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212 miles · 14 stages · 13 nights

Where to stay on the Southern Upland Way

Night-by-night accommodation from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath — what's actually at each stop, and where booking ahead matters.

Back to the full Southern Upland Way guide

The overall picture

Accommodation is thin. Bothies, wild camps, and long taxi transfers to off-route B&Bs are all part of the plan. A serious undertaking. Pre-book everything in writing weeks ahead and arrange taxi transfers from Beattock or Sanquhar where on-route beds are full. Several MBA bothies (Over Phawhope) sit conveniently along the line.

Night by night

Overnight options at the end of each stage, walking Portpatrick → Cockburnspath. Search links open Booking.com for that stop — where a night is wild-camp or bothy only, there's nothing to book and no link.

  1. Night 1: Castle Kennedy

    Day 1 · Portpatrick → Castle Kennedy · 24km, 500m ascent

    Castle Kennedy has B&Bs. Wild camping on farmland with permission.

    Search stays in Castle Kennedy

  2. Night 2: New Luce

    Day 2 · Castle Kennedy → New Luce · 22km, 400m ascent

    New Luce has a bunkhouse and limited B&Bs.

    Search stays in New Luce

  3. Night 3: Bargrennan

    Day 3 · New Luce → Bargrennan · 28km, 800m ascent

    Bargrennan has the House o Hill hotel. Wild camping on the moor.

    Search stays in Bargrennan

  4. Night 4: St John's Town of Dalry

    Day 4 · Bargrennan → St John's Town of Dalry · 30km, 750m ascent

    St John's Town of Dalry has a pub, B&Bs and a campsite.

    Search stays in St John's Town of Dalry

  5. Night 5: Sanquhar

    Day 5 · St John's Town of Dalry → Sanquhar · 27km, 700m ascent

    Sanquhar has hotels, B&Bs and a campsite.

    Search stays in Sanquhar

  6. Night 6: Wanlockhead

    Day 6 · Sanquhar → Wanlockhead · 17km, 650m ascent

    Wanlockhead has a bunkhouse and B&Bs.

    Search stays in Wanlockhead

  7. Night 7: Beattock

    Day 7 · Wanlockhead → Beattock · 27km, 600m ascent

    Beattock has the Auchen Castle Hotel and B&Bs. Moffat is 3km off route with more choice.

    Search stays in Beattock

  8. Night 8: St Mary's Loch

    Day 8 · Beattock → St Mary's Loch · 30km, 800m ascent

    Tibbie Shiels Inn at St Mary's Loch. The Gordon Arms is nearby. Wild camping by the loch.

    Search stays in St Mary's Loch

  9. Night 9: Traquair

    Day 9 · St Mary's Loch → Traquair · 22km, 550m ascent

    Traquair has B&Bs. Innerleithen is 2km away with more options.

    Search stays in Traquair

  10. Night 10: Galashiels

    Day 10 · Traquair → Galashiels · 22km, 500m ascent

    Galashiels has hotels and B&Bs. Good resupply point.

    Search stays in Galashiels

  11. Night 11: Melrose

    Day 11 · Galashiels → Melrose · 10km, 300m ascent

    Melrose has excellent hotels, B&Bs and the SYHA hostel.

    Search stays in Melrose

  12. Night 12: Lauder

    Day 12 · Melrose → Lauder · 24km, 600m ascent

    Lauder has hotels and B&Bs. The Black Bull is a good choice.

    Search stays in Lauder

  13. Night 13: Longformacus

    Day 13 · Lauder → Longformacus · 28km, 700m ascent

    Longformacus has limited B&Bs. Wild camping on the moors.

    Search stays in Longformacus

  14. Night 14: Cockburnspath

    Day 14 · Longformacus → Cockburnspath · 30km, 550m ascent

    Cockburnspath has a pub and B&Bs. Connects to the Berwickshire Coastal Path.

    Search stays in Cockburnspath

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Southern Upland Way accommodation — common questions

How many nights do you need on the Southern Upland Way?
14 walking days on the standard itinerary, so 13 nights on the trail. Budget an extra night at Portpatrick before you start or at Cockburnspath after you finish if your travel connections are long.
Do you need to book accommodation in advance on the Southern Upland Way?
Book ahead for May, June, July, August, September. Most overnight stops on the route are villages with a handful of beds, and trail traffic concentrates demand on exactly the places you need. Outside those months booking a few days out usually works, though some places shut for the off-season.
Can I get my bags transferred between stops on the Southern Upland Way?
Yes — Sherpa Van Project and AMS Bag Transfer Scotland move bags between overnight stops on the Southern Upland Way (from around £10 per bag per day), so you can walk with a day pack. Book transfer once your accommodation is fixed — operators need the exact overnight addresses.