Biking the Southern Upland Way – slowest ever?

With the SUW passing nearby we often find ourselves riding short sections on our rides (Galloways and Lowthers) so we thought it might be a jolly idea to ride the whole 215 mile length.

We (me and girlfriend Jill) are very much NOT bikebackers these days so will be riding stages as day trips or weekends as time allows and to keep logistics easy it will be out and back from the van (I guess that means we are actually riding both ways!). Might take us 1-2 years or more but there’s no rush – just a great way to see our local wild spaces.

Started Saturday with a corker of ride between Portpatrick and the Caves of Kilhern (then back).

Looks stunning!

my mate used to live in that lighthouse and i lived in new luce so cycled up to the caves many times. ace.

So we’re not necessarily doing the ‘stages’ in order… with todays section taking us between Glentrool and Dalry (St Johns Town of Dalry to use it’s Sunday name) then back. Big amount of gravel using a chunk of the 7 Stanes Big Country loop then a nice wild singletrack section from Clatteringshaws Loch over to Dalry.

Managed to syncronise a couple days off together so we got the bikes out for a really picturesque section of the SUW from Bargrennan over to the head of Glentrool, returning back around the loch. Some long lengths of tricky, narrow singletrack along the River Cree and Water of Trool.

Wildlife highlight was heading around a tight corner and coming face to face with a sizeable Sika stag in all it’s antlered glory.

Nice, great memories of doing similar on foot as a kid, not so great memories of Bog Wood on the Glentrool section 😆

@squirrelking I suspect a lot of work has been put into the paths around Glentrool area in recent times as they mostly seem fairly robust with only the occasional squelchy hole (this time of year).

I imagine so, I can’t remember if it was even part of the way or if there was a navigational error involved, we were supposed to be doing part of the yellow then part of the white walk. Needless to say it lived up to its name on the wrong side of the equinox.

Bookmarking this thread

Back tracked a little for our next section – New Luce over to Bargrennan (we actually did Bargrennan > New Luce > Bargrennan). It was a bit tougher and we can see why a lot of hikers hate it as it is a “bit moist” in places and the trail becomes indistinct. We didn’t have any navigational issues as could see most marker posts away in distance but would be a bugger in poor visibility.

One of the ‘indistinct and moist’ stretches…

Beehive Bothy

Craig Airie Fell

When you come to do the Sanquhar section you could get the train up from Dumfries and cycle back via Ae forest. You go into the forest rather than dropping down into Beattock/Moffat. There are a few big hikes. First one is just out of Sanquhar over to Wanlockhead with a good descent into Wanlockhead. There is a cafe at the Lead museum. The next section probably best to avoid is the trail up to the radar station and take the road up,massive climb. However the section from the radar station is another section best avoided and go down Enterkin Burn which is/was a vague sheep track marked on the map by a black dotted line. Then join the Dalveen Pass. The section up from the Daer reservoir is another big horrible hike(although there are turbines in that area now so not sure about that) I have not ridden the part after the Daer since the wind farm was constructed but I think there will have been a few changes. Some friends are doing Dumfries to Innerliethen soon. You will probably find some of my photos and other stuff on here if you do a search

This has been very inspiring! I shall keep an eye on your progress. Like you whenever I have done a bit of the SUW , I have thought I should have a go at the lot but being time limited, your way of doing it seems the most likely.

Nice!

If your down near Newton call in or your welcome to stay!

Urgh! that New Luce -> Bothy section is aweful when even the tiniest bit wet. I love that they built bridges. Do not love that the bridges are 10ft inside the pools of water! And as you said in a lot of places no sign of where the path is meant to be!

Saturday turned out rather nice – started at St John’s Town of Dalry (Earlstoun Power Station) and made our way over farmland and open moorland to Stroanfreggan with its cairn and bowling club. Turned around and headed back – finding it enjoyable riding the trail in reverse – different views, climbs, decents.

Typical of the terrain we are riding at the moment…

The Stroanfreggan Indoor Bowling Club

Thanks @Trekster, we have ridden the section from Sanquhar over to Wanlockhead a few times as part of various loops in the Lowthers (we are up in Cumnock). We have also ridden the section down to the Dalveen and actually rather enjoyed it – combined with a blast down the Roman road to Durisdeer – maybe it was the church tea that I enjoyed!

With our regular Sunday group ride cancelled we decided to carry on the SUW with a leg from Stroanfreggan up to the Striding Arch on Benbrack (and back). We knew things were getting a little tougher now with bigger hills but what we hadn’t prepared for was (cue dramatic music) – the flies!

They started appearing about 4km into the (8km) climb and then the swarm just got larger until there were hundreds. If we stopped momentarily then you immediately had a seething carpet of flies covering your helmet, backpack, gloves, bars. We both had Smidge on so they never seemed to want to land on our skin – just everywhere else.

On reaching the top of Benbrack, the out-n-back plan was dumped and we dropped down to the Polskeoch Bothy and back along the quiet valley following the Water of Ken.

Riding away from Stroanfreggan…

Minging…

All smiles down in the valley…

The alternate route back wasn’t too bad either….

Despite this being our “back yard” we had never ridden the section of the SUW from the Polskeoch Bothy over to Sanquhar – mistake corrected. We ‘looped’ this time, up the Euchan valley then back down the SUW including a tasty 8km of single-track taking us over Cloud Hill and a long descent back to the van.

Good thread! as a local now living abroad (yorkshire) I’ve harboured a desire to bikepack the SUW for a few years now, but keep finding other things to do with fewer tussocks, bogs and clegs. If you keep posting lovely pics I might just find the inspiration! keep it coming….

tussocks, bogs and clegs

Describes the Galloway section to a Tee. The midges give me The Fear an aw.

With us getting a long weekend for the Glasgow Fair, it was back up in them hills again – this time taking the SUW from Sanquhar up to Wanlockhead on the ‘summer’ route then returning back down the ‘winter’ variation.

Managed to bag another of the Hoard coins – these are specially created medals semi-hidden at ‘cists’ along the entire route – usually in fairly remote locations on the SUW. 13 in total. Their locations are not pinpointed but you get an indication on a waymark post that you are near and then you keep your eyes peeled.

Good thread wmgscot, think you must be cheating with those coins though.😀

Looks amazing. Looking FWD to the next instalment.

Work plans aligned and we were able to get out in the hills again and continue our adventure. Our goal Saturday was to head from the Dalveen Pass over to Beattock then back. It started OK but, as can happen, the weather got a bit manky as we headed up from the Daer Reservoir.

We reached the Brattleburn Bothy after some cracking singletrack but decided to call it a day and retraced our route back… only for the weather to cheer up!

We had a half-day Sunday so parked at Beattock and rode out to the bothy along the SUW then back and on to the foot of the next big hills west of Moffat.

I’m not really one for stats but, as we have passed the 107 mile ‘official’ half-way point, Jill totted up the rides from her Garmin app thingy and we have managed to ride 396Km and 7200m height. Its been great so far.

Halfway

Climbing away from the Daer Reservoir

Returning down to the Daer Resrvoir

Foy’s Bridge

Great stuff.

Was on the SuW last night near glentrool damn it’s overgrown at points!

What section was that @duncancallum ? Along the Minnoch (Roman Bridge)?

We have found most of the SUW fairly well cared for by the two D&G rangers but I can imagine the continuous mowing is a big struggle this time of year. Loads of old kissing gates have recently been upgraded to bike/horse friendly types but there are areas where a bit of portage over styles is required.

Yeah by the bridge. It wasn’t too bad a couple of points where the ferns had closed up. Still passable but you couldn’t see the path.

So overgrown I couldn’t get the bridge however

That’s the main path not the bridge.

Tbh I’d not fancy strimmerimg this all summer it grows like mad

Back up to Wanlockhead for the chunky section down to the Dalveen Pass, and what a day for it! We made a loop by following the road into Elvanfoot then climbed back up on the old Leadhills to Elvanfoot railway track bed. Brucy bonus was another Hoard coin.

Climbing away from the highest village in Scotland

Rules

Big climbs mean big dscents

Snack break

Reward

Some fantastic photos above. Myself and three mates have been walking the SUW a section at a time, Beattock to St Mary’s Loch last Friday being the most recent. 21 miles and didn’t see another soul all day. Glorious.

That’s our next section @kennyp – did you take the ‘high’ route option over Gateshaw Rig and Croft Head and do you think it is do-able on the bikes?

@vmgscot Yes we did take the high route option. Very scenic. To bike it you would need to be extremely good at climbing, and brave/skilled/daft at descending. I’m none of those. It could be done I guess but personally I’d do the lower bit if I was on a bike. Most of the rest of it is very bikeable though apart from a couple of short pushes towards the end.

I think this section has to be my favourite so far, the trails and the scenery made it pretty special – and the weather didn’t hurt either.

Headed out of Beattock and climbed into the hills following the new ‘high’ route (thanks @kennyp for the heads up 🙂 ) – absolutely stunning. Headed on to the bothy at Over Phawhope then headed back but along the ‘low’ route for variation. Located and collected another Hoard coin.

The High route option

About to descend off the Cat Shoulder

SUW Artwork

Was a stunning day for the ride

Another little reward for our efforts

Managed to put a loop together for our next stretch. Started out from St Mary’s Loch (my god, what a hideous circus the camping there looks like this time of year) and followed the ‘Captain’s Road’ drove route over to the Ettrick valley.

Immersed ourselves in a little literary culture (the birthplace of the ‘Ettrick Shepherd’) before back on the SUW from Over Phawhope bothy to St Mary’s Loch.

We’re back on it!
We have been desperate to get back out and re-join our little adventure so with a forecast of “no rain” and an alignment of work time we were able to make our way over to the Loch of the Lowes and back on the SUW trail.

This stage took us from Tibbie Shiels over the hills to Traquair. A strong cold headwind on the entire outward leg dispelled any silly notion that Spring might be here but helped propel us once we had turned around at the village hall and headed back over. Collected another of the SUW coins for the collection.

Kist

Climbing away from Traquair

I can see the van…

I hope to spend a night at Over Phawhope bothy this week, was it ok and did it have a stove?

It was 6 months ago we passed there and met a couple of lads doing maintenance on the bothy at the time.
Can’t confirm the stove situation but the inside was one of the better bothys we have passed on the SUW this far.
It even had a “toilet block”!

Thanks

There is a stove at over phawhope bothy. Personally I would rather be at dryfehope bothy if you are in that area.