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Bus and coach

The main towns have useful bus services (with long-distance routes to and from Newton Stewart). However, the minor A-roads and byways serving the hill-walker have infrequent buses or none at all. School bus services are absent at weekends and during school holidays. Main-road services stop at intermediate points only at the discretion of the driver.

This guide is designed to offer readers the area’s best walks. However, not all these are accessible by public transport. Bus services that might be useful to walkers generally include the 101/102 Edinburgh–Dumfries via Thornhill/Moffat, which gives access to many Southern Upland walks (Stagecoach West Scotland, 01292 613500). This and other services are listed by area in Appendix B.

Where a walk in this guide has useful, regular public transport to within a mile or so of the start, this is noted in the information box at the start of the walk. This applies to Walks 1–3, 11, 13, 14, 27–29, 31–34, 38 and 39.

Accommodation

The Borders Region is very well served with hotels and B&Bs, and they’ll be found in all the small towns throughout this book. ‘Country house hotels’, aimed at fishing and shooting enthusiasts, are particularly comfortable (and expensive!) and are used to muddy boots and dogs. B&Bs on existing long-distance paths (Southern Upland Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, Border Abbeys Way) are also walker-friendly and are listed on the paths’ websites and accommodation leaflets.