Southern Uplands - Day 1

We left the house just before 9.30am, to drive south to St Mary's Loch. We parked just across the road from the cafe.

We set off on our circular walk round the loch, anticlockwise so up the east side first. It was mostly flat, some through trees (March Wood) and some on the lochside.

At the end of the loch is an optional 2km extension to Dryhope Tower, a ruined tower which used to belong to the Scott family, ancestors of Sir Walter Scott.

There is a modern metal staircase inside it, so we climbed to the top where there are good views of the loch. We had our lunch there.

We then descended the staircase and carried on our walk down the west side of the loch.

The next part of the path is quite new, until recently there hasn't been a path all the way around the loch. First we went back down to the lochside.

Then the path goes back nearer the road, and mostly follows it. We took another detour up to St Mary's Kirkyard, which doesn't have a church any more but is a nice graveyard.

We then carried on down the loch to the end, where there is a monument to the writer and shepherd James Hogg, who lived near here.

There was no wind and the reflections in the loch were nice.

Rather than spend the night here next to a busy road, we drove up a minor road to Megget reservior, which provides most of Edinburgh's water supply.

We parked in a picnic spot overlooking the water, which we had to ourselves all night.