How To Find Us

Langholm or locally know as the ‘Muckle Toon’ is located in the stunning region of Dumfries and Galloway and shares a rich cultural history and geography with many of the Scottish Borders towns to the East. The former Mill town with its picturesk stone buildings is nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of the Esk Valley and sits upon the confluence of the River Esk, Wauchope and Ewes Water.

The southern end of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve meets Langholm and runs in a North Easterly direction for several miles providing a rich green backdrop to the town.

©Tarras Valley Nature Reserve

How to get to us

Car: Langholm is approximately 17 miles from J44 of the M6. Follow signs for the A7 North to Longtown and Hawick, Langholm is 10 miles beyond Longtown. The road to Newcastleton passes through the reserve but there is no vehicular access across it. We are under 2 hours drive from the Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and 30 minutes drive from Carlisle.

Public Transport: Our nearest train station is in Carlisle and the X95 bus runs through Langholm every 2 hours. You can catch the train from Edinburgh or Glasgow which will bring you into Carlisle.

Walking: You can park in Langholm at the Kiln Green Car Park just off the A7 northbound and walk to the southern end of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve which includes stunning ancient woodlands, moorland and river valley. The walk up to Hallpath from the Kiln Green gives you access to a circular walk taking you up onto the moorland, with beautiful views over Langholm and back through our magnificent ancient oak woodlands in Longwood.

Car Parking: There are several small informal car parking areas on the boundary of the reserve, highlighted on the map above to give you access to other parts of the reserve. The main car park in Langholm is situated on the Kiln Green. At the moment, our visitor facilities are in the early stages of planning and development following our community buy-outs over the last 2 years so please bear with us. We are busy making sure that this will change over the next year! We always appreciate any feedback to help us make sure the community land is a wonderful place to visit.

Below are photos and locations of suggested parking areas. Please note that these are largely informal areas where people have historically parked, they are mainly crushed stone surfaced and can be quite rough.

The Tarras Valley has limited road access via single track Council roads with passing places so please be careful when driving and allow oncoming vehicles the space to pass. Tarras Valley Nature Reserve cannot accept any responsibility for damage to vehicles when driving or parking on the reserve.

What3Word locations and details of car parks and informal parking areas are listed below.

Kilngreen Car Park

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There is a large free car park at the Kiln Green which is right in Langholm with fantastic views down onto the town at the confluence of the River Esk and Ewes. The car park has public toilets, electric vehicle charging points, benches for picnics by the River and a community run visitor information point. There are lots of great places to stop for a coffee or bite to eat in Langholm, which are all within a few minutes walking distance of here. You can find out more about what’s on offer in the town here:

Welcome to Langholm | Dumfries & Galloway | Langholm

Broomholmshiels

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Our car park accommodates up to 12 vehicles and offers convenient access to the scenic Longwood area, a stunning part of the reserve. From here, you can easily explore several walking trails that wind through the natural beauty of the surroundings, making it a perfect starting point for outdoor adventures. Whether you’re planning a peaceful stroll or a longer hike, this car park is the gateway to experiencing the best of the reserve.

MacDiarmid Memorial Car Park

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This car park is located just outside of the reserve, below the Hugh McDiarmid memorial for Langholm’s most famous poet. There is enough space for several vehicles and is an excellent access point for moorland hill walks onto the Tarras Valley as well as a walk up to the Malcom Monument, a striking landmark overlooking the Muckle Toon on the summit of Whita Hill.

Tarras Lodge Car Park

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This car park and picnic area has space for several vehicles and is located right next to the River Tarras. An excellent base to explore the river valley and the area around the middle of the reserve with walks up the Valley to Cooms Farm and the Upper Tarras Valley.

Laverock Bird Hide

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In front of the Laverock bird hide, there is enough space for a few cars on hard-standing ground. The hide was built by Daniel Lacey, a local furniture maker and one of the Langholm Initiative board members, with local school children. The area overlooks what was previously a larch plantation, now a young native broadleaf woodland. From here you can follow the road down to the River Tarras and along to Cronksbank or join the circular Lower Tarras Walk alongside our beautiful river meadows and ancient floodplain woodlands.

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