Grey Mare's Tail

The Grey Mare’s Tail Nature Reserve is home to the fifth highest waterfall in the United Kingdom, also called Grey Mare’s Tail. The waterfall is a hanging valley waterfall flowing from Loch Skeen into Moffat Water Valley. The surrounding nature reserve offers dramatic scenery and a post glacial landscape, as well as rare plants and wildlife. Nearby Dobb’s Linn is known for being home to fossils at least 400 million years old and the Tail Burn Fort is thought to be a defensive or ritual site dating to the Iron Age.
It is just a short walk to the waterfall and a longer, hour-long walk, will take you all the way to Loch Skeen. Look for the peregrine falcons that nest on the craigs around the waterfall and enjoy great views of Mid Craig and Loch Craighead. For more amazing views, you can climb to the top of White Coomb, the highest hill in Dumfriesshire standing nearly 2700 feet high. Good hiking boots are recommended.

Practical Info

The Grey Mare’s Tail Nature Reserve is open daily all year round. Located 10 miles northeast of Moffat, it is best accessed by car. The nearest train station is 25 miles away at Lockerbie and the closest public toilets are five miles away in St. Mary’s Loch.