Frozen Grey Mares Tail and Loch Skeen in WinterClimbing up Grey Mares Tail near Moffat during winter in the snow and ice, with a completely frozen over Loch Skeen at the top!
The Grey Mares Tail is a nature reserve with walks alongside the river and waterfall. It is situated a few miles from Moffat and the waterfall is the fifth highest in the UK.
Despite the snow and ice, the climb was quite easy to the top and we found Loch Skeen so iced over we could probably walk on it. We didn't, but we did throw a small boulder onto the ice to test the thickness - it bounced!
Grey Mares Tail Nature Reserve is situated along the Moffat Water Valley in the heart of the Southern Uplands. This National Trust for Scotland property extends over 922 hectares and is characterised by a dramatic waterfall (the 5th highest in the UK), an upland loch Loch Skeen and White Coomb which rises to 821m and is one of the highest hills in Southern Scotland. The post-glacial landscape is an open mosaic of heather and rough grazing that includes 8 habitats of European importance and many plant species of international, national and regional significance. The reserve is botanically diverse, containing the richest assemblage of rare upland plants in Southern Scotland. There is also historical evidence of Iron Age settlers and the Covenanters who sought sanctuary here in the 17th century.
