Southern Upland Way
A 212-mile long-distance path across Scotland, visiting stunning mountain scenery and locations such as Castle Kennedy, Traquair House, and Melrose Abbey. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
The beautiful remote Southern Uplands
Statistics and Files
Finish: Cockburnspath
Distance: 212 miles (341 km)
Time: 80–100 hours
Duration: 12–16 days
Summary & Route Overview
The Southern Upland Way is Scotland’s coast-to-coast walk. At 212 miles, it is a demanding long-distance footpath, with the recommended time to complete being 15 days. The route offers superb and varied walking, ranging from strolling alongside rivers and lochs to climbing over challenging mountain passes.
There are many interesting places to visit on the walk, such as Castle Kennedy, Traquair House, and Melrose Abbey. The Way, if attempted as a complete route, provides a real challenge for the experienced walker, while many sections taken as smaller units provide ideal walking opportunities for families and less ambitious walkers.
Southern Upland Way Directory & Planning
General Information and Planning
• About Scotland: Useful site with lots of information on the walk.
Guided Walking
• Southern Upland Way Holidays: Detailed information on the walk and full services for planning your trip.
Accommodation and Baggage Transfer
• Absolute Escapes: Specialists in self-guided walking holidays including accommodation and door-to-door bag transfers.
• Walking Support: Independent advice, planning, booking, luggage transfer, and support transport for self-led and guided walks across Scottish and Border trails.
• Make Tracks: Full range of walking services provided for the Southern Upland Way.
• Celtic Trail: Full assistance service in planning the walk.
• S H Systems: Excellent range of accommodation searchable by location, price, rating, or postcode.
Personal Journals and Walk Reports
• Patrick von Noort: A detailed daily journal of the walk with useful tips.
• Phil Andrews: Journal of the walk with each individual stage described.
• George Tod: Excellent journal with supplementary planning advice.
Safety Advice and Emergency Services
• Ramblers Association: Practical walking safety advice, map reading guides, and essential gear lists.
• Mountain Rescue UK: Emergency services and safety guidelines.
Feedback and Suggestions
I am always pleased to receive feedback on the structure and content of the website. I also welcome suggestions on how I can improve the site, which may include new areas to cover, new walks, or route alterations. Please get in touch via social media. Thank you.
(Note: Walking without proper preparation can be dangerous. Information and downloads on this website are provided free of charge; it is each walker’s responsibility to check the material and use accordingly. Postscript: My walk reports are personal reflections and should not be treated as official route guides.)