Southern Upland Way Celebrates 40 years

The Southern Upland Way, Scotland’s Coast to Coast path, was officially opened on 27 April 1984. Since then, thousands of people have walked, or more recently cycled, the 214 miles from Portpatrick on the west coast of the Rhinns of Galloway to Cockburnspath on the east coast of the Scottish Borders.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Southern Upland Way Ranger Service has created an exhibition about the history of the path.

Councillor Ian Carruthers, Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Councils Economy and Resources committee said:
“The Southern Upland Way was Southern Scotland’s first long distance footpath and the first official coast to coast path in Britain. It takes people through some of the best of the region’s coastline, hills, forests and valleys and is a great way to experience the wild scenery of Dumfries and Galloway. This new exhibition is a perfect way to celebrate 40 years of this spectacular path.”

Councillor David Inglis, Vice Chair of Economy and Resources committee committee added:
“Over the last 40 years, the Southern Upland Way has brought millions of pounds of tourism to the area, helping local businesses. I am excited that Dumfries and Galloway Council is investing in the future of the route and new plans to improve and promote the path should allow thousands more people to enjoy this unique and special trail.”

The exhibition will be launched at a special event on 27 April 2024 at the Hive at Glentrool. The event will run from 2pm to 4pm with a talk about the history and future of the Southern Upland Way at 3pm.

Following the launch event, the exhibition will be on display at the Glentrool Hive for two weeks, before moving to the Newton Stewart Walking Festival on 10 May.

It will then move across the region throughout the rest of the year. Please check Southern Upland Way – Dumfries & Galloway Council (dgtrails.org) for details of locations and dates.

The Southern Upland Way is managed by Dumfries and Galloway Council and The Scottish Borders Council with funding from Scottish Power Renewables and South Lanarkshire Council.