WALKING THE GALLOWAY HILLS About the Author Ronald Turnbull was born in St Andrews, Scotland, into an energetic fellwalking family. His grandfa- ther was a president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and a more remote ancestor was distin- guished as only the second climbing fatality in Snowdonia. Having lived in Dumfries & Galloway for the last 40 years, he has named the Merrick as his favourite hill (although Bidean nam Bian and Great Gable also get a look-in) and now relishes the chance to write up the Galloway Hills in the detail that they deserve. In 1995, Ronald won the Fell Runners Association’s Long Distance Trophy for a non-stop run over all the 2000ft hills of southern Scotland. He has made 21 different coast-to-coast crossings of the UK, and has slept out, in bivvybag rather than tent, on more than 90 UK summits. Outside the UK, he likes hot, rocky areas of Europe, ideally with beaches and cheap aeroplanes. Recent trips have included the Tour of Monte Rosa, and Utah’s WALKING THE GALLOWAY Canyonlands. He has also started trying to understand the geology of what he’s been walking and climbing on for so long. HILLS Most of Ronald’s walking, and writing, takes place in the nearby Lake District and in the Scottish Highlands. His recent books include The Book of the Bivvy, and walking/scrambling guides Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, The 35 WILD MOUNTAIN WALKS INCLUDING THE Cairngorms and Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, as well as Three Peaks, Ten Tors – a slightly squint-eyed look at various UK challenge walks. He has nine times won MERRICK Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild Awards for Excellence for his guide- books, outdoor books (including The Book of the Bivvy) and magazine articles. by Ronald Turnbull He writes frequently in Lakeland Walker, Trail and The Great Outdoors (TGO). His current, hopelessly ambitious, project is to avoid completing the Munros for at least another 20 years. www.ronaldturnbull.co.uk Other Cicerone guides by the author Ben Nevis and Glen Coe Walking in the Southern Uplands Not the West Highland Way Walking Loch Lomond and the The Book of the Bivvy Trossachs Three Peaks, Ten Tors Walking the Jurassic Coast Walking the Jurassic Coast Walking Walking the Southern Upland Way Highland Perthshire (revised update, 2018) JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS, Walking in the Cairngorms OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL www.cicerone.co.uk © Ronald Turnbull 2019 CONTENTS First edition 2019 ISBN: 978 1 7863 1010 1 Map key ...................................................... 6 Overview map ................................................. 7 Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. INTRODUCTION .............................................. 8 Harshness and heather ........................................... 9 © Crown copyright 2019 OS PU100012932 Geology of the Galloway Hills .................................... 10 All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated. Wildlife and wet ............................................... 15 Free Forest of Buchan ........................................... 17 Forest park and biosphere ........................................ 18 Climbing and scrambling ........................................ 19 This book is dedicated with thanks to Andy Priestman When to walk ................................................. 20 Getting here, getting around, staying the night ........................ 21 and his family, who first led me into the Galloway Hills. Maps and GPS ................................................ 22 Safety in the hills .............................................. 23 Using this book ............................................... 24 SECTION 1: GLEN TROOL ....................................... 25 Updates to this guide Route 1 Water of Minnoch and Glen Trool ......................... 27 While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guide- Route 2 Water of Trool ........................................ 32 books as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edi- Route 3 Around Loch Trool .................................... 35 tion. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone Route 4 Fell of Eschoncan to Bennan ............................. 39 website (www.cicerone.co.uk/1010/updates), so please check before plan- Route 5 Merrick and Rig of the Buchan ........................... 43 ning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things Route 6 The Three Lochs ...................................... 49 as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be Route 7 Craignaw. 55 altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrep- Route 8 Craiglee and Rig of the Jarkness. 60 ancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email Route 9 Mulldonoch to Curleywee ............................... 64 to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Route 10 Caldron of the Merrick ................................. 70 Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL. Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers SECTION 2: THE AWFUL HAND .................................. 74 and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk. Route 11 Kirriereoch Hill and Merrick ............................. 76 Route 12 The Awful Hand: Shalloch to Benyellary .................... 81 Route 13 Shalloch on Minnoch .................................. 87 Route 14 Craigmasheenie and Shiel Hill ........................... 91 SECTION 3: LOCH DOON ...................................... 95 Route 15 Craiglee of Doon ...................................... 97 Route 16 Hoodens Hill and Mullwharchar ......................... 101 Front cover: Reaching the summit of Mullwarchar above Loch Enoch (Route 16) Route 17 Northern Rhinns of Kells from Loch Doon .................. 108 OVERVIEW MAP SECTION 4: THE GLENKENS .................................... 113 Straiton Dalmellington Route 18 Garryhorn and the northern Rhinns of Kells. 115 to Ayr Route 19 Cairnsmore of Carsphairn .............................. 119 Route 20 Craig of Knockgray ................................... 124 Route 21 Corserine from Forrest Lodge ............................ 128 Loch Windy Standard Route 22 Southern Rhinns of Kells ............................... 133 Doon Route 23 Mulloch Hill ........................................ 137 Route 24 Waterside Hill ....................................... 140 Cairnsmore of Carsphairn Route 25 Dunveoch .......................................... 143 %& ,bu ()* SECTION 5: TALNOTRY AND THE SOUTH ......................... 146 + Carsphair R T Shalloch H Route 26 Larg Hill to Curleywee ................................ 148 S H on Minnoch Meaul I N N Route 27 Curleywee by Stronbae Hill. 152 E E N A K y a Route 28 Millfore ............................................ 156 W S N E W O F L U d Route 29 Cairnsmore of Fleet from the north ....................... 160 F G n L E a K Route 30 Cairnsmore of Fleet from the south ....................... 165 #$ Mullwarchar l H E H p L T A Corserine U L Route 31 Clints of Dromore .................................... 168 N Merrick S n D r Route 32 Knockman Wood .................................... 174 -bm e h t Route 33 The Thieves Stones ................................... 178 45 6 7 u o Route 34 Wood of Cree ....................................... 182 89 ! Craignaw S Meikle Millyea bnbo Loch Trool bp SECTION 6: EXPEDITIONS ..................................... 185 Glentrool St John’s Town of Dalry Route 35 Not the Southern Upland Way .......................... 187 Village12 3 Other routes ........................................ 192 Lamachan Hill Clatteringshaws New Galloway Bargrennan Loch to Dumfries M Curleywee IN Millfore Appendix A Route summary table .............................. 196 NIG AFF HILLS Appendix B The bothies ...................................... 200 bs Loch Appendix C Information points ................................ 202 cnco Ken bqbr bt Route symbols on OS map extracts Cairnsmore of Fleet (for OS legend see printed OS maps) cm route start/finish point Newton Stewart cu N alternative route start point . route direction finish point to Stranraer 0 5 10 alternative start/finish point km Creetown GPX files for all routes can be downloaded free at www.cicerone.co.uk/1010/GPX. 6 7 WALKING THE GALLOWAY HILLS HARSHNESS AND HEATHER small as Snowdonia. Within that area HARSHNESS AND HEATHER INTRODUCTION – much of it pathless – Galloway has The high ground of Galloway is 23 summits over 2000ft, including rugged, remote, and rather differ- four Corbetts (2500-footers). ent from anywhere you’ve been In the wilds of Galloway that look towards Ayrshire, up by the springs Most of the summits line them- before. And it’s wonderful country. of Doon and Dee, there lies a wide country of surpassing wildness, selves into the three ridges around However, those grassy ridgelines whither resorted all the evil gypsies of the hill – red-handed men, the edge. The Minnigaffs, the Rhinns and that granite heartland do come outlaws and aliens of all this realm of well-affected men. of Kells and the Range of the Awful at a cost. Much of the lower ground SR Crockett, The Raiders Hand give enjoyable grassy going is unpathed, ungrazed, and poorly and great views. But what those drained. Rather a lot of it is planted I fixed on Galloway as the best place to go views are of – that’s the bit in the with dreary Sitka