Mark Hill Doach Wood Dalbeattie Forest the Hills

Take Care - When out and about Main Dalbeattie Forest Main The Hills Map 2 Map Easy Access Trail 1 mile 45mins Flycatcher Trail 1.5 miles 1hour Whilst enjoying the walks, please remember that you are in a working forest. Ongoing management such as tree felling and 2 Plantain Loch Trail 13/4 miles 1 hr 15mins 3 road maintenance ensures that the forests remain diverse and This lowland mixed deciduous wood on the edge of continue to supply timber for use in our everyday lives. Mabie Forest is being managed by Forestry 3/4 mile 30mins Please look out for signs that will inform you of any safety Richorn Trail Commission Scotland to encourage natural issues and make responsible decisions based on the regeneration. This approach ensures that the wood Quarry Trail 21/4 miles 1 hr 45mins information. Diversions will be provided wherever possible. develops as naturally as possible, improving the opportunities for native plants and animals such as pied The northern end of Dalbeattie Forest is known as the flycatchers and owls. The walk provides an excellent way to Town Wood due to its position on the edge of Dalbeattie explore this beautiful wood. Part of the route follows an town and is a popular amenity with the locals and visitors. old railway line that once linked Dumfries and Stranraer, it Originally an area of rough grazing and granite outcrops, the now provides a sheltered haven for wildlife including ferns Warning Forest forest was planted from the 1920’s, and now extends 6 miles s and lizards. The trail starts from the car park, which is signposted Operation No unauthorised ctions ll signs & dire Please obey a persons allowed south to the village of Colvend. The walks start from the Town nience e for any inconv beyond this point Fly Agaric We apologize off the A711 Dumfries to Dalbeattie road. Wood car park (the first Forestry Commission car park as you head south out of Dalbeattie on the A 710) and offer a choice of distances and difficulty. From the Easy Access We apologize for any inconvenience Trail that visits a unique granite sculpture and then you can reach the Plantain Loch along another trail. As you walk round you will see a number of disused quarries that were once worked by local families. Now quarried on a larger scale elsewhere, Dalbeattie granite is 3 reputed to be one of the hardest stones available and has been used in construction aroundthe world most notably in the Eddystone Lighthouse, the Mersey Docks in Liverpool and the Thames Embankment in London. Dalbeattie Main Street www.scottishviewpoint.com Sculpture in Dalbeattie Forest © Main Doach Wood Main Key to Maps Map Map Mark Hill Douglas Trail 13/4 miles 1hr 25mins The Muckle 13/4 miles 1hr 20mins 4 5 (including the Jubilee path) Dominated by some of the tallest trees in h c Park in Rockcliffe and follow the track past the Baron’s o L southwest Scotland, soaring to 40 metres n i Craig Hotel up to the forest and the start of the walk. a t above the woodland floor, this short walk n a l The trail starts with an easy stroll P climbs steeply to a stunning viewpoint. The using the forest roads, before leading into breathtaking panorama out to the Solway Coast the trees along a footpath which opens makes the hard work worthwhile! By far the largest out on top of Mark Hill. Take in the views trees in the wood are the Douglas firs. This species of 5 across the bay and the hills beyond from tree was discovered by the Scottish colonist Archibald Muckle before descending onto the Menzies on the west coast of North America in 1791, but National Trust for Scotland’s Jubilee Path, named after another Scot, David Douglas, who sent seed which returns to Rockcliffe. to Britain in 1825. The forest car park is situated off the B736, west of Palnackie. 4 Taking care when out and about Please remember that the weather on the hills and mountains can change very quickly. Even in summer, conditions on the tops of mountains are often much oclder and windier than at the low levels, despite clear skies. View from Doach Wood Trail Grades Easy Moderate Strenuous Forestry Commission trails Sensible footwear Waterproof footwear Hillwalking boots are graded according to the degree of difficulty, gradients and type of conditions Easy-going Moderate-going Demanding visitors can expect. (Muscle-loosener) (Muscle-stretcher) (Muscle-builder) The Forests of the If you have enjoyed these walks - why not try more in the Southern Uplands What to See and Do Dumfries and Galloway is a haven for wildlife. Migratory Solway Coast barnacle geese arrive in their thousands from arctic Norway Contact 1 Forestry Commission Scotland and spend the winter grazing the coastal saltmarshes, whilst Dumfries & Borders Forest District The forests of the Solway Coast cloak the golden eagles soar above the craggy hills. The sprawling Ae Village, Parkgate, Dumfries, DG1 1QB woods and forests are home for many of the area’s plants and Tel: 01387 860247 coastal plains and rolling hills stretching out animals, including red squirrels, roe deer, badgers and from the bustling market town of Dumfries. E-mail: dumfries&[email protected] buzzards. Forestry Commission Scotland always considers the Web: www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland Providing a backdrop to quiet villages and needs of wildlife during forest management and is actively secluded bays, the forests await visitors both committed to conservation work for vulnerable species such new and old, in search of inspiring walks and as the pearl-bordered For fritillary and Bluebells information spectacular views. on what’s nightjar. available from Forestry Commission Fun for all the family Forestry Scotland welcomes Commission walkers, cyclists and Scotland in the rest of horse riders onto its land Dumfries & and provides many Galloway, waymarked routes for including the Galloway these activities. Walking Forest Park, routes in the forests Nightjar please contact Red around the Solway Coast squirrel the address at are described in this Looking for something extra to do the top. leaflet. Information on during your visit to the forest? Then For more trails in Explore Enjoy y and r Discover a r the area - look out for: Tweed Valley b the ‘7stanes’ cycle routes why not pick up our Events leaflet at i Forest Park d L n e a r The Forests of the l t u any local Tourist Information t at Mabie Forest and o c c i S P Southern Uplands n n Centre or from the Forestry Offices o Dalbeattie Forest is o i i s s and also the s s i i m available from www.7stanesmountainbiking.com at Ae and Mabie (see back page). m m m Tweed Valley Forest o o C C y Smaller, local events will y r r Park leaflets t t s s e e r r o be advertised on the notice boards in o F F , & s Buzzard e r If you need this publication in an the forest during peak periods. c e i l l v r u e Badger F S n alternative format, for example, in i e b v i o t R a A supporting leaflet, ‘The Forests of the t large print or in another language, e & r p k r r i 5 e 1 t K Southern Uplands’ is also available, with please contact: 0 n I h 2 t i & y e a K n information on forest walks around Ae, g : M i - y s The Diversity Team K b e U s D - Moffat, Lockerbie and Thornhill, h : R p y - Tel: 0131 314 6575 a b K r 7 g n - o available from the Ae Forest Offices g t i S I s o E-mail: [email protected] & e h D P (address - see back page). D For information on public transport services contact: Traveline Scotland, 0870 6082608 or Great spotted woodpecker www.travelinescotland.com © Crown Copyright 2015 Main Mabie Forest Map 1 All Abilities Trail 1/3 mile 2 0mins 1 11/2 mil es 1hr 10mins Chinney Field Trail Explore The Forests of the Dalshinnie Glen Trail 3 miles 2hours Enjoy and Lochaber Trail 51/4 miles 3hrs 15mins Discover Solway Coast Nith View Trail 41/2 miles 3hours Marthrown Hill Trail 1 miles 45mins y r a u t s E r r U The Forestry Commission bought Mabie Forest in e h t 1943, though forestry has been an important part s s o r c of life here since 1800. Today, it is one of the a g n i most popular destinations in the area for outdoor k o o l recreation and offers something for everyone from e l k c world-class mountain bike trails to quiet picnic areas u M e and stunning viewpoints. All of the walks start from the h T m o main car park and cross the Mabie Burn towards the Old r f w e Sawmill where picnic areas, a woodland pond and toilets i V : h can be found. The All Abilities Trail is a short, easy going p a r g introduction to the forest, passing through the old policy o t o h p woods of Mabie House and visiting a community sensory r e v garden. A little further along the Chinney Field Trail a o C woodland pond can be found with access back to the Old Sawmill. For the more adventurous, a number of longer walks meander through the forest, such as the Lochaber Trail which takes in a variety of natural habitats that are actively managed for wildlife such as nightjars, butterflies and dragonflies.

Load more