The River Nith at Dusk – Old Bridges and a Pub Supper
A few hours, from Dumfries station and back.
The route
The River Nith is at its loveliest in the last of the light, with the red sandstone arches of Devorgilla's Bridge reflected in the water above the white rush of the caul.
A short loop takes you over the Suspension Bridge, up the far bank and back across the old bridge, finishing at the Cavens Arms, a busy, friendly pub near the river, known for its real ales and good-value suppers.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
None of ours is close by: the nearest is The Scullery in Yarrow, 38 miles away. Sleeps 2; next free Fri 13 Nov to Sun 15 Nov.
Book a table at the Cavens Arms online for about half an hour after sunset, Tuesday to Sunday: food is served until 8pm Tuesday to Thursday, 8.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 7.30pm on Sundays, and there's no food on Mondays.
The day
Dumfries
An early-evening loop along both banks of the Nith as the sun goes down, ending at a warm pub table a few minutes from the river.
About two and a half hours
Dumfries
An attraction
It's 16 minutes' walk from Dumfries station through the town to the Suspension Bridge by Dock Park. Across it, the far bank runs upstream past the old mill that is now the Robert Burns Centre, 8 minutes to Devorgilla's Bridge. Below it, the caul, a long curving weir, sends white water right across the river. The bridge's six red sandstone arches carry the name of Devorgilla, Lady of Galloway, who is said to have first bridged the Nith here in the 1260s, though the bridge you cross is some two hundred years younger. Keep children back from the water, especially by the caul. Set off about half an hour before sunset: from October to March that brings you to the pub at dusk with supper in good time. From April to September the sun sets after the kitchen closes, so then it is a stroll in the evening light before supper.
17 min on foot
The Cavens Arms
Supper
From the town side of Devorgilla's Bridge it's 3 minutes along the Whitesands to the Cavens Arms on Buccleuch Street, a busy pub with home-cooked food and real ales. Food is served from noon until 8pm, Tuesday to Thursday, and until 8.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. On Sundays it's from 12.30pm until 7.30pm, and on Mondays the pub opens at 3pm and serves no food. All children are welcome, and tables can be booked online. It's 17 minutes' walk back to the station.
If it rains
In the rain, cut the loop short: walk straight to the Cavens Arms by Buccleuch Street and look at Devorgilla's Bridge and the caul from the Whitesands, two minutes from the door.
The Globe Inn, Dumfries, a restaurant in Dumfries.