​

We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down - Robert Sweetgall 

Ditch the hotel this weekend for a stay here at Dell-Mar Bed and Breakfast, with so many amazing walks a weekend just isn`t long enough. Take a hike up Grey Mare`s Tail or a gentle stroll along the river, here are my Top 4 walks you can enjoy here in and around Moffat.

But if these are not enough, we`ll point you in the right direction to some of our other favourites. 

​

David and I have walked a mere few miles of the Southern Upland Way and only in and around Moffat, the whole way is 214 miles and runs from Portpatrick in the South to Cockburnspath in the East. It`s classed as one of Scotland's first and only coast to coast long distance path and runs from the south-west to the north-east, there are 12 stop off routes in total all ranging from 8 miles to a strenuous 27 miles. 

The route is divided into different stop offs, and we took a walk around route 6, Wanlockhead to Beattock, after doing a circular walk along the forest tracks, we started from Daer reservoir, from there you`ll come across Brattleburn Bothy where you can rest your weary legs before heading onto route 7, maintained by the Mountains Bothies Association, it`s a wee place with two log burners, table and chairs, and a few necessities to help you out if you get stuck, there is a place to sleep if your hardy enough, personally I wouldn`t, especially in the winter, I bet it`s bitterly cold, but if you want a bit more comfort you can always make your way into either Beattock or Moffat where you'll find plenty of places to stay for the night.

Grey Mare`s Tail Nature Reserve 

From Moffat town take the A708 towards Selkirk, this road is full of twist and turns with spectacular views of the countryside. Passing the remarkable Craigieburn Gardens which in it`s self is worth a visit and Carrifran Wildwood, another great place to stop off, with native trees of Scotland, a beautiful place to explore, it takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the unbelievable Grey Mare`s Tail.

Come and discover the Dark Side of Moffat this Winter, 

Moffat takes the title as the first town in Europe to be awarded as a "Dark Sky" town, having adopted special street lighting to keep light pollution to a minimum in order to preserve the wondrous starry, starry skies. 

Here in Dell-Mar our Chapel Hill room and Coats Hill room have the most amazing views of the starry, starry sky.

The South West of Scotland offers some of the most amazing and spectacular views Scotland has to offer. With Moffat lying in the centre, it`s a great place to make your hub. 

I`ve recently purchased John Fergusson`s book "The Motorcyclist`s Guide to Scotland" a fascinating read with great routes from the North, South, East and West, We had guests staying here with us from Belgium, Dirk and Els, who brought  a copy of John`s book with them. Dirk had carefully mapped out their routes for a 3 week stay in Scotland, starting here in Moffat for 5 nights, deciding to stay here at Dell-Mar, a biker friendly guesthouse with secure parking for motorcycles and comfortable bedrooms.

Let the Juices flow from Lemons into scrumptious  Lemon Drizzle Cake, when you arrive here at Dell-Mar we always offer guests a cuppa, or coffee if you prefer, with a  piece of Lemon Drizzle Cake. 
​

Yes it`s me Sue Barker  well by marriage anyway, it`s been a delight to follow the current event this week at  Moffats very own Tennis Club.
​
Moffat has hosted the The South of Scotland Tennis Championships here on their newly refurbished courts, and with the help of Colin Hanbidge as one of the referees, a well known coach and player on the tennis scene, its been a very successful week.