The word is… NOW DO THE WALKS!

For extra inspiration, pick up a copy of Langholm and Eskdale Walks. Detailing all 14 walks mentioned above, this A4 booklet costs £5 and is available from local shops and hotels. It can also be ordered at langholmwalks.co.uk (£1.50 P&P).

Ensuite double rooms with breakfast at the walkerfriendly Eskdale Hotel on the High Street cost from £90 per night (01387 380357; eskdalehotel.co.uk). The weekend’s walks start nearby.

For a post-walk perk up and a slice of something scrumptious, pop into Pelosi’s Corner Café. It serves the best Italian ice cream in town.

Make time to visit Gilnockie Tower near the scenic A7 towards Canonbie. Start of the Border Reiver Trail, this 16th-century pele tower is home to the Clan Armstrong Centre (gilnockietower.co.uk).

Be warned: Langholm gets unseasonably hot in late September. The self-declared ‘chilli capital of Scotland’ has held an autumn Chilli Festival since 2018. See welcometolangholm.co.uk for more events and visitor information.

Turn to the back of the magazine and look for routes 24 and 25 for OS maps and turn-by-turn walk directions.