THE ANNANDALE WAY - Moffat & the Devil's Beef Tub

A hike on part of the Annandale Way, from Moffat to the Devil's Beef Tub, and back to Moffat, a trek of around 13 miles. The Annandale Way is one of Scotland's long-distance walking trails. It's about 56 miles in total, following the course of the River Annan from its source close to the Devil's Beef Tub, north of Moffat, all the way to the Solway Firth and the sea. The route from Moffat heading south passes through Lochmaben or Lockerbie, depending on which of two routes you choose, and finishes close to the town of Annan. I decided to stay overnight in Moffat, and after a good sleep and a massive breakfast in the Buccleuch Arms Hotel (a great stopover for bikers and anyone enjoying the great outdoors in this area) I headed north towards the hills in a sweltering heat. At Ericstane, after around 4 miles on a narrow country road, the route takes you up into the hills by Spout Craig, along Chalk Rig Edge and the Great Hill, and on to the trig-point on the highest part of today's walk: Annanhead Hill, at 478 metres above sea-level. From there it was a gentle descent onto the A701 and great views of the Devil's Beef Tub, so-named as it was used to hide stolen cattle hundreds of years ago. Views on the way back to that same small country road that we started on were out of this world. A great walk in a stunning area of Scotland.