Southern Upland Way: Broad Moor

Sunday 21st May 2023

After my original plans for this day fell through and I had to hastily find a replacement, I considered resuming my walk along the Dales High Way which I had abandoned at Easter, but in the end I decided to go with a walk that I had planned to do later in the year along the Southern Upland Way. This is a coast to coast long distance trail than runs from the south west of Scotland across the hills between Glasgow and the English border all the way to the North Sea and covers an area that I had never done any walking in before. I have been coming to Scotland for a walking holiday every year for almost twenty years but I have previously always gone straight past the Southern Uplands and into the Highlands. Now, when I my train dropped me off in Glasgow, instead of catching a train north towards Fort William or Inverness, I caught one that was heading south and eventually I got off the train in Stranraer. This used to be an important ferry terminal, but now the ferries to Ireland leave from Cairnryan further up the coast which has left Stranraer as a quiet backwater. The railway station is still beside the old ferry terminal at the end of the pier, but there is nothing else there now.

After a night spent at the Aird Donald Caravan Park, I caught a bus to Portpatrick, on the west coast, where the Southern Upland Way starts. Rather than immediately setting off along the trail, I had a look around, walking around to the old lighthouse before circling around the harbour and past the modern lifeboat station. My map indicated that the Southern Upland Way starts from the northern tip of the harbour but an information board nearby revealed that the trail starts from the end of the pier. So, I made my way past the harbour buildings and onto the rocks at the end of the pier which were liberally decorated with sea pinks and bird’s foot trefoil. This was a wonderful place to explore and I was glad that the board had directed me in that direction. Nearby was a signpost that proudly directed the Southern Upland Way back down the pier, so I set off along the trail and up beside the coast. Wildflowers proliferated including gorse beside a golf club while at Port Mora I found red campion and bluebells which enlivened the scenery despite low cloud.

The exit from Port Kate was hidden behind a large rock and only became clear on closer examination involving a steep climb back out of the cove and onto the grassland of Ouchtriemakain Moor where a large lighthouse ahead of me marked the point where I would start to turn inland. I had mixed feelings about this as I was enjoying the stunning coastline but you can’t cross Scotland to the east coast by walking north up the coast. At Killantringan Lighthouse I joined a road and followed it up the hill, steadily climbing away from the coast and into potentially dreary countryside, mostly farmland, however, I just used the opportunity to relax and begin to unwind from the stresses of work as there is no better place to recover than on a good walk and I was looking forward to all that was ahead of me on the Southern Upland Way. Eventually I came off the road and found a sign that announces the presence of hidden treasures along the Southern Upland Way in sculptured kists. The word “ultreia” on a marker post just before I entered Broad Moor revealed that soon I would find one of these kists so as I made my way along the path I kept my eyes peeled for the hoard. Rather than relaxing I was looking for the kist and eventually I did find it and the specially minted coins inside.

I was happy to find my first kist and was accepting of the fact that I would probably not be able to find all thirteen along the trail. After pocketing just one coin I continued along the path through the moor where, although the heather was not at its best, the bilberry provided some welcome colour with its fresh growth. At the far end of the moor, beside Knockquhassen Reservoir, I joined another road and followed it for a prolonged spell, over a low hill and around Stranraer with views towards Loch Ryan beyond. Despite the tedium of the road surface, my walk was enlivened by many wildflowers that decorated the verge including bluebells, stitchwort and red campion. The road walking eventually brought me to a wood that was beautifully decorated with wild garlic and swathes of bluebells. While taking in the gorgeous displays I started to have a sneaking suspicion that I had strayed off the Southern Upland Way and this was confirmed when the outskirts of Stranraer came into view so I hastily I retraced my steps past the bluebells that I shouldn’t have seen and found the junction that I had missed where I now turned to follow the much narrower path through more woodland and past more bluebells until eventually I reached the village of Castle Kennedy.

This marks the end of the first stage of the Southern Upland Way, but I couldn’t leave without a brief wander through Castle Kennedy Gardens, although I didn’t go far and after gazing across the waters of White Loch I took a path through Douglas Wood and Macgill Wood until I could go no further and I emerged onto the main road. This was a good introduction to the Southern Upland Way that eased me gently into the trail, a relaxing first stage with a lot of road walking and no hills. The highlights were the fabulous coastline and the many wild flowers, especially bluebells, so it was a pity I didn’t have better weather. The sun finally began to break through the cloud towards the end of the walk so I able to spend a pleasant evening in Stranraer after an easy day before the really strenuous walking would begin the next day.