89. Garrogill

start: Moffat
distance: 26 km
OS map: 78, 79

Garrogill is a ruined cottage at the top end of a remote valley. Although there's a path marked on the map going down the valley from the cottage, it doesn't really exist and you're going to have to make your own for the best part of a kilometer so you have been warned...

...but don't be put off 'cos this is a great route!

We started just a couple of km SE of Moffat where the Southern Upland Way crosses the Moffat Water. Take the minor road heading NE for 1 km passing Craigbeck before picking up the SUW. The track gains height to about 380m on the flanks of Gateshaw Rigg before dropping down to an obvious junction by a stream.

The SUW turns left at the junction to follow the stream upwards. We turn south on the forestry track towards Garrogill. By the time you reach Garrogill the track is getting overgrown. You'll see a route heading uphill in no uncertain manner and it may be that this meets up with another forestry track. It does look to be a bit of a haul, though, and we opted to stay at a lower level.

Pass in front of the cottage to the opposite corner of an enclosure. The choice of route is yours now. For what it's worth, we stayed on the E bank of the stream close to the trees for a while before crossing to the other bank.

I don't think there's an easy or obvious route but you're generally aiming to get to the corner of the forested area on the W bank of the stream. A couple of hundred metres further on from the corner, you should be looking for a singletrack route just inside the edge of the trees. When you've found it, the hard work is done.

This track will cross the stream again and join the main forestry track and, eventually, the road at Laverhay.

Whamphray Church seems to have more than a little history attached to it and is worth investigating. There's also a riverside path down the glen that could be worth exploring.

It's an easy ride back along the road to your starting point.

john b, galashiels

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