Erie Hill

Explorer Tom Carrifran Wildwood begins beside the A708 in Moffat Dale, then draws you into a steep glen where young native trees reclaim the slopes. It is a place to meet a forest under construction, though the chief architect appears to wear muddy boots and answer to Nature. Borders Forest Trust bought Carrifran on 1 January 2000, helped by hundreds who contributed to the purchase. Its aim is to restore native woodland and the richer mix of life that once belonged in this part of the Southern Uplands. The project has filled the valley with planted trees and shrubs while leaving room for open ground. Give the trees time; they are doing the slow work of turning a bare-looking glen into a different landscape. A small gated car park off the A708 leads to informal paths. One route makes a circuit through the developing woodland and past a former sheepfold with views deeper into the valley. You can carry on up the glen, but the ground becomes rougher and wet in places, so stout footwear earns its keep. Close the gate carefully: the trees have fought hard enough without inviting grazing animals to lunch. This is a wild place to explore, not a manicured garden with a cafe at every bend. Walkhighlands describes a roughly four kilometre circuit taking around an hour and a half; you can take a shorter look if the weather has other plans. Keep dogs on leads during the bird nesting season and give the restoration work room to grow. Then pause among the saplings and imagine this glen in another century, when today's modest trunks may be the old hands telling the hills how it began.

Explorer Tom Grey Mare’s Tail throws itself 60 metres into the Moffat Water valley, as though the hillside has shaken out a silver mane and forgotten to stop. The name invites horse stories; the waterfall, Loch Skeen above it and the steep glacial landscape provide plenty of actual spectacle without asking you to believe one. This National Trust for Scotland reserve rewards a look beyond the white rush of water. Glacial erosion shaped the valley, and the route climbs toward Loch Skeen under high slopes and open sky. The Trust records peregrine falcons, ring ouzels, feral goats and occasional ospreys in the area; the rare vendace lives in the loch. Bring binoculars if you have them, but please do not expect the goats to pose like local celebrities. They have excellent agents and terrible punctuality. People have also left their marks here. The Trust describes a human story stretching at least to the Iron Age, and says Covenanters used Watch Knowe as a lookout in the seventeenth century. Standing in this wide valley, it is easy to see why someone would choose a high vantage point. Keep those real histories separate from any tale I might invent about a ghostly mare combing the falls each morning. The reserve is advertised as open daily throughout the year, but weather and steep ground matter more than a calendar. The Trust warns against visits in high winds and lists a car park charge, so check current conditions and visitor details before travelling. See the waterfall from a safe place, then decide whether the climb fits your day; this mare is worth meeting without racing her uphill.

Explorer Tom The Devil's Beef Tub is a vast green hollow in the hills above Moffat, and the name sounds like somebody has been feeding a very large, very troublesome guest. Border raiders are said to have hidden stolen cattle in this fold of land; whatever the truth of every tale, the shape is real enough to stop you in your tracks. Tom recommends admiring it without volunteering as the beef. The surrounding Corehead land belongs to Borders Forest Trust, which has worked to restore native woodland and other habitats in the Southern Uplands. Hill, valley and the headwaters of the River Annan are part of the same landscape. The Trust's work is a modern chapter alongside the older reiver stories: fewer sheep in some areas have allowed new trees, wet ground and flowering meadows to develop. This is a place being cared for, not a frozen postcard. You can see the great hollow from viewpoints beside the A701, while signed walking routes offer a closer sense of the Corehead hills. A walk through this ground takes more planning than a quick lay-by stop; slopes are steep and weather can change fast. Keep to the marked route where it runs by farm buildings, and notice how small tracks and new planting sit against the immense fold of the hills. Bring a map, sound footwear and a sensible eye for road traffic at any viewpoint. Do not descend heedlessly. The best visit gives you time to watch light move over its sides and consider the restoration beyond. If a reiver ghost asks about your cattle, tell him Tom sent you to admire the view and nothing more.