found in all the small towns throughout this book. ‘Country house hotels’, aimed at fishing and shooting enthusiasts, are particularly comfortable (and expensive!) and are used to muddy boots and dogs. B&Bs on existing long-distance paths (Southern Upland Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, Border Abbeys Way) are also walker-friendly and are listed on the paths’ websites and accommodation leaflets.
Hostels and bothies
The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (www.syha.org.uk) still runs a handful of hostels in the Borders; most are closed in winter. There are also a few independent hostels (www.hostel-scotland.co.uk). The area has many bothies – simple unlocked shelters with no facilities. They are occasionally unavailable during work parties or closed by vandalism; consult www.mountainbothies.org.uk.
Details of hostels and bothies in each area covered by the guide are given in Appendix B.
Tourist information and other facilities
For general information see www.visitscotland.com and www.discovertheborders.co.uk. Year-round information centres are located in Dumfries (01387 253862), Peebles (01721 723159) and at Princes Street, Edinburgh (0845 225 5121). Details of local tourist information contact points for each area covered by this guide are given in Appendix B.
The small towns of the area have been largely self-sufficient since the reiving times – they are well served with pubs, cafés, shops and petrol stations. A few parts of the area, such as the Galloway Hills, have no nearby town; for them, notes on local facilities are given in Appendix B.
Maps
The mapping in this guide is based on the Ordnance Survey’s Landranger series at 1:50,000. However, anyone walking in the hills needs to be able to see a larger area of land than the small extracts on these pages, so as to be aware of escape routes and neighbouring glens (in case you come down the wrong side of the hill). It is recommended that walkers take with them a paper map sheet (or electronic equivalent).
The 1:50,000 Landranger mapping covers the area of this guide on sheets 66 (Edinburgh), 67 (Duns), 72* (Upper Clyde), 73* (Peebles), 74* (Kelso), 76 (Girvan), 77* (Dalmellington), 78* (Nithsdale), 79* (Hawick), 80* (Cheviot Hills), 83 (Newton Stewart) and 84 (Dumfries), with the starred sheet numbers being more important.
The area is also covered on the OS Explorer maps at 1:25,000 scale. Their main advantage is in showing fences and walls, along with much extra detail in the valleys. Against this, they are bulkier than the Landranger maps and considerably less clear to read. Refer to the box at the start of individual walks for the relevant sheet numbers.
While either scale of Ordnance Survey mapping is good, the mapping by Harveys is even better on the ground that they cover. Their maps are specifically designed for walkers and are beautifully clear and legible, mark paths where they actually exist on the ground, and do not disintegrate when damp. Their 1:25,000 Superwalker ‘Galloway Hills’ covers the main range, but not Cairnsmore of Fleet; the 1:40,000 Superwalker ‘Cheviot Hills’ covers the book’s three final routes. Harveys have also mapped the Pentlands and Edinburgh. If a Harveys map is available, details are given in the box at the start of the walk.
Compass and GPS
Grouse-shooters’ tracks, such as this one below Garroch Fell (Walk 12), often give easy going between the hills
A compass is a very useful aid in mist, even if your skills only extend to ‘northwest, southeast’ rather than precision bearings. Magnetic deviation is about 4° west. This can often be ignored; otherwise, to convert a map bearing to a compass one, add 4. GPS receivers should be set to the British National Grid (known variously as British Grid, Ord Srvy GB, BNG, or OSGB GRB36).
Safety in the mountains
The Ettrick hills – Capel Fell seen from Croft Head (Walk 19)
Safety and navigation in the mountains are best learnt from companions, experience and perhaps a paid instructor; such instruction is outside the scope of this book. For those experienced in Snowdonia or the Lake District, these hills are easier going, but can be a lot more remote.
The international mountain distress signal is some sign (shout, whistle, torch flash or other) repeated six times over a minute, followed by a minute’s silence. The reply is a sign repeated three times over a minute, followed by a minute’s silence. To signal for help from a helicopter, raise both arms above the head and then drop them down sideways, repeatedly. If you’re not in trouble, don’t shout or whistle on the hills, and don’t wave to passing helicopters.
To call out the rescue services, phone 999 from a landline. From a mobile, phone either 999 or the international emergency number 112 – these will connect you via any available network. Reception is poor along the hilltops; at the hill edges, it’s a matter of luck whether the stretch of glen you’re looking down at has a phone mast. Sometimes a text message can get through when a voice call to the rescue service can’t – pre-register your phone at www.emergencysms.org.uk.
Avalanches
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service’s website (www.sais.gov.uk) doesn’t cover these less-frequented hills, but it and the fell-top report for the Lake District (www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk) can give general indications of conditions. Snow build-up is usually less than in the Highlands, and slopes are not as steep. Even so, avalanches do happen. Greatest avalanche danger arises during heavy snowfall and for a couple of days afterwards on moderately steep slopes facing away from the wind. So after snowfall from the southwest, east- and north-facing slopes may be at risk.
Using this guide
Walks in the guide are grouped into six local areas. A box at the start of each walk summarises key information, including start/finish points, distance, ascent (and maximum altitude), maps and an estimated time for the walk. The box also gives details of the terrain, parking/facilities and any route variants. A summary of the walks appears in Appendix A to help you select the correct one for you and your party.
In the route description, a distinction is made between vertical and horizontal distance – ‘600m’, for instance, indicates an altitude or height gain, and ‘600 metres’ indicates distance along the ground. ‘Track’ (rather than ‘path’) refers to a way wide enough for a tractor or Landrover. Points of interest along the route are highlighted, and key navigational features that appear on the accompanying map are shown in bold.
Appendix B gives local information arranged by area, including tourist information, useful guidebooks and available facilities, including accommodation. Finally, a glossary of Scots terms in Appendix C should help you unravel some of the area’s mysterious and poetic place names.
1 GALLOWAY
INTRODUCTION
Loch
