

There was an information board near Knockquhassen about hidden treasure, Ultreia signs, Kists and Waymerks. I hadn’t seen anything like this before on the treks that I’ve done previously, and I’ve done a lot of them! There are 13 art installations along the trail marking a Kist containing coins unique to that Kist. Before and after most of the Kists are small metal plates on the way posts with the word Ultreia. This is the only clue given to the location of each Kist. I found 10 Kists on my trek but returned and found another 2 a year later. One wasn’t on my route on Day 4 as I used the alternative route which missed it. There’s a leaflet shown below that shows the information more clearly.

I stopped for 10 minutes for a bite to eat from 1pm just below the hilltop before walking along the path parallel to the reservoir. It was a bit like walking through a nature reserve with so many birds flying around, calling and singing.

Kist 1

I spotted the kist from the path at 1.25pm but didn’t realise what it was as I wasn’t familiar with the hoard until seeing the information board a little way before it. The Waymerks were in a glass jar to protect them from the elements but quite a few were rusty.

The first Ultreia sign that I spotted was on an uprooted post after I’d found the first Kist.

I reached Pilanton Burn, which appeared to be a fishery, at 2pm it was 8.7 miles from Portpatrick.

Then it was on towards Stranraer with views over the town, sea beyond and ferries coming and going at 2.20pm.

A country lane bypassed the town and took me down to the busy A77 and after crossing found the Culreoch World War 2 gun emplacements ruins, not a lot to see as what’s left is quite overgrown!

After this I followed a short section of the old military road, through a wood behind some houses to a road where I ended the day in Castle Kennedy. Jan was waiting for me opposite the entrance to Castle Kennedy House, I finished at 4.15pm 14.4 miles.

Day 2 Sunday 16th April 2023

Castle Kennedy to Balmurrie 11.2 miles 4.8h

Parking at Balmurrie is limited and remote so I walked this leg in reverse. I started at Balmurrie and walked to Castle Kennedy. Jan dropped me off at Balmurrie Farm at 10am and I walked back along the tarmac farm road to the road to New Luce which was just under 1 mile.

After the road junction there was a bit more tarmac single track road before the route took off across a few fields. These were invariably occupied by quite large herds of cattle which seemed to congregate around the stiles. Fortunately, they quickly moved off with one group in particular using the track I needed as if they knew the way! This part of the route was very muddy, as in deep mud and lots of it. Visibility was very poor so I didn’t see the Caves of Kilhern a few hundred metres off route or Cruise Back Fell Iron Age Hill Fort just off route too. However, I photographed the info boards which showed what I missed.

I finally reached the road at the hamlet of Cruise and after short section of road crossed the river on a substantial bridge. Then after crossing the railway the route enters Glenwhan woods and climbs uphill.

Kist 2

Just where the path turns across the slope of the hillside I came across a post with the Ultreia plate on it so it was time to keep an eye out for Kist 2. This must be the easiest one of them all to find as it’s just a couple of feet from the trail with bits of rag hanging from tree branches and some boxes on the ground being the Kist.

The Clootie Tree and rags were part of an old Celtic custom.

The Kist was a lidded box set into the ground. When I arrived at 12.40pm a young woman was brewing a cup of tea on it so I didn’t see inside the box but she told me it was empty. One Waymerk to be claimed later.

As I came out of the woods the route followed a wall on one side and the forest on the other and it was a very wet track in places as I plodded along.

I reached the road at 1.50pm where there was an information sign about the Standing Stones of Glenterrow but it wasn’t the weather for diverting to have a look. There was also an information board about alternative routes for the SUW and a few day walks, as if the SUW wasn’t enough!

At Castle Kennedy park I followed the road past 2 large lochs, through the gates at the other end, and the last few yards to Jan and our car at 2.50pm, it was just over 11 miles from Balmurrie.

Day 3 Monday 17th April 2023

Balmurrie to Bargrennan 17.1 miles 7h

I was dropped off at Balmurrie Farm wearing full waterproofs as it was a wet start to the day at 9.45am.

There’s a bit of farm track before the route turns off across the moor past the Neolithic Cairn Na Gath which I didn’t divert to considering the poor weather – I was walking in low cloud and could just see it a couple of hundred yards away.

Shortly after this there was another information board about the use of the land but it needs a good clean or replacing so that it can be easily read.

Before reaching the forest I had my first view of the turbines that make up a huge wind farm. They were barely visible in the low clouds but made quite a noise to let you know they were there even when you couldn’t see them. Then it was into the woods on a well surfaced, well marked track.

At 11.15am and just under 4 miles from Balmurrie I reached the Beehive Bothy, a really interesting shape and interior for a bothy.

Soon after the bothy the Laggangarn Stones were passed in a small clearing in the forest.

A few minutes further on, on the other side of one of the major forest roads, the route was almost completely blocked by a fallen tree. You needed to be a bit of a contortionist or a limbo dancer to weave through the branches to the track on the other side, not great for my bad back!

By the Wells O’ the Rees junction the track was mostly above the forest into bracken and grass covered hillside.

The summit of Craig Airie Fell was well above the tree line and had good views over the forest, Loch Derry and wind farms in every direction.

I passed the path to Linn’s Tomb and stopped for a bite to eat near Derry Farm at 1pm. It was brightening up so I took my waterproofs off and packed them away.

A good forest road led to a proper tarmac road just before Darloskine Bridge, this was about half an hour from my lunch stop.

There was a good single track road so about 40 minutes later I was walking through the hamlet of Knowe and there was even a bit of blue sky showing through! A track then cut the corner off through some woods and across fields to rejoin the road near Glenruther Lodge.

After a short section of road the trail strikes uphill to Ochiltree Hill, at 184m it’s not that high but it has uninterrupted views in every direction, hence the Ordnance Survey trig point on the summit.

A bit lower down just before rejoining the road near Garchew there was another herd of cattle and the ground was really churned up and boggy.

Finally the trail soon left the tarmac for more fields and rough pastures to come out on the road just south of Bargrennan. From here it was just 10 minutes to the car park of the House O’ Hill Hotel, reaching it at 4.50pm, where I was hoping to have a drink. Unfortunately, it has very limited opening hours on just a few days a week and was shut.

Day 4 Tuesday 18th April 2023

Bargrennan to Craigenbay 16 miles 6.4h

Parking at Craigenbay is limited and remote so Jan dropped me off here at 9.30am and I walked to Bargrennan where there’s lots of parking near the pub. The first several miles are along forest road with large timber lorries regularly passing me so I had to get off the road each time as the road is single track. After 3.5 miles and about 1 hour the track split and the SUW follows the left branch down to a bridge over the river with really good views of the mountains in the background.

The track then climbed and followed round to Loch Dee, surrounded by some big hills.

The path climbed uphill for a short section and came to a very large carved stone – The Giant Axe Head Sculpture. At Glenhead there were lots of forestry signs saying the path ahead was closed find another route – no alternative was offered so I ignored the sign and continued and met lots of walkers and cyclists coming the other way. We had all ignored path closure signs – there was no sign of any work going on, no sound of machinery or chain saws – they obviously put signs out and leave them even when no work is going on. I reported this to the DG Trails ranger and they passed it on to the forestry company. No idea if it makes any difference but at least I tried.

Soon after Glenhead I came to the east end of Loch Trool and stopped for lunch on the bench seat provided.

There are good trails to the old Caldons campsite, no longer in use but between there and Water of Trool bridge the path was indistinct in places. There were several paths to choose from and I had a false start at one stage but it was only 50 yards before I realised my mistake so no problem. I was being picked up from the same place as yesterday, House O’ Hill at Bargrennan, so I crossed the footbridge over the Water of Trool and followed the good path to Stroan Bridge. This is near the Glen Trool Visitor Centre and large car park. From the bridge there were forest trails beside the road all the way to Bargrennan.

The forest trails from Water of Trool to Stroan Bridge and then to Bargrennan were excellent and easy to follow. I reached Bargrennan House O’ Hill (closed) at 3.15pm, 16 miles and 5 hours 50 minutes from Craigenbay.

Note: because I took the alternative route via Stroan Bridge to Bargrennan I missed Kist 3 which is somewhere along the other trail.

Day 5 Wednesday 19th April 2023

Craigenbay to St John’s Town of Dalry 8.5 miles 3.7h

Jan dropped me off at Craigenbay at 9.35am, it was sunny with a few clouds and 12°C so a bit on the cool side. After a short walk along the tarmac road the route went off to the right across some fields towards the forest beyond.

After about 2 miles I came to the first Ultreia post in a clearing in the forest, the 2nd one was a few hundred yards further on and had a yellow cap on the post. In between was a ditch to be jumped over on the left and an indistinct path leading into a walled clearing/enclosure with an enormous rock in it. The Kist was in the top of a cairn in front of it. I forgot to photograph it, oops!

The 2nd post was on the open hillside with a large sheep pen opposite. The path led over some featureless moorland and some rolling hillocks and down to a minor road at Drumbuie.

The road went into some woodland alongside Garroch Burn and then turned away from the road, over a marshy area, where duckboards had thankfully been installed above the bog, to go up Waterside Hill – a small hill overlooking St Johns Town of Dalry. I stopped at 12.45pm after 7.5 miles, for lunch on a bench seat just below the top, it was bitterly cold in the wind.

Views from Waterside Hill to St Johns Town of Dalry

After the power station the path followed the river and crossed a field to a substantial pedestrian bridge over the Water of Ken.

Then it was a short walk up past the small church into the village of St Johns Town of Dalry.

It was 1.20pm and Dalry is 8.5 miles from Craigenbay (with about 1000 feet/300m of ascent) so quite an easy day considering many of the other days on the trek.

The Clachan Inn was open and very busy so it seemed churlish to not go in and have a pint.

Day 6 Thursday 20th April 2023

St John’s Town of Dalry to Stroanpatrick 7.8 miles 3.6h

It was going to be another short day today so I had a late start of 10.45am. Jan walked with me for the first few miles before turning back to get the car to pick me up at the end.

It was a sunny cool day with clear blue skies all day.

It was a little boggy in places and the path disappeared in places but otherwise it was a good day for walking with a blue sky all day.

I saw lots of birds in this area including Goosanders on the river, a couple of Ravens, Sand Martins and a Red Kite.

I finished the day at the finger post which is the start of tomorrow’s walk, where there’s just room for a car to pull in for a pick-up/drop-off but not to park. It was 2.20pm and 7.8 miles from Dalry. 

If you need somewhere to park and leave your car there’s space opposite the farm a few hundred yards further on.

Day 7 Friday 21st April 2023 

Stroanpatrick to Sanquar Euchan Bridge 17.9 miles 8.2h

It was sunny, clear and with a cold wind all day, a good day for walking.

It took just over an hour to reach the first hill, Manquhill, which had good views in places but lots of tightly packed conifers obscured many of the views. It was the first view of one of the arches by landscape sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. It was still a long way away though!

From Manquhill the route follows a forest ride downhill before the last pull uphill to Ben Brack and one of the Striding Arch sculptures. I reached Ben Brack at 11.50am 4.6 miles from Stroanpatrick. This was way above the tree line so had good views in every direction, including to two of the other Striding Arches on neighbouring hills.

More forest trails followed then the route is along good forest roads to local tarmac roads shortly after Polskeoch Bothy.

Kist 5

Kist 5 is set into the ground on Cloud Hill and is a wood-lined metal chest with a ceramic tile over the lid of the chest with rough grazing grass all around. It would be impossible to spot it with snow on the ground! 

I had my first view of Sanquar town at 4.40pm but it was just over an hour down rough moorland and fields until I reached Euchan Bridge on the edge of town where I was picked up.

Overall, it was 8 hours 10 minutes, 17.9 miles and 3700 feet (1130m) of ascent from Stroanpatrick to Euchan Bridge on the outskirts of Sanquar and was a really good day on the hills.

Day 8 Saturday 22nd April 2023 

Sanquar Euchan Bridge to Overfingland 14.8 miles 7.9h

Jan dropped me off at the Euchan Bridge on the outskirts of Sanquar and I started at 10.15am. I would have liked an earlier start for this longish day but we’re staying in Newton Stewart and are restricted by breakfast times and the slow roads. Sanquar was very quiet as we walked along the main street before turning off onto good tracks that took us into the hills.

I picked up a chest infection at the hotel a couple of days ago and was feeling tired and coughing a lot today. Chest infections are the worst thing for my asthma! There’s also quite a risk that coughing can put my back muscles into spasm which can be very serious on the hills so I also have Diazepam which I can take as a muscle relaxant should the need arise. I took it today because I was coughing so much.

Jan walked with me for the first few miles before turning back at 11.40am to get the car and drive around to my finish point.

It was cold here so I swapped over from a duvet gilet to a duvet jacket with a hood and put warm mitts on.

Kist 6

I passed the first Ultreia post so was looking out for the Kist but walked right past this. Fortunately I turned around before opening a gate and spotted this in the bank just on my left. It seemed more obvious looking back than it did walking past it.

Kist in bank beside the trail 12.45pm 5 miles from Sanquar

Wanlockhead

At 2.35pm and just under 9 miles I stopped in Wanlockhead to have some food. I was walking at about 2.5mph so far and the weather seemed to be closing in.

As I left Wanlockhead I was soon in the clouds and couldn’t see more than 30 yards or so. The GPS told me exactly where I was but I didn’t see anything. I didn’t even see the Lowther Hill radar golf balls even though I passed close by and they are enormous.

The rain started at 4.10pm on Lowther Hill and continued as I made my way over Cold Moss and Comb Head. I had slowed down a bit as the coughing was taking its toll. This was followed by a steep drop and an equally steep climb up the other side to Laght Hill where I was surprised to be met by my wife Jan. She was concerned because of my coughing so had come to meet me – she also had a GPS programmed with my route so she just followed it until she found me part way up the slope a couple of miles from the car. Jan took my rucksack which made the last bit much easier for me.

Almost immediately Jan pointed out the Kist, she had spotted it a few minutes earlier as she came over the stile. It looked a bit like a wooden toy or an old piece of mining equipment but a bit out of place on the open hillside.

Kist 7

Dreadful weather but difficult to miss this Kist as it’s right by a stile on the route and less than 2 miles from Overfingland.

The day ended in a lay-by at Overfingland on the A702 main road at 6.10pm 14.8 miles from Sanquar Euchan Bridge and 3500 feet (1070m) of ascent. All that ascent made it feel like a big day.

Day 9 Sunday 23rd April 2023

Overfingland to Beattock 16.9 miles 8h

In contrast to yesterday it was a sunny morning, 10°C and breezy, so very pleasant walking weather. I felt much better today and was coughing a lot less.

I started at 10.15am from the Overfingland lay-by on the A702. There were even good views of the Lowther Hill radar dome which I hadn’t managed to see yesterday.

I stopped for lunch overlooking Daer Reservoir. The weather seemed to be closing in – the sun was long gone.

It started to rain on Hod’s Hill so I briefly stopped to put waterproofs on. Soon after this I was into the forest which was a bit more protected from the weather.

I stopped above the bothy for another bite to eat at 2.50pm and just under 9 miles. The trees had taken quite a battering, lots of them had been blown down by storms.

At East Earshaig I reached a minor road at 4.35pm, 12 miles from Overfingland.

Jan had parked the car near a bridge over Moffat Water, just past Craigbeck. I reached her at 6.15pm and 16.9 miles 2400 feet (730m) of ascent while averaging 2.7mph.

Day 10 Monday 24th April 2023 

Beattock to Ettrick Village 13.5 miles 6.8h

Jan drove us back to yesterday’s finish point and parked the car as she was walking with me for the first few miles today. It was bright and sunny but cool.

We started walking at 10am along the wide gravel track next to the bridge and Water of Moffat which quickly narrowed to single track. Forestry lorries were frequently using it as we walked along.

I was intending to use the low route today as I was a bit tired but there was a diversion over the High Route because of forestry operations. So, in view of the signs and lots of lorries we diverted up the hill at 10.30am.

Jan turned back at Gateshaw Rig at 11.50am 3.3 miles, the weather had changed and hail showers started in between sunny spells. I put full waterproofs on before continuing along the ridge. Fortunately, most of the showers passed in about 20 minutes. 

I carried on along the ridge on a decent track to Croft Head 637m which I reached at 12.25pm and just over 4 miles from the car. There were pretty impressive views all around to the neighbouring hills.

At 1pm 4.7 miles I stopped for lunch at a conveniently placed bench seat at the foot of Cat Shoulder. Even though I was looking up at quite big peaks there were still good views.

Kist 8

At 1.30pm 5.1 miles I passed an Ultreia post and dropped down to a footbridge over a stream. It didn’t take long to spot a very strange looking cairn which I headed for. The Kist was next to it set into the ground.

At 2.35pm 7.5 miles I reached the Over Phawhope Bothy and a signpost showing the same distance to both back to Beattock and on to St Mary’s Loch – 10.5 miles.

I reached the planned days end of Scabcleuch at 4.45pm 13.5 miles. There was no sign of Jan and the car as I was quite a bit earlier than I’d estimated. After sitting on the bridge wall for a few minutes I decided I may as well do something so walked along the road into Ettrick village and waited in the phone box outside the village hall as there were more hail and rain showers. Jan arrived at 5.30pm.

I walked 14.7 miles in just over 7 hours with 4100 feet (1250 metres) ascent over Croft Head.

Day 11 Tuesday 25th April 2023 

Scabcleugh to Traquair 17.2 miles 8.1h

It was a sunny morning but only 3°C at Scabcleuch, near Ettrick village, as we parked the car in a long lay-by just before the road went over the bridge. Jan was walking with me for the first few miles as we set off uphill at 9.50am.

Jan turned back at 11.20pm 2.6 miles from Scabcleuch as we started to descend from Pikestone Rig towards Riskinghope Hope.

This gate is just above the stream at the foot of the descent from Pikestone Rig to Riskinhope Hope. It slopes towards those coming from the uphill side so it’s heavy and awkward to push open. Not great for someone with a bad back!

I reached Tibbie Shiels at 12.35pm 5.2 miles, there was an information board and a good view of Loch of the Lowes as well as St Mary’s Loch.

I stopped at 12.45pm just past the clubhouse of the yacht club for a bite to eat, it was sunny and cold so I didn’t stop for long. There wasn’t much activity as most of the boats were out of the water and all stored together in an enclosure, still in their winter wrappings.

I passed Dryhope Tower at 2.35pm but didn’t divert for a look around as it was a long day and I was barely half-way.

Kist 9

Kist 9 looks like a milestone and has the word Ultreia and some patterns carved into it. As far as I could tell there were no Ultreia wooden posts as there are for other kists. I missed Kist 9 the first time as it had been ripped from its concrete and reinforced steel fixing and was laying on its side. It looked like it had been vandalised as it is heavy and was a few feet from the original base. Either that or there’s horrendous weather on Deuchar Law!

I have a bad back so can’t do any heavy lifting but my wife flexed her muscles and managed to stand it upright again but it was too heavy to move back onto it’s base. At least it was visible from the track when we left it.

Kist 9 was just over 3 miles from Traquair Kirk so maybe it should have been called the Traquair Kist instead of Yarrow Kist?

Well that was a good day but a long one. The tracks were all very good and it was easy to follow the route even without a GPS! It stayed clear and cold all day. I had mild backache for the last section from St Mary’s Loch but it soon recovered after a lie down on a hot pad in our hotel room.

In total it was 17.2 miles in 8 hours with 4000 feet (1220 metres) ascent.

My average moving speed was 2.8mph but I had a few breaks too which brings the overall speed down a bit.

Day 12 Wednesday 26th April 2023 

Traquair to Galashiels 14.2 miles 6.8h

We were staying at the Traquair Arms in Innerleithen so it was just a 5 minute drive to the start of the walk at Traquair War Memorial. Jan dropped me off and I started walking at 9.15am. There were sunny spells through the day but it was chilly.

Kist 10

Kist 10 is on the track over Minch Moor after the Cheese Well. It’s built into the remains of a dry stone wall beside the track. The Waymerks were protected in a metal tin inside a ceramic container with a small slab of rock closure.

I have a bad back and it wasn’t that good today after several days of coughing and the long day yesterday. It was aching by the time I reached Brown Knowe at 11.45am 5 miles, just after taking this photo. I stopped to take Diazepam as I was afraid my back muscles would go into spasm. I’d already taken Naproxen after breakfast so it was belt and braces time!

I stopped for a quick lunch break just after Broomy Law, before I reached 3 Brethren.

It was a total of 14.2 miles with 3100 feet ascent and took 6h 48m from Traquair War Memorial to the Wetherspoons in Galashiels. Jan was waiting for me just outside as I’d kept in touch through the day with my progress. 

My back held up to the end of the day, thankfully, but waking up coughing during the night put some of my back muscles into spasm, as I’d feared on the hill. It was telling me it was time to stop so we went home with 3 days left. Disappointing but necessary for recovery; coughing, asthma and bad backs don’t go well together. I was lucky to be able to walk 7 days with a chest infection.

Day 13 Monday 25th September 2023 

Galashiels to Lauder 13.5 miles 5.4h

5 months after having to stop walking the Southern Upland Way because of my bad back my wife and I came back so that I could walk the last 3 days from Galashiels to Cockburnspath.

We parked on Scott Street in Galashiels which I walk along in April.

I started walking at 9.45am and it was sunny.

I stopped for a bite to eat at 12.10pm – a Homemade Eccles Cake as usual!

Kist 11

Kist 11 is right beside the track but is easy to miss as it blends in with the surroundings. It’s a life-size ceramic pair of Roman feet. The top ceramic plate is broken so is held down with rocks. It’s just 3 miles from Lauder so it’s quite a bit closer to Lauder than to Melrose.

At Fordswell there’s a motor racing track. The trail avoids this in part by going through Woodheads Hill wood which I reached at 2.10pm.

In total it was 13.5 miles with 1575 feet (480 metres) ascent and I took 5h 25m. A reasonably easy day along good tracks and minor roads – and good weather all day.

Day 14 Tuesday 26th September 2023 

Lauder to Longformacus 16.1 miles 6.4h

We parked the car just off the Market Square in Lauder and, at 9.25am, Jan and I started walking through through the grounds of Thirlestane Castle on well laid, marked and fenced paths. It was dull, dry and windy.

I stopped for a bite to eat at the bridge – it made for a very convenient seat- just an Eccles Cake and a small chocolate bar.

Kist 12

Kist 12 is another one that is right beside the track and is very difficult to miss.

Just after taking these shots the rain started so it was on with my waterproofs for the rest of the day. It was quite heavy on the tops but light showers lower down.

Today was 16.1 miles in 6h 25m with 1650 feet (500m) ascent. Another good day on the hills, I enjoyed walking in the Lammermuirs.

Day 15 Wednesday 27th September 2023 

Longformacus to Cockburnpath 18.7 miles 7.2h

Jan parked the car at the top of the hill in Longformacus, where I finished yesterday. It was dry, dull and 11°C. I started walking at 9.45am.

I stopped for a bite to eat at 12pm on a conveniently positioned bench seat beside the path under a huge tree – homemade Eccles Cake and a chocolate bar.

Kist 13

Kist 13 is another one that is right beside the track. It’s a rusty metal treasure chest set into the bank beside the track, about 8.5 miles from where I started in Longformacus.

I actually missed it on first pass as I hadn’t seen an Ultreia post until the one at the stile. I thought that was the first one so I continued up the hill a short way before coming back to check the path before the Ultreia post and found it straightaway.

I stopped for a 2nd lunch break (2nd Eccles Cake) on a seat near the Ultreia post after Kist 13.

It started raining at 2pm so I stopped to put full waterproofs on and took few photos of the last section running along close to the A1 road to the finish because my digital camera and phone aren’t waterproof.

An information board on the outskirts of Cockburnspath appeared to be the official end of the route. What a disappointing place to finish! It’s right next to the old A1 with the new A1 flyover noise and fumes not far away. 

I ignored the sign and continued in to Cockburnspath village. 

I treated the War Memorial in the centre of Cockburnspath as the end point as I believe this is where it officially ended before the information board existed. I finished at 4.55pm. 

In total it was 18.7 miles with 2875 feet (875m) ascent in 7h 10m from Longformacus to Cockburnspath.

Unfortunately, there isn’t anywhere to celebrate having just walked the 218 miles from Portpatrick, no pub, hotel or cafe or anywhere else. 

Why does such a great walk finish in a place like this? Why didn’t it finish in St Abbs, a pretty fishing village like Portpatrick, just south of Cockburnspath – easily diverted to from Abbey St Bathans. It would have avoided walking with the noise and fumes of the heavy traffic on the A1 for a few miles near the end and with places to celebrate at the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed the variety in countryside that the walk takes you through. My favourite sections were between Bargrennan through Glen Trool over the hills to Galashiels. I’m pleased I did the High Level Alternative route between Beattock and Ettrick (even though I was feeling ill that day) – the views of the hills seemed to go on forever. I also like starting in pretty Portpatrick. I was really disappointed to finish in a place like Cockburnspath.

Southern Upland Way Waymerks

Top Row in both Images, left to right:

1. Hoard Kittiwake – Broad Moor / Knockquhassen

2. Hoard Fox – Glen Whan Woods

3. Missing – near Bargrennan – not on official alternative route that I did

4. Hoard Honey Bee – near Craigenbay

5. Hoard Striding Arches – Cloud Hill

Middle Row in both images, left to right:

6. Hoard Douglas Fir – Cogshead

7. Hoard 1st Bicycle – near Comb Head, Lowther Hills

8. Hoard Deer – Ettrick Head

9. Hoard Otter – near Traquair

10. Hoard The Tweed – Minch Moor

Bottom Row in both images, left to right:

 11. Hoard King Duncan 1 – near Lauder

 12. Hoard Train – near Twin Law, Lammermuirs (shown in 13th place)

 13. Hoard Scottish Thistle – near Abbey St Bathans (shown in 12th place)

There are 13 Kist artworks with 13 different Waymerks. I found 12 as Kist 3 wasn’t on the official alternative route that I took near Bargrennan. It added an extra dimension to the trek and extra interest, especially on dull days when the views weren’t so extensive. I did waste a bit of time looking for them in places but most were right beside the trail, as in within a metre or so.

All the Waymerks are metal and some were very corroded such that the text was illegible. Some of the Kists were empty too. A quick email to DG Trails (Dumfries and Galloway Ranger Service) fixed that – they provide replacements and missing Waymerks on request. The Lammermuir Kist 12 has 2 compartments and also provided the cloth badge shown and a metal badge (now on my rucksack strap). At the end of the trek they also provided a certificate of completion. All free of charge. What an excellent service!

Totals

Total Distance: 218 miles

Total Walking Time: 97 hours

Average Distance per day: 14.5 miles

Average Walking Speed: 2.3 mph

Camera 

Mamiya 7 with 65mm lens – only used on the first day in Portpatrick and along the coast

Ilford Delta 400 @ 320 ISO for black and white photos on the 1st day

Panasonic Lumix TZ100 for colour photos along the route

Equipment 

Satmap Active 20 GPS with OS 25k maps programmed with my route

Harvey 40k map of Southern Upland Way

Kestrel 2000 pocket anemometer – for wind speeds and temperature/wind chill

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