Nowhere was my past lack of observational skills more pronounced on this stay in the Moffat area than when it came to the local walks. This area of Dumfries and Galloway is somewhat renowned for its fantastic walks and the woodland and hilly scenery…Read More

Nowhere was my past lack of observational skills more pronounced on this stay in the Moffat area than when it came to the local walks. This area of Dumfries and Galloway is somewhat renowned for its fantastic walks and the woodland and hilly scenery surrounding the town of Moffat - including part of the Southern Upland Way - one of the most challenging and longest footpaths in Scotland. (Which, if you've done any walking in Scotland you know this is quite a statement.)

On the drive into Moffat from Edinburgh you can not help but see the grandeur of the surrounding hills before the town comes into view, and the Devils Beef Tub where stolen cattle where once hidden is a dramatic and stunning view which just begs you to leave your car and walk it for yourself. And yet - though I love little more than a first walk on new soil to get a feel for a place I've not been to before, I'd done almost no walking in any visit I had ever made to Moffat.

I could easily blame this unfortunate turn of events to the call of family obligations - (a visit to in-laws being my most frequent reason for being in town) or more likely to the appalling weather I seemed to always find awaiting my arrival in town (I will honestly proclaim that in the first three years of my time in Scotland - not in one visit to Moffat did I see anything less than a downpour, regardless of time of year). But even so - you only live in Scotland so long before you stop waiting for the sunshine to come out to do out of door things. So how I managed so many years without ever venturing beyond the town centre by foot will remain a mystery.

However - like the rest of my visit this year, I was determined to see what Moffat had to offer the hiker - and perhaps even spurred on by the purchase of new hiking boots which needed to be broken in, I set off on the paths leading into the hills to find what everyone had been talking about for years.

Despite not having walked them myself - anyone can see that the hill country surrounding Moffat is prime walking ground - and I do highly recommend that you give it a try yourself, even if only briefly. But what surprised me was the amount of beautiful woodland paths which also was a part of the available walking paths - and very nearby as well. There are a number of great paths - and perhaps the best way to find one is just to set off along the side streets of Moffat and follow the footpath signs when they appear. There are some very easy paths alongside the river where you will meet lots of locals out walking their dogs. You can follow this as long as you like - eventually it will lead you back around the far end of town past a lot of hay fields and if you happen to have your dog with you this is an idea spot to let him stretch his legs.

Also if you would like a bit of a climb but nothing too strenuous - follow the paths behind the golf course up into the hills behind Moffat for some really beautiful pine forests and views over surrounding farms, fields and hills. True - most of these footpaths are nice enough and certainly easy enough for anyone to make them regardless of the weather. But if you find yourself with a day to spend in Moffat with sunshine to boot - then the best way to enjoy the area is to see it on foot.


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In all the years since I've been in Scotland - I've been to Moffat now many times. Though - as I mention in a few of the reviews here, rarely have I been to Moffat as a tourist. As my husband's home town…Read More

In all the years since I've been in Scotland - I've been to Moffat now many times. Though - as I mention in a few of the reviews here, rarely have I been to Moffat as a tourist. As my husband's home town - I visited Moffat for a week on my very first stay in the country, and yet even on that visit it was more about time with the family than it really was about seeing Scotland.

In so very many of my trips to Moffat (often like other tourists it was a good place to stop in on the way somewhere else being so conveniently located between the English border and Glasgow - half way between Glasgow and Edinburgh - right in the centre of the Scottish borders - and for me a free place to stay and the added bonus of getting to see family while passing through) Moffat was more of a detour on the trip than the trip itself, and so in all of the times I have been there I have rarely tried to see it through the eyes of someone who's just visiting.

It's an odd thing for someone who always has their eyes open for what a place can offer and what images can be captured to so miss the essence of a place. And it dawned on me suddenly in the last year where I made more trips to Moffat to see family than I have done in the past three years combined that for so many people Moffat IS the trip. And though its location has very obvious benefits for those just passing through - it is also a great and enjoyable destination for many. A friend of mine from Edinburgh recently passed through for the first time and made a point of telling us about his little visit to Moffat and what he did that we had recommended while he was there. And it was this story that made me realize I must return to this little town in the heart of the Scottish borders and see it with new eyes - and write the review accordingly.

Though family visits have their upsides - they are just as often filled with the weight of the world and other considerations, and somehow in it all Moffat the town, and even the borders themselves became part of something else. Something to be done - rather than something to be seen.

It hasn't been helped - mind you - that on most of my visits I arrived via the McEwans bus from Edinburgh that (whilst cheap) is extremely uncomfortable and I have rarely arrived in town with out chronic car sickness. Add to that the negligible amount of sunshine I have ever seen in the place and up until this summer Moffat had left little charm for me as a place to come in and of itself.

However - I decided this was not a fair assumption to make - and given my frequent visits it was time to give it its due appraisal. I came this time with open eyes and camera ready - and found a very different village awaited me. There were sights to see - things to do. A very good restaurant and some nice little cafes, bakeries and shops. Some beautiful woodland walks, quiet village streets - and a rather stunning park that I had somehow never noticed.

And best of all - I was greeted this time with sunshine - and I can tell you, that Moffat sings in the sunshine.
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