Southern Upland Way: Beattock to St Marys Loch

Contents : SOUTHERN UPLAND WAY


		Introduction		Day 5
		Day 1		Day 6
		Day 2		Day 7
		Day 3		Day 8
		Day 4		Day 9

THE SOUTHERN UPLAND WAY CROSSES SCOTLAND WEST TO EAST COAST

NATIONAL TRAILS GUIDES UK - DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS & GALLERIES

Day 6 :: On My Own :: Beattock to St Mary's Loch :: 21 miles

I was on my own today, Ron having taken me up on my offer to let him rest his knee. It was, in any event, too painful for him to walk on it today. It was uncertain how many days I would have to be on my own, but we only had 4 days left, so I hoped his knee would heal quickly. I don't relish the thought of being in a mountainous wilderness by myself as anything could happen. Ron would still drive me to my starting point each day and collect me at the end.

I started on the A74 outside of Beattock where the road meets the river and the Southern Upland Way. I walked up the lane to Barnhill Bridge and left the road by a ladder stile to climb and descend a hill that was meant to be a shortcut. It would have been so far as distance was concerned but the additional effort was not worth it. I rejoined the road, turning left to follow it and the tinkling river alongside, to Drumcrieff Bridge.

I turned right on the main road but almost immediately left if for a minor road along some deciduous woods on the left. I left the road near the end of the woods, by a ladder stile, to take the path between the trees. Once out of the woods I crossed to another minor road with a beautiful stone arch bridge. I crossed the road to take a graveled road with grassy banks on each side and a view of the mountains ahead of me. The river ran parallel and was lined with deciduous trees.



Southern Upland Way to Belshaw Pool		Bridge at Belshaw Pool

I continued across a cattle grid and to a bend where the map indicated the remains of Cornal's Tower, but I did not see it (I was pushing the pace and didn't make a very close examination, however). The path swung round to the right, climbed steadily uphill and passed a stand of conifers on the right, a shelter belt. There was a circular hay feed within the shelter belt., but I was not hungry! I crossed a cattle grid and the path turned right, to start a steep U bend. At the head of the U were 4 large horses who came over to me , presumably for food, but all I could give them was a 'hello'.

As I completed the U I saw the tips of the forestry trees ahead and caught a glimpse of the distant mountains. I would be passing through this forest and the mountains today. I was still climbing and continued to do so for a long time. Trees now appeared to my right. There were a regular supply of small burns crossing beneath the forest path. Looking ahead I could see the hugh swathe of forestry trees beckoning to me.

I was concerned because on the mountains ahead there was a lot of mist and it looked to be coming lower. When I started today it was quite sunny, and although I was hot from walking I could sense a real drop in temperature.

I passed through an open gate (not having to use the stile) and entered the forest proper. The road was of loose stone and I walked on its mossy edges to save my feet from blisters.

A butterfly flitted by of a type I had never before seen. I spent some time following it until it settled in the grass verge and then I took a photograph of it. From time to time small rocky crags appeared on the right bank and the hillside fell away on my left. The path was fairly open so I enjoyed good views most of the time. On my left an area of clear-felled forest appeared. Shortly after the road divided with a branch going off to the right. A way marker indicated to keep left.



Butterfly on grass verge		Loop in Cornall Burn

The hillside fell away on my left and a view opened up to show the Cornal Burn meandering in very large loops below me. On of the loops was directly beneath me on my forestry track. As I continued to my next GPS way mark (Alan's Cleuch) the hillside ahead of me was clear-felled for a long distance, whilst attractive borders of conifers splayed to my right. The road stretched on to the horizon.

I was surprised to see stone lions standing in the road ahead of me, but as they came properly into view I realised they were sitting atop small stone pillars and marked the gateway to a farm (Craigbeck Hope), which consisted of many white buildings.

Looking back I could see misty mountains in the distance, and recognised the masts of Lowther Hill. An attractive firebreak appeared on my right, the beautiful uniformity of the dark green conifers contrasting with the light green grassy swathe.

I then approached another forestry junction coming steeply from the left. My route was straight across. A clearing on the right allowed a view to distant conifers and the mountains beyond. A large Cleuch came steeply down from my left and passed beneath me, continuing on my right. This was Alan's Cleuch. I was now nearly half way through the forest. My next way marked objective was a ford which I knew lay ahead of me on a large loop of the forest road.

The trees lining my road began to open out as I neared the ford. A mossy pool appeared to my right, reflecting the forest and looking very green. The mist started to descend more.



Stone lions at Craigbeck Hope		Mossy pool near to ford

The track bent steeply to my right and descended towards the ford and then curved left (it was still further away than I had thought). I reached the ford, but it was not really a ford. Here the Southern Upland Way leaves the forestry track and takes a narrower track to the right, which climbs Birch Hill.

The Track was heaped with large loose stones and was poor to walk upon. The trees were closer together than before but I now had the pleasure of a burn running alongside me. As I proceeded up the path a wind started to blow heavily against me and I assumed the worse. As I reached a bend the wind grew worse but there was a magnificent view of the mountains ahead and to my side. To my left was Crookedside Sclenders and ahead was Craigmichen Scar.



The ford that had no water		Path leading out of forest

I started to worry about navigation now because I knew I would be leaving the woods and crossing though a more hostile region of mountains in possibly bad weather. I was alone and I had lost my GPS signal, but fortunately this returned after a short while.

Looking back there was a splendid view down the glen and across the dark green mountains. The track ahead softened as grass took the place of the hard stone track. The brook continued to accompany me and the icy blasts of wind abated. The trees began to open out and the end of the woods drew near.

As I left the trees a large peaked mountain filled the horizon. Its splendour moved me for awhile. I had not expected such a view. Then I crossed a stile to leave the forestry land and to take an earthy path on the left of a wire fence. The path was not very discernible but was sufficient.



Looking back along my track with Croft Head in background		Looking back again

As I progressed along the path the landscape opened out even more and was beautiful. There was a steep bank of purple heather on my left and green all around elsewhere. Alongside my path was a small, shallow stream, only partly visible as it meandered between grassy tufts that overhung it edges.

The view back was of a steeply sweeping, curving mountainside of conifers merging with a foreground of different coloured conifers and a valley wending between.

I approached a sheepfold, which had been my next GPS way marker. I curved around the mountainside of Loch Fell to see Craigmichen Scar and a sheer valley falling between myself and it. My path led around the valley side, curving east, and still climbing. To my left I could see down the glen and the steep mountain slopes bottomed with scree.



Leaving the forest - Craigmichen Scar ahead		Traversing Loch Fell



Looking left down Selcloth Glen		Cape Fell

My path went very close to the side of the mountain and there was an almost sheer drop hundred of feet down to the foot of the glen. My next GPS way mark was Ettrick Head. I would be following Ettrick Water which started at Ettrick Head, its source. As my distance to it closed my path came closer to the valley floor. On my left was another glen with a waterfall plummeting steeply into the valley below.

My path descended to the shallow burn. It was free of sheep and running quite quickly. I decided to drink. It tasted odd. I thought no more of it and left. After only 20 yards the stream had a deep orange colour, a chemical spill from a drum further upstream. I suddenly felt sick but this may simply have been psychological. However, the sickness stayed with me for more than an hour.

I crossed the burn at a wooden footbridge and left it as it wandered away to my right. I now climbed steeply up a small hill, at the top of which I saw ahead of me the order fence and stile separating Galloway from The Borders. Sitting astride the stile I marveled at the peat bogs stretching across for about 100 yards. This was the watershed separating water flowing back the way I had come and water flowing ahead (Ettrick Water), as well as the county boundary.



Ettrick Head		Start of Ettrick Water close to Ettrick Head

Descending, a crossed another stile to another forest and took the grassy track through the trees alongside Ettrick Water, which had almost appeared from nowhere. After a short while I met a wide forestry track and turned right on it. I had a clear view over and beyond the trees to a distant mountain with a monument on top of it.

My path descended on a stony forest track with burns passing either side of me. I passed over a stile and followed Ettrick Water and could see it flowing downhill far into the distance in a wide valley clear of trees. I saw many double sheep pens on my left.

As I rounded a bend I glimpsed a house in the distance, the first I had seen for hours. This was a bothy. On my way down I passed an ordinary rainwater pool on the track. It was alive with tadpoles. The pool must have been there for some time.

Eventually I arrived at the bothy, which stood alongside the track and to the side of Ettrick Water. It had a large SUW plaque on its front elevation. I passed by, crossed a stile and a wooden footbridge and turned right, looking along the Ettrick and the wide glen ahead.

An panoramic view of the glen lay ahead of me and I could see down it for many miles. I passed through a gate and headed for Over Phawhope Farm which now appeared. As I passed the farm I could hear a dog yapping incessantly as it sensed me, but I did not see it. I liked the farm, it was a little run down but the setting was perfect.



Ettrick Water descending towards the bothy		The bothy

After another gate the track changed to a road. I passed a new house, recently constructed. The road passed over an attractive burn . After a long road walk I approached Nether Phawhope which was set in a stand of pine trees. Ettrick Water was moving fast and had widened and was joined by the Phawhope Burn. The house stood where the river narrowed and cut deeply into the rocks.

I next came to Shorthope where the Ettrick curved to the right and ducks were squawking alongside the bungalows of the farm. Clumps of yellow gorse huddled the banks here.



Over Phawhope		Ettrick Water at Shorthope

Scabclach Hill and Crag Hill appeared before me. I would have to leave the road shortly and walk between them. Opposite Scabcleuch Fell I left the road where a Southern Upland Way sign pointed to the left. The path climbed up a field to a stone wall which I crossed via stone steps. The path continued on the side of the hill on a grassy track with a steep valley on my right. I passed a steep cut in the mountain on my left down which water plummeted.

The path wound its way between Scabcleuch Moss and Rig Head and there was a good view all the way to the end of the ridge of Pikestone Rig. I passed another rain water pool full of tadpoles. I then passed a circular sheepfold and wooden footbridge at the ford, another of my GPS way marks.

As I ascended to the lower slopes of Peniestone Knowe the scenery changed. Whithorpe Burn ran beneath steep sided cliffs. I followed the contours of Peniestone. At a stile there was a choice of left, right or ahead. There were no markers but my GPS indicated ahead. I went ahead and shortly saw a marker.

The path wound up the side of Peniestone Rig and I walked its ridge to the far end. A path veered off here to the left and I nearly took it accidentally. Just discernible on my left was the Loch of the Lowes.



Sheepfold		Peniestone Ridge

At the end of the ridge the path descended on a gravel track, bending to the right. On my left I had a glimpse of St Mary's Loch, my destination for today. Below and to my right I could see a stand of trees where I knew the ruins of a farmhouse lay. This was way marked on my GPS.

On the hills above the ruins forestry plantations crept downwards. I descended past the ruins, turning left and then right over a wooden footbridge and then climbed steeply uphill. At the top of the hill I crossed a stile into forestry land but kept to the right of the trees. I passed a wooden duckboard and took a bend with conifers, which were now on my right. The track became stony and there was a large a section of red stones, which looked out of character for the area.

The loch was more visible now. I hurriedly descended to the head of the loch, to Tibbie Shiels Inn, where I was staying the night. Ron was here waiting for me.



St Mary's Loch		Tibbie Shiels Inn


Day 5	Day 7

Author - Roy McKee

National Trail Guides UK