Tibbie Shiels Inn (Stage 9) may allow camping on their land, and ‘no facilities’ camping is normally available in Dalry (Stage 5). Note that Caldons Campsite, Loch Trool (Stage 4) is now permanently closed. Details of other places where there are campsites with facilities, or where it is permitted to camp, are usually given in the SUW website.
Polskeoch Bothy (Stage 6) (photo: Alan Castle)
Fully equipped backpackers are free to wild-camp, provided they do so responsibly and well away from any habitation. The only real requirement is that you stay for one night only (unless the situation is an emergency) and that you leave no evidence whatsoever of your passing. Even if a tent is carried it is a good idea to make full use of the bothies provided along the SUW (see Appendix B).
Some details of where to expect supermarkets and other grocer shops, as well as cafés, restaurants and pubs are given in the relevant sections of the Trail Guide, but remember that establishments do close and new ones open over time. For more up-to-date information see the official SUW website (see above) or contact the local Tourist Information Offices (see Appendix D).
Getting to and from the SUW
Journey to Portpatrick
Those arriving by air should seek out any service to Glasgow Prestwick, which has trains to Stranraer (about 2 hours). Otherwise Glasgow International is almost as convenient.
Within the UK, train and long-distance coach services operate several times a day to Stranraer to link with the ferry to Belfast. An alternative is to take a train or long-distance coach to Dumfries, the county town of Dumfries & Galloway, and from there travel westwards by the local bus services, which are generally good. Catch bus number 500 from the bus shelter on the Whitesands, alongside the River Nith in the centre of Dumfries. The journey time to Stranraer is about 2hr 30min. Opposite the point where this bus stops in Stranraer at Port Rodie (Harbour Street), you will find the bus shelter for the bus to Portpatrick (a 20-minute journey). If you make this bus journey from Dumfries to Portpatrick in a single day, be sure to purchase a Dumfries & Galloway ‘Discovery’ ticket from the bus driver in Dumfries. This ticket is cheaper than the two separate fares.
There is plenty of accommodation in Dumfries (contact the Dumfries Tourist Information Centre, which is situated on the Whitesands – open all year). One possibility is to travel from your home to Dumfries, spend a night there (take time to visit the Robert Burns Centre, his house and his mausoleum) in a hotel or B&B, and take a bus the next morning to Stranraer. At the time of writing, the number 500 bus leaves Whitesands in Dumfries at 9.20am (Monday to Saturday), before arriving in Stranraer at 11.36am, with a connection to Portpatrick at 12.40pm, arriving at 1pm. This is most convenient for those wishing to start the SUW immediately on arrival at Portpatrick (or after lunch) as the first section to Castle Kennedy is only a half-day walk. However, to leave without spending some time in the delightful little coastal town of Portpatrick would be sacrilege.
Access to Portpatrick by private transport is via the A75, which leaves the A74/M74 north of Carlisle. From Stranraer take the A77 or a minor road across the Rhins to Portpatrick.
Kilhern Moss (Stage 2)
Journey from Cockburnspath
Buses from Cockburnspath run north to Dunbar and Edinburgh (airport) and south to Berwick-on-Tweed (mainline trains, including to Newcastle for its airport). Those with private transport have the nearby A1 to take them to destinations both south and north. There is currently no accommodation at Cockburnspath: you should allow time at the day’s end for the short bus journey to Dunbar.
Transport links along the SUW
Those planning to do the SUW in one- or two-day stages will find the good – or at worst usable – public transport links they need.
Stranraer (Stage 1) has bus links to Dumfries, and trains to Glasgow. There is even a ferry to Belfast from Cairnryan, a few miles to the north.
Castle Kennedy (end stage 1) is on the Dumfries–Stranraer bus route.
Glenluce (end stage 2) has a bus to Stranraer three days a week.
Bargrennan (end stage 3) has several buses a day to Barrhill (rail station) and Newton Stewart (Dumfries–Stranraer bus route).
St John’s Town of Dalry (stage 5) has a good bus service to Castle Douglas, on the Dumfries–Stranraer bus route.
Sanquhar (end stage 6) has a rail station (Glasgow to Carlisle).
Wanlockhead (stage 7) has a bus service to Sanquhar, and also to Lanark.
Dalveen Pass A701 (end stage 7) is on the 102 Dumfries–Edinburgh bus route (but not the 101, which goes via Moffat).
Moffat/Beattock (end stage 8) has direct buses to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lockerbie (rail station) and Dumfries.
Ettrick (3km east of Scabcleuch, end stage 9) has a school bus to Selkirk.
Innerleithen (1.5km from Traquair, end stage 10) has a good bus service to Edinburgh.
Tweedbank (stage 11) has direct trains to Edinburgh.
Melrose/Galashiels (end stage 11) have bus links to Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Lauder (end stage 12) has buses to Edinburgh and Melrose/Galashiels.
Planning and preparation
Southern Upland Way track through the Galloway Hills (Stage 4)
If you have never undertaken a long-distance trail as a continuous walking holiday before, then a few hints at the planning stage may come in useful.
Book any accommodation that is required well in advance.
Research all your travel arrangements, with timetables and fares for getting to the start of the Trail and getting home after you have finished it. Book if necessary.
If using a commercial organisation to transport your luggage from accommodation addresses along the Trail (see Appendix D), book this well before you leave home.
If using a commercial organisation for vehicle support (as above), book this service well in advance.
Purchase all the equipment required well before you intend to set out. This is particularly important for boots, which must be well ‘broken in’ before using them on the SUW. If backpacking, make sure that you try out your equipment before your first night on the Trail to spot any possible flaws or problems associated with its use.
If you have not undertaken much walking throughout the previous year then it is essential that you take several long walks in the couple of months or so before your big walk. Moreover, make sure that, on at least some of these walks, you carry the sort of weights in your rucksack or backpack that you will be carrying on the SUW.
Pack your rucksack/backpack several days before you leave home to ensure that all your equipment fits well in the sack. Go through a
