The Secret Coast to Coast: Walking Scotland's Southern Upland Way

Published 6 December 2011

Tell someone you're going off to Scotland to walk the Southern Upland Way and they'll probably look at you rather blankly before starting to tell you about Great Aunt Mabel's recent hip operation. Even in walking circles, it's not exactly a well known trail.

Which is why, when I told anyone who would listen that I was going to Scotland to walk the Southern Upland Way, everyone looked at me blankly and started telling him about Great Aunt Mabel's recent hip operation.

Seems a lot of people have a Great Aunt Mabel.

Still that didn't put me off writing about my experiences as I strode across from one side of Scotland's border region to the other. So join me as I walk 212 miles from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath with just an extremely large rucksack, a bright red tent and some dodgy packets of pasta to keep me company.

As for Great Aunt Mabel? Well her hip operation seemed to go okay.