Southern Uplands and Arran hillwalking routes

Many starting points and tracks everywhere make the northern Pentland hills so accessible and create endless route possibilities. The southern Pentland hills are more remote with fainter paths and fewer tracks.

The western Moorfoot hills form a high-level circuit over varied terrain where tracks lower down give way to faint paths higher up. The eastern Moorfoot hills have more runnable terrain with high-level grass covered circuits and excellent views.

Halfway between Biggar and Peebles is the picturesque village of Broughton surrounded by farmlands and forestry, above which stand grass and heather clad rolling hills with well-defined crests.

The hills surrounding Glensax south of Peebles form wide crests that create a superb fell-running area, so much so there are several hill-races here, including the famed Two Breweries Hill Race.

Broad Law stands above Tweedsmuir from where a track aims all the way to the summit. Approach from Megget to the south instead and although there's no path, there's only 400m of ascent !

South of Biggar is Culter Reservoir encircled by hills and high moorland, in which Culter Fell is the highest. A hill race approaches Culter Fell from Holms Water to the east.

Tinto sits alone above the Clyde Valley and as such affords stunning views in all directions from its huge untidy cairn. The annual hill race up Tinto travels up its northern aspect, takes place in November and is very popular.

South of Megget reservoir and above the famed 'Grey Mare's Tail' the Corbett summits of Hart Fell and White Coomb are the highest points in a run of rolling hills.

In a fairly remote area south-west of the M74 corridor, the rolling Lowther and Durisdeer hills are crossed by the Southern Upland Way.

South of New Cumnock, Cairnsmore of Carsphairn is the highest hill in the range of rolling grass covered lumps above the farmlands and forestry of Carsphairn Forest.

Corserine is the highest point on the long wide grass-covered ridge of the Kells Range stretching north-to-south in Galloway Forest.

Merrick is the highest hill in the Southern Uplands and rests in Galloway above Glen Trool. Shalloch on Minnoch is to the north of Merrick, linked by a wide crest with minor summits and little lochans.

Most people will simply hike up and down Goatfell in Arran via the tourist route. A finer day can be had on Glenrosa Horseshoe which includes Cir Mor and Goatfell where some scrambling is involved while taking in superb views. To the west of these fine peaks is Beinn Bharrain, a quieter peak with long ridges.