Nith to the Cree

Places of Interest - Castle Douglas Food Town; Sulwath Brewery, Carlingwark loch; Threave Castle and Garden;  Dalbeattie museum; Sandyhills beach; Mersehead RSPB Nature Reserve; John Paul Jones visitor centre; Sweetheart Abbey; Galloway Conservation Park; Galloway Hydros VC; David Coulthard museum; Kirkcudbright artsist town; Cardoness Castle; Cream o' Galloway ice cream farm; Kilt making centre; Mill on the Fleet; Newton Stewart museum and cinema; Wigtown Book Town nearby; Butterflies and Carnivorous Plants centre. Tea Rooms, Pubs and Restaurants recommended. Places of Interest.
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Day 1: Balcary and Rascarrel Circuit – 8 miles – Coast and Countryside.
You can begin this popular walk from the village of Auchencairn, with the Old Smugglers Inn an ideal food and drink stop at the end, or drive to Balcary Bay and start from there. The 8 miles circuit includes some walking on country roads to complete the circuit. A 7 miles off road circuit includes a section to Barlocco Bay and back – or combine both to make a 10 miles walk. The top quality Balcary Bay Hotel will also offer a more expensive refreshment stop.

Day 2:  Caerlaverock Circuit – Up to 17 miles – Coast and countryside.
This walk departs from Dumfries and follows the side of the River Nith estuary. The first mile and a half is by riverside path, also the National Cycle Route, out of town. Thereafter the walk is on a flat country road circuit with views over the Solway and the highest hill in the area, Criffel 569m beyond. About halfway and at the furthermost point of the walk is Caerlaverock Castle, an unusual three cornered castle which is open to the public and has a tea room. Nearby is Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre and Nature Reserve operated by Scottish Natural Heritage. Near the conclusion of the walk, Castledykes Park and the grounds of the Crichton Royal hospital, now partly a university, are a pleasant conclusion before making you way back to the riverside.

Day 3: The Ross and Brighouse Bay - 9 miles – Coast and Countryside.
This walk is a combination of two coastal walks with a shop and holiday park/golf course restaurant available for a half way refreshment.
First start by doing the recently way-marked new walk to Ross Bay with several interesting characteristics. You begin by walking uphill through a field and over the hill to get glorious views over Ross Bay with Kirkcudbright Bay behind. After walking down to shore level to the Ross Dairy farm, a pleasant walk round the Bay to the other side takes you to a kissing gate leading uphill to the Meikle Ross. You soon reach the top to find spectacular views over to Little Ross island and lighthouse which is only ¼ mile offshore. The house on Little Ross is still occupied for part of the year and was once the site of a grizzly murder of a lighthouse keeper during the 1960's. Continuing round the rocky peninsula there are various spots to explore as you return to Brighouse Bay.The bay is a popular scenic area often used by the Scottish Colourist artist E.A. Hornell from Kirkcudbright in the early 1900’s as backdrop to his paintings. One side of the Bay is a holiday park and golf course. The walk follows the rocky shoreline along the edge of the Bay and then rises along beside the golf course with magnificent views across Wigtown Bay to The Machars region and the Isle of Man. After reaching Borness Point you leave the shoreline and head inland and gradually uphill to Cairniehill where the vistas are even more expansive. Passing through Cairniehill Farm, still on the way-marked route, you again arrive back at the Bay.

Day 4: The Water of Fleet and Loch Whinyeon – 12 miles – Countryside and Woodland.
This walk leaves Gatehouse of Fleet by a quiet road, before following the Castramont burn uphill and round Castramont Hill to another quiet road with outstanding views over the Galloway Hills. On the way back a 2 miles detour there and back up another hill to Loch Whinyeon gives views in the other direction to Glengap forest. The last stage of the walk is downhill by a quiet road or partly off road via two way-marked countryside walks if you prefer.

Day 5: The Minnoch and Loch Trool – 15 miles – Woodland River and Lochs.
The Minnoch is a little known walk popular with locals. It follows the River Minnoch upstream and links with the Southern Upland Way walking route near Stroan Bridge and Glentrool visitor centre. Beside this river a body was found in the Galloway set fictitious murder mystery book, The Five Red Herrings, the subject of  one of our themed walking tours! The Loch Trool section of this walk is another popular and stunningly beautiful area around Glentrool. It could be said to be the most like the Scottish Highlands having craggy hillsides, a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, and tumbling waterfalls. with the highest mountain of the region, Merrick 843m nearby. Bruce’s Stone, beside Loch Trool commemorates a battle in 1307 when Robert the Bruce scored a victory over an English Army. The walk around the loch has an information board showing how the battle was won using the natural features of the area. After circuiting the loch and visiting the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre and tea room, the return route again joins part of the Southern Upland Way.

Day 6:  Garlieston – 15 miles – Woodland and Coastline.
The village of Garlieston, the secret starting place of the D Day Mulberry Harbours, is a peaceful location to spend some time. The once busy harbour, odd shaped bowling green and pub which serves food make it worth a visit. The walk is simply to follow the path northwards from the village along the shoreline round Garlieston Bay to the bay at Innerwell Port and return – a walk of around 6 miles. Possibly after lunch, the next part of this walk follows the way-marked coastal route passing Galloway House around Cruggleton Bay. Following open ground the path rises along the cliff tops from where you can see the remains of Cruggleton Castle, a former important settlement. The views from the Castle are magnificent towards isle of Whithorn and Isle of Man in the distance. Return the same way with the option of entering the rambling Galloway House Gardens which are open to the public.

Day 7:  Around Clatteringshaws Loch – 10 miles – Moorland, Loch and Woodland.
The starting point for this walk is the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre at Clatteringshaws loch in the Galloway Forest Park. The walk follows a tarred road or forestry track all the way round the walk and provides panoramic views of the Galloway Hills. The first part is part of the National Cycle Route, then you join the Southern Upland Way walking route for a mile and a half before completing the circuit along the forestry road. The Visitor Centre has tea room for refreshments after your walk.