magazine winter 2010 magazine winter 2010 Scotland Scotland 16/11/2010 10:02 01 Cir Mhor and Caisteal Abhail, Isle of Arran 02 St Abbs, Berwickshire l Distance 17km/10½ miles l Time 6hrs l Type Glen and mountain l Distance 19km/12 miles l Time 6hrs l Type Coastal NAVIGATION FITNESS NAVIGATION FITNESS 3 LEVEL 3 3 LEVEL 3 2 LEVEL 2 3 LEVEL 3 plan your walk plan your walk Island Of Bute SCOTLAND l l ST ABBS Lumsdaine West Kilbride l Houndwood Irvine l ISLE OF ARRAN l l Eyemouth P TRO Prestwick L AR Burnmouth l ERGUS l F B BERWICKSHIRE A l N TH I O Ayr Lamberton l HY: FI HY: HY: KE HY: P P Where: Circular walk Where: Linear walk along from Glen Rosa, climbing Berwickshire Coastal Path Cir Mhor and Caisteal from St Abbs to PHOTOGRA Abhail. PHOTOGRA Burnmouth, via St Abbs Start/end: End of Glen There is something special about for the Glen Rosa cart track Head and Eyemouth. St Abbs Head, which lies along 1. START From the harbour, Rosa Road (NS004368). combining island walking with (NS004368). Walk west and then Start: St Abbs harbour the magnificent Berwickshire head up the road past the church terrain: Excellent climbing mountains. Goat Fell is north along the single track (NT919673). Coast, is renowned for its dramatic and onto a clearly marked path paths and tracks through the obvious mountain to climb road, which crosses a river and end: Burnmouth coastal scenery. The sheer cliffs, on your R signed for St Abbs glen and over mountains. when on Arran, but Cir Mhor and then climbs gently past a few (NT954612). offshore stacks and narrow gullies Head. Having emerged from the Some steep ascents and Caisteal Abhail also provide a cottages to reach the Glen Rosa terrain: High cliffs at St are home to the largest colony of trees onto the open cliffs, you’ll descents and a high-level wonderful walk with astounding Campsite (NS001377). The track Abbs Head and well- cliff-nesting seabirds on the find a notice board showing the ridge walk. views of Scotland’s celebrated becomes a bit rougher here. signed coastal path from south-east coast of Scotland, trails around the St Abbs Head MapS: OS Explorer 361; west coast. The initial walk Continue through the campsite St Abbs to Burnmouth. including kittiwakes, guillemots, Nature Reserve. Follow the coast Landranger 69. through Glen Rosa’s natural and two gates into Glen Rosa, MapS: OS Explorer 346; razorbills, shags, herring gulls, path round Starney Bay and past GettinG there: Regular amphitheatre is stunning, as is with the track following the line Landrangers 67 & 75. fulmars and puffins. The area is Kirk Hill to the lighthouse (not sailings from Ardrossan to the steep climb to Cir Mhor’s of the beautiful Glenrosa Water. GettinG there: a National Nature Reserve in the open to the public). St Abbs Brodick (✆ 0800 066 5000, compact summit. Good paths line The track provides good, solid Perryman’s Bus 235 runs care of the National Trust for Head Lighthouse began service www.calmac.co.uk) then the route, which, from Cir Mhor, walking as it meanders on its between Berwick and Scotland. Extending south from in 1872 and was finally take the Stagecoach hugs the ridge line above way through the glen to reach St Abbs, via Burnmouth St Abbs to Berwick-upon-Tweed automated in 1993. Climb the West Scotland bus number Glen Sannox and climbs to the a footbridge which crosses the and Eyemouth – a daily is the 24km/15-mile Berwickshire small hillock nearby, on top of 324 to the end of bouldery plateau of Caisteal Garbh Allt (NR983387). and hourly service. Coastal Path. Though possible which there is a directional disc Glen Rosa Road Abhail. On a clear day, Northern Mainline trains stop at to walk it in a day, to have time and several information panels. (✆ 0871 200 2233, www. Ireland, Mull and Ben Nevis are 2. Once across the footbridge, an Berwick-upon-Tweed to enjoy visiting St Abbs Head It’s a fine viewpoint. traveline scotland.com). all visible. The descent follows excellent path continues north, (✆ 0871 200 2233, first – and a look around historic eatinG & drinkinG: The the route of ascent to the col with Cir Mhor standing in www.traveline.org.uk). Berwick at the end – it’s better 2. Descend the north side to the Ormidale Hotel, Brodick below Cir Mhor, and then you splendid isolation at the head of eatinG & drinkinG: In St to spread it over two days. This lighthouse access road and turn L (✆ 01770 302293, www. retrace your footsteps to the the glen. Walk along the path Abbs there’s a coffee shop route, which combines a short along this down to Pettico Wick. ormidale-hotel.co.uk). end of Glen Rosa Road to catch through heathery ground at the National Trust for out-and-back walk to St Abbs Alternatively you can keep closer SleepinG: The Ormidale the bus back to Brodick. beneath the steep slopes of Goat Scotland Visitor Centre, Head with the first half of the to the high cliff edges – home to Hotel, Brodick (see Fell and Coire Daingean. The open April to the end of Coast Path to Burnmouth, should thousands of screeching seabirds ▲ above); Glen Rosa 1. START From the B880, turn R route then climbs very gently to October, plus the harbour ▲ hopefully encourage you to (the nesting season for most of into the minor road signposted reach the base of Fionn Choire continue to Berwick another day. these is between April and late ▼ ▼ 45-46 WALK29 SCOTLAND ROUTEMASTER_rev1.indd 1 45-46 WALK29 SCOTLANDROUTEMASTER.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap 4 2 continued... 3 café. Eyemouth has a good selection of places to eat 3 ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 and drink; and there’s a ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 pub in Burnmouth (The 5 Gull’s Nest). START sLeepinG: A good choice 1 of accommodation – hotels, B&Bs & self-catering – is along the coast at St Abbs, Coldingham, Eyemouth and Berwick- upon-Tweed. Contact TICs or see websites (both below). Visitor information: Eyemouth TIC (seasonal opening) and Kelso TIC 4 (✆ 0870 608 0404, www. visitscottishborders.com); Berwick-upon-Tweed TIC 2 (✆ 01289 301780, www. visitnortheastengland. com). Guidebooks: The Border Map not to scale. Country by Alan Hall Representation of (£12.95, Cicerone, ISBN OS Landranger MAP 69 9781852844592); Berwick START 1:50,000 1 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Walks by Arthur Wood FINISH (£4.95, Berwick Ramblers, Map not to scale. ISBN 0954533100 – Representation of between A’Chir and Cir Mhor. especially out across the Kintyre available from Berwick OS Explorer MAP 346 continued... Turn R and ascend a steep, Peninsula to the Paps of Jura and Ramblers, 5 Quay Walls, 1:25,000 FINISH narrow path which climbs Northern Ireland beyond. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 5 ✆ Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 campsite ( 01770 302380, over some quite bouldery 1HB, cheques payable to www.glenrosa.com/ and exposed ground to reach 4. From Caisteal Abhail, retrace ‘Ramblers’ Association’). 3. Leave the road and turn 4. Continue around the harbour arran-campsite.html). Cir Mhor’s compact summit your steps south down its grassy Visitor information: LocaL rambLers south to Mire Loch, following – crossed by a footbridge – to (NR973431). There’s not a lot flanks to pick up the path above Groups: Lothian & Borders the path along its west side. join a road on the other side. Brodick Tourist of room on top, but the views Glen Sannox. Follow the line of Ramblers (✆ 01506 880980, At the end of the loch, turn L Follow this road (the current OS Information Centre of Arran’s mountains, the ridge but, just as the path ✆ www.lothian-borders- and rejoin your outward route Explorer map shows a slightly ( 01770 303774, particularly Beinn Tarsuinn begins to climb back towards Cir ramblers.org.uk); to return to St Abbs. From the different route here), then turn www.visitarran.com). and Goat Fell, are remarkable. Mhor, bear R on to a narrow path Guidebooks: North Berwick Ramblers harbour it is now simply a L as signed across the golf course Walking on (NR970434), which climbs south (✆ 01620 893657); East matter of keeping the sea on back to the coast and go R. the Isle of Arran by Paddy 3. Carefully descend the steep, and then south-east to reach the Berwickshire Ramblers your L and following There’s some fine cliff-top Dillon (£12.95, Cicerone, rocky north-west slopes of Cir col above Fhionn Coire and (✆ 018907 51048). the Coast Path signs. About walking now with splendid views ISBN 9781852844783). Mhor to pick up a narrow path between Cir Mhor and A’Chir. LocaL rambLers Group: 1.5km/1 mile from the village all the way to Burnmouth. above Glen Sannox. The path is Coldingham Bay, a wide Cunninghame Ramblers hugs the edge of the ridge, 5. Descend the steep path back ✆ sweep of sand popular with 5. The Coast Path reaches the ( 01505 502977, www. providing wonderful views down Fhionn Coire and into Glen July) – but this will involve a holidaymakers in summer. road at Burnmouth (the upper cunninghameramblers. down the glen and across the Rosa, and follow the path back very steep descent down a Approaching Eyemouth the path part; the lower is at the foot of co.uk). Firth of Clyde, and then climbs through this wonderful glen to grassy gully to Pettico Wick. goes round a caravan park, then the cliff) by a phone box and bus quite steeply up broad slopes cross the bridge over the Garbh There are excellent views drops down to the town and stop.