Walking

From hill to woodland from coast to river valley, South West Scotland has it all when it comes to walking. Its most famous footpath is undoubtedly the challenging Southern Upland Way, which starts at Portpatrick and crosses the whole region, eventually ending at the North Sea. The most significant hill walking centres are Newton Stewart in the west of the region and Langholm in the east. From Newton Stewart the walking enthusiast has access to the highest peaks in Southern Scotland but also a beautiful riverside walk that offers poetry way markers along it route.From hill to woodland from coast to river valley, South West Scotland has it all when it comes to walking. Its most famous footpath is undoubtedly the challenging Southern Upland Way, which starts at Portpatrick and crosses the whole region, eventually ending at the North Sea. The most significant hill walking centres are Newton Stewart in the west of the region and Langholm in the east. From Newton Stewart the walking enthusiast has access to the highest peaks in Southern Scotland but also a beautiful riverside walk that offers poetry way markers along it route.

The coast can be very dramatic with numerous, fine cliff-top walks along its whole length. Nesting birds, vast views and fascinating waypoints are on offer. Check out the Mull of Galloway Trail to Scotland`s most southerly point – The Mull of Galloway. Riverside walks, which were the favourite of Robert Burns, are also plentiful and take you through woods and farmland and villages.

Deciduous and coniferous woodlands offer great walking with specially way-marked tracks that lead you safely through the thick of it whether outside towns such as Dalbeattie and Kirkcudbright or in the depths of the Galloway Forest Park. Why not take an evening stroll, sit and watch the sunlight dissolve into thousands of stars, enjoying Galloway’s special “dark sky” status.

Cycling

As you would expect from the region that invented the bicycle, South West Scotland; Galloway offers great cycling, whether on the back roads that dip and weave through farms, farmland, by water, over old bridges, through villages and into ancient woodlands or along the National Cycle Route 7 which runs from Carlisle to Inverness via 114 miles of our region’s roads. National Cycle Route 74 runs for 44 miles and links to the Southern Uplands Way.

The Glenkiln Loop runs from Dumfries and circles the Glenkiln reservoir, so you can take in some of outdoor sculpture by Henry Moore, Jacob Epstein and Auguste Rodin as you pedal. Of course, there has to be a cycle route commemorating Kirkpatrick Macmillan, and you can follow in the wheels of the father of all cyclists. The KM trail runs between Dumfries and Drumlanrig Castle and Country Park which houses the Museum of Cycling.