Lying just an hour or so from the urban centres of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carlisle, the Moffat Hills comprise one of the most striking landscapes in the Southern Uplands.
Although popular with walkers and cyclists, the lonely moorland, moody valleys, frothing waterfalls and enticing summits are relatively undisturbed compared to the Cumbrian peaks a little further south.
Wildlife and birdlife abound. In spring, red squirrels and emperor moths can be spotted, while ospreys, white-bibbed ring ouzels and wheatears returning from their sub-Saharan winter residency are among the area’s many bird species. Golden eagles have recently been reintroduced here, too.
River to tub
North of the town of Moffat, the River Annan rises on Tweedsmuir and flows through the cavernous Devil’s Beef Tub, a vast hollow in the hills once used by reivers (raiders) to hide stolen cattle. Here at Corehead, low intensity farming is integrated with woodland restoration, one of several local projects in which almost one million trees have been planted in the past 25 years. The fresh tones of mixed woodland are complemented by the woody hues of low-growing prostrate juniper and the silvery catkins of downy willow.
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A walk of around six miles takes in the Beef Tub and Corehead. Those in search of a little more adventure can challenge themselves to the 56-mile Annandale Way, which runs south all the way to the Solway Firth.
Flowers by the falls
The Grey Mare’s Tail Nature Reserve, rigged with a live camera feed of a nesting peregrine, lies 10 miles east of Moffat within the Moffat Hills Special Area of Conservation. Following the path up the side of the waterfall – the UK’s fifth highest – the verges are dotted with bright yellow globeflowers, delicate starry saxifrage and the purple-green lesser twayblade orchids. The bleating of lambs punctuates the silence and feral goats roam the slopes.
Statistically, May is the area’s sunniest month, with June a close second. The former spa town of Moffat is a popular hub for a springtime break – it’s also the country’s first ‘Golden Eagle Town’. Come for its Golden Eagle Festival (13–20 September) or Walking Festival (2–4 October), finding lodgings at Summerlea House B&B. moffatbedandbreakfast.co.uk
