Walking the Upland Way (From This Is Local London)

Walking the Upland Way

5:00pm Thursday 26th June 2008 in

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Rain, mud and a soggy bottom, but Matthew Jenkin still found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when he visited Scotland.

SCOTLAND is world famous for its stunning countryside, but few people venture far from the popular tourist magnets of Edinburgh and the Highlands.

However, the Southern Uplands, just over the Scottish border, in Dumfries and Galloway, offer visitors the opportunity to gently stretch their legs and enjoy spectacular scenery without having to stray too far from the comforts of a town or city.

The Southern Upland Way stretches from coast to coast, from Portpatrick on the west coast, in Dumfries and Galloway, to Cockburnspath on the east coast, in the Scottish Borders.

It is ideal for walkers who want to take in a wonderful mix of southern Scottish terrain.

It's also possible to walk the way in smaller chunks on a day walk.

One walk which can be completed in a day is the 7.5-mile walk from Sanquhar to Scotland's highest inhabited village, Wanlockhead Feeling invigorated after a hearty breakfast of Scottish porridge and honey, I decided the four-hour walk would be a piece of cake. However, I hadn't banked on Scotland's notoriously unpredicatable weather.

Ominous black clouds hung heavy in the sky as I marched along the muddy track towards the mist-shrouded hills in the distance.

Nevertheless, I felt impervious to the elements with my luminous green, shiny waterproof jacket and trousers.

An innocent drizzle soon became a penetrating downpour, however, and my waterproofs proved pointless.

Cold and soaked to the skin, I battled through the biting wind and rain up a steep boggy path along the side of a hill.

But as the path dropped down towards the abandoned lead mines of Wanlockhead, the blinding sheet of rain finally lifted, revealing a breathtaking panorama of green undulating hills.

At 467m, the 17th-century village of Wanlockhead is Scotland's highest village and the highest point of the Southern Upland Way.

The village became famous for its lead mining but the area is also rich some of the world's purest gold at 22.8 carats.

It's no surprise, therefore, that every year, since 1988, people have descended on the village for some competitive gold digging at the British and Scottish Goldpanning Championships.

Without a pan or a shovel to find my fortune I dragged my sodden body and soul to Scotland's highest pub, the Wanlockhead Inn, and found the next best thing to a pot of gold - a cold pint of beer and a warm open fire.

Previously, the most I've ever seen of Scotland is Edinburgh, but, as I discovered, Scotland's beautiful and untamed countryside is just a hop and a skip from England.

The weather may not be the most reliable, but when the sun does shine on the verdant hills of the Southern Upland Way, it takes your breath away.

For more information on walking in Scotland, visit visitscotland.com/walking

For information on the Southern Upland Way, visit southernuplandway.gov.uk