the source

This week, I shall be following the River Annan "from source to sea" on the Annandale Way, a long distance footpath established in 2009 and which very few people, even locally, seem to have heard about. The walk starts officially at The Ram, a bronze statue atop a fountain in Moffat High Street, and the first part (which Jess and I completed today) goes up to and around the Devil's Beef Tub to the watershed and the start of the Tweedhope burn, along the young River Annan and then back down the old Edinburgh Road and a wooded river path into Moffat.

The cairn in this photo marks the source of the River Annan. This was the only wet section (underfoot as well as drizzly) but soon dried out as we descended the Tweedhopeburn Valley, which has been planted with native trees by the Borders Forest Trust and is a delight to walk through.

Today we walked 14.87 miles. I have had a nice soak in a bath with Epsom Salts and Radox and Jess has had her tea. More tomorrow!