The route leaves Annan via Summergate Road and, after passing down a lane through fields, it heads east (between fields and the merse) along a grass-covered embankment. Just before the end of this embankment, the route heads east again (through workshops at “Seafield”) and along Seafield Road before dropping down onto the beach (the alternative way forward through fields being blocked by fences and hedges). The route leaves the village and follows the B721 (with very fast moving traffic and difficult verges) for around two kilometres until a crossroads on a road bend (take care)....

wellchoughed

Leaving Gretna, it wasn’t long until we crossed the border into England over the River Sark bridge. If we’d been able to use it, we would have realised that there is a parallel lane from OS Grid Ref: 336663 to 343657 just behind the road, which we didn’t notice until we reached the second pond. We had to stay on the road until we’d crossed the River Esk. Quiet roads took us to the outskirts, where a nice suburban, off-road footpath led us to the main road bridge over the Eden (beware of bikes which share the pavement)....

Mary Oz

From Whinnyrigg we soon discovered that it was necessary to walk on the beach (pebbles) itself, not through the field above, when we were blocked off by field boundaries. We were able to have a coffee and snack at the Devil’s Porridge Museum without paying the museum entrance fee, which was handy. We explored an escape from the fast road by turning south to Westhills, but were sent away by a property owner there, and had to continue on the fast road until Mountpleasant towards Browhouses....

Mary Oz

It is quite a long and very varied route with huge amounts of interest in terms of geography, history and nature. The route leaves Gretna via the verge next to the busy B7076 but quite quickly turns right onto a slightly quieter road which runs alongside the M6 (separated by a high barrier). The road adjacent to the M6 carries fast-moving traffic, the diversion due to wet fields was a little tiresome, there was evidence that some of the route might have been affected by a recent very high tide and the farm road up to Cargo was very nearly impassible due to deep puddles and mud....

wellchoughed

The first section of this route out of Annan is very easy to follow, with quiet lanes and joins a lovely footpath along the Merse beach....

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson

The first part of the route runs alongside the edge of a road parallel to the M6 – which makes it pretty noisy....

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson

The first section is the least pleasant: you have to walk along the edge of a road running parallel to the M6, so it's noisy and fumey....

Cressida P

Unfortunately after that it requires you to walk along the B721 between Eastriggs and Rigg, which we found to be busy and not pleasant to walk along. After Rigg, it moves onto quieter country lanes that lead into Gretna....

Cressida P

Once the England Coast path is complete (there is a bridge out at present), it should be possible to avoid this section....

Sarah

The route out of Annan is easy to follow and quickly reaches quiet lanes before joining the lovely footpath along the Merse beach....

Sarah

Once you do find the way up to the bridge the rest of the walk is roadside with very little in the way of verge or footpath.Altogether not a walk I would recommend or do again....

James Slowey Slowey

After Woodfield, there is almost a mile of road section with soft, narrow verge. The route the heads south the verge and over M6 and B7076 until hotel at Sark bridge where you can pickup the footpath. An alternatively route is to follow the Springfield road until it crosses the border. Continue on, crossing the River Sark and into Scotland, past the kissing seat for approximately 100 yards before the railway bridge, on the south bound side of the road is a signpost for a Scottish core footpath, GRET/322/2, https://dumgal.gov.uk/article/15304/Core-paths-in-Dumfries-and-Galloway....

Phil606

The marked route from Carlisle station to the Eden river wasn’t accessible at this time due to a road and path closure. We walked down towards Stainton where we knew there was a foot path to the right which would lead us to the river Eden (after another right turn and a subsequent left turn – neither signposted) and so get us back on track for Cargo and Rockcliffe. The path through Cargo and Rockcliffe was as described. After we passed Rockcliffe Cross the path was indicated to go across fields along the edge of farmland. Due to road layout changes you now have to turn right out of Metal Bridge and then sharp left onto the road to take you across the Eden and the Esk....

nan64