The Southern Upland Way: Scotland's Coast to Coast

Brattleburn Bothy to Beattock, and our rest day in Moffat

Monday 9th April
Brattleburn bothy to Beattock, and rest day.


The way continues through the coniferous forest for a few miles with not much to see.	The fire break opens out into a clearing which is grazed by sheep.

We pack up and leave before our fellow bothy stayer at Brattleburn Bothy, happy in the knowledge that today is our rest day and we only have to walk 5 miles to Beattock! The bothy provided a cosy and comfortable night, and has three rooms for sleeping. The main living room with the fireplace where the Actoman slept, a second room on the ground floor with a broad sleeping platform which fits two comfortably. There is also an unfirnished attack which could sleep many people. We follow the short signposted narrow path the short distance back to the Way.

The way continues through the forest by the broad fire break, which winds up and down while cutting a straight path through the forest like a roman road. We exit onto some grazing land. We cross a bridge with a plaque next to it which declares it to be Foy's Bridge, built in memory of someone in Sept 1982.


Foy's bridge	We glimpse another pond through the trees

We continue across the footbridge, navigate through the marshy clearing and into the forest on the opposite side. Along this section of forest are several pools of water, manmade ponds built to add interest to the walk and bring in some wildlife. In the background we can here logging vehicles operating, though we don't observe any evidence of tree felling going on beside the Way.

We discuss what we are going to do with our free afternoon. The plan is that friends are going to pick us up at Beattock and take us to their home in Moffat for the day, before returning us to Beattock campsite for the night. Jo looks forward to a shower claiming to feel manky, while Alan still feels relatively clean after his shower in Wanlockhead! Some coloured waymarkes alert us to the fact that we are in some nature reserve with guided coloured routes. On emerging from the forest we find ourselves at Earshaig pond, which is a much bigger pond than the others, and a lot more beautiful. The surface is not covered in scum and the pond is surrounded by a mass of yellow dafodils. An island sits in the middle of the pond with a couple of trees growing on it. There is also picnic benches and a SUW information board to add more interesting facts about the area. Apparently Upper Annandale is considered of great strategic importance as whoever commands this place has access to and from the North. Jo gets extremely annoyed at Alan who procedes to take several photographs of the pond from different places, looking like he's trying to hide among the daffodils. After the 5th or 6th shot, Jo expresses her worry that the early start is for nothing and that they will soon be overtaken by the not so early starting Actoman which would be highly embarassing. Not only that but time for a relaxing afternoon is getting shorter! We join the road that will take us into Beattock and are dismayed to find that its 2 1/2 miles of road to go!


Earshaig Lake is surrounded by daffodils in spring.	Only 2 1/2 miles to go - wish we were on horseback!


The hills surrounding Annandale.	Looking down onto moffat and beattock

The road into Beattock winds its way through the coutryside, and is in fact named the Crooked Road. We are relieved to find that although there is some traffic, there isn't that much. The road signs are interesting as they direct the SUW, No 10 National Cycle route and South of Scotland Countryside paths. Clearly this road is meant for many means of travel including walking, cycling and horseriding. The view opens out to Beattock as we come over a hill, and Moffat also sits in the valley. We can also see the Motorway.

Alan spots something spinning. A sign which says public water supply sits beside a long stick with a mini wind turbine on it, and a solar panel. We wonder what this is for. Just outside of Beattock, a sign warns of an increase in the number of Grey Squirrel sightings in Dumfries and Galloway. It tells of us how grey squirrels carry a disease known as Squirrel pox, which they do not suffer from, but which can be deadly if passed onto a Red Squirrel. The sign advises against feeding squirrels as it can bring the two species together and encourage the spread of the disease.

We pass over the Glasgow - London railway line and head into Beattock.


The Telford Bridge.	A house

A sign on a bridge attests that it was built on a plan by Thomas Telford, and a nearby restaurant goes by the same name. We get picked up at the Thomas Telford bridge and spend the rest of our day in Moffat, where we get cleaned up, fed at a Buccleuch Arms which uses local produce and is very good.

< Previous Next >

The Southern Upland Way: Scotland's Coast to Coast

Brattleburn Bothy to Beattock, and our rest day in Moffat

Monday 9th April Brattleburn bothy to Beattock, and rest day.

Monday 9th April
Brattleburn bothy to Beattock, and rest day.