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The Grey Mare's Tail

The Grey Mare's Tail waterfall is the centre piece of the 2,000 acre Scottish National Trust property which also includes Loch Skeen Tucked away in the north east corner of Dumfriesshire is the Grey Mare's Tail. By international standards the volume of water flowing is not great, nor is the drop of 60 metres far, although it does make it among the longest in Scotland. The place is both quietly inspiring, and also offers visitors a classic example of a hanging valley: during the ice age the side valley, coming from Loch Skeen, was left stranded by the deeper gouging of the main Moffat Water Valley. Ice and snow decorate the fall in winter; here colour almost gone In Spring the hillsides are verdant and lush owing to the humid, sheltered nature of the place The fall in full autumn flow The waterfall in its context with fine soft light picking up the heather of late summer. An innocent view which belies the risks of such places. Inexperienced visitors on the path (across the hillside to the right) do not allow for the vertical drop below the steep slope, they unthinkingly try to traverse, to the head of the waterfall. Two deaths in the last few years testify to this naivety. Two views of the fall after... ...and (less common!) before rain The craigs above the fall where peregrines nest; the path to Loch Skeen runs across the bottom of the picture Below the craigs heather... ...and goats grazing The ferrel goat population of the area probably established itself some two hundred years ago The Tail Burn below the waterfall Heather flowers The Tail Burn with mossed rock The Tail Burn's boisterous performance in the sun and... ...in winter icicles reach for the flat water The path above the waterfall points towards the Tailburn Bridge, just visible, half a mile below A small side burn with ice and snow The Tail Burn passes under the road between Moffat and Selkirk More soft morning light, this time looking across the Moffat Water Valley from near the Grey Mare's tail to Mirk Side The steps, which aid walkers going to Loch Skeen, also protect the ground from the erosion caused by some 50,000 people each year. The path to the lower viewpoint (bottom left) is sharpened in the morning sunlight The next page takes you on down into Moffat Water where the Tail Burn has become part of the river leading to the town of that name.

Connections...

The last page was about boats on inland waterways in Vietnam A page about Loch Skeen in the hills above the waterfall To a page on a Vet's clinic which seems many goats

Saturday 9th September 2017