Brownmoor Wood

This walk has a village start and contains a woodland loop. It is 7.5km/4½ miles, and takes around1½ hours to complete.

Pavements, farm and forestry hard surfaced tracks with stiles. Boots recommended.

Parking is available on the street in the centre of Ecclefechan. Start Head down the High Street towards Carlyle’s Birthplace by following the road signs for The South and Carlisle. This street scene with pollarded trees alongside the burn and cobble-stoned frontage to the whitewashed gatehouse where Thomas Carlyle was born is an interesting start to your walk. The National Trust for Scotland owns and manages this property, which is open from 1 May to 30 September, from 1pm to 5pm, Thursday to Monday. At the junction bear left past the public garden and picnic site and Ecclefechan Village Hall. Look up to the skyline to see Brownmoor cloaked in woodland, this contains the circular section of your walk and offers a good selection of views.

Cross the road and continue past the entrance to the hotel and caravan park. Follow the minor road to the right, past the sewage works and cross the Mein Water. Continue round the sawmill to the end of the Industrial Estate. Follow the farm track, over three stiles to enter Brownmoor Wood. Take the main forest road to the right and at the junction turn left and follow the blue way-markers for a clockwise circuit of the wood. This mixed species wood is a wildlife haven. Look out for roe deer and their tracks. Their hooves leave arrowhead shaped impressions in muddy ground. You may well see a hare near the perimeter of the clearfell areas that border grazing land. This is home to a wide variety of birds including jays, great tits and wood pigeons. On completing the woodland loop retrace your steps past the sawmill to return to Ecclefechan