Dumfries & Galloway
85 km / 53 miles
(click to enlarge)
The Annandale Way is a walk which gets under the skin of the landscape, offering the walker glimpses into the history and hidden secrets of this quiet and tranquil part of Scotland, parts of which have remained undisturbed for centuries. Enjoy as poet and walker Linda Cracknell wrote: "flashes of kingfisher, crumbling mansions, the blink of a hare. Oak trees twisted through centuries of growth and willows sprung quickly from the earth."
The signposted walk starts high above the source of the river Annan in the high fells, with a circumnavigation of the Devils Beef Tub, where the Border Reivers used to hide their stolen cattle. It then drops down following the river Annan along the valley bottom into the picturesque market town of Moffat.
From Moffat it heads south following the 'Crooked Road' up out of Beattock where it meets the Southern Upland Way. Continue over the high ground of Cragielandshill and down onto the Lord of Annandale's Estate where the route snakes through ancient oak forests and over farmland down the valley to Millhousebridge. Here, the route splits into an eastern and western arm that go through Lockerbie and Lochmaben respectively.
The Lockerbie Arm 10 miles, waymarked and on OS mapping, takes in the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust's Eskrigg Nature reserve with its loch and abundance of wildlife, whilst the western Lochmaben Arm forming part of the main trail takes in Castle Loch with it's picturesque ruined castle and new sculpture trail. The route then goes up past Joe Graham's monument where walkers will enjoy fantastic views of the whole of Annandale.
The two arms meet up again just north of Hoddam Bridge where they then follow the beautiful river Annan, wide at this point and teaming with wildlife as it meanders down through Annan and on to its end at Newbie Barns on the Solway Coast. Here on the coast, enjoy the wide panoramic views of the estuary as you look back into Scotland and across the water the magnificent Cumbrian Mountains.
The Annandale Way has been designed to be achievable in 4 to 5 days, with overnight stops envisaged in small market towns and villages: Moffat, Johnstonebridge / Annandale Estate, Lochmaben or Lockerbie, and Annan. There's also the option of doing a shorter 2 or 3 day circuit or day walks by using local public transport.
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