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Our final stop in Scotland on this trip was the little town of Moffat. As with Edinburgh we had previously visited Moffat but this was many years ago. We only stayed one night in a basic B and B and the weather was bleak and wet but it appeared to be a charming little town and we promised ourselves that we would revisit one day.

Although we are now in the lowlands the drive into Moffat from Edinburgh is nevertheless spectacular. The town nestles in a valley and from a distance is very pretty. There is a vibrant website describing the town and its surroundings-

Although the town does have a somewhat run down appearance and seems not be as thriving as when we visited many years ago. There are shops of various kinds and some gems: the bakery is a must if you like bread and cakes. Everything looks sumptuous and tastes as good as it looks. The shortbread is heavenly and is probably the best shortbread in the world. They also serve good coffee and there are a couple of tables outside. There is also a nice tearoom/café at the other end of the town. The Black Bull hotel is a good spot for an evening meal. Nice meal with friendly staff, but they do get very busy so booking is advisable.

And then there is Moffat Mill. From the publicity I had imagined this was going to be like Salts Mill in Bradford with a range of different craft and independent sellers of interesting things. However, it is not. It is just a rather ordinary indoor market selling market type goods. There was a corner selling kilts and wedding type outfits but I don’t know enough about kilts and things to know if they were of good quality. There was a lot of cheap touristy Scottish souvenirs and piles of tins of shortbread that you can buy in any supermarket – with the real thing just a stone’s throw away! Such a pity

An odd recommendation I suppose but the cemetery is worth a visit as there are some interesting folk buried there including John Macadam – famed for the roads we drive upon.

It is definitely worth visiting Moffat for the country side which is beautiful offering walks and bike rides in the immediate area and scenic waterfalls just a few miles away.