UKC

Evening all,

Heading to the Galloway Hills with my girlfriend next weekend, and was wondering if anyone has tips on nice routes/ things to see/ places to camp?

Baically my gf is doing her ML in Sept at PYB (too many accronyms?) and is looking for some nav practice etc., so if anyone could organise a white out also that'd be awesome

In reply to Tim_C7:

The awful hand part of the Galloways is perhaps the nicest, Craignaw, Mulwhachar and The Merrick. You might want to camp beside Loch Enoch.

Look out for the goats.

In reply to Removed User:

Would second the above.Craignaw,Dungeon Hill and Mullwharchar and back by Loch Enoch is a tremendous day out.

In reply to Removed User:

Aye - Range of the Awful Hand is impressive and some lovely terrain out there.

Did a Kimm out there way back when and have been back for some running and really loved the countryside. simialr to the Howgills in many respects, but reallty really quiet and some stunning views over the Solway.

Enjoy

In reply to Tim_C7:
Aye, that part of the Galloway Hills is lovely, rugged country.
I camped at the SW end of Loch Enoch once. It was a good spot.
The thing I remember most, though, was that the underside of the tent was covered in hundreds of thin stringy white worms when I took it down. I don't know what they were, but I opted to go thirsty rather than drink the water

In reply to Tim_C7: Also good is the Rhins of Kells, a short way east of Merrick.

Wherever you go, the ground is surprisingly rough and hard going once you get away from the forestry tracks and most popular paths. A lot of it is probably less visited than the more well known remote areas of Scotland, such as the Fisherfield Forest.

In reply to Tim_C7:

Also check out some of the coastal walks - some great coastlines and the weather can be great here when the mountains are in gloom.

Isle of Whitehorn is fantastic.

cheers
mark

In reply to Mark Westerman:

it's Whithorn, but agree it is a lovely part of Galloway.

The Rhinns of kells is a great walk, very remote though joining up the start and the finish could be a problem unless you work out the 2 buses a day that go that way between Dalry and Dalmellington.

In reply to Tim_C7: a useful book is http://www.paddydillon.co.uk/guidebook/walking-the-galloway-hills/ by Paddy Dillon. Lots of ideas and information about the various ranges that make up Galloway. As well as the suggestions of others on this thread I'd also recommend the more southerly Minnigaff hills - Lamachan, Curleywee and Millfore are good. We also did Cairnsmore of Fleet to Craignelder from the west (near Murray's Monument) - a bit tricky but do-able getting through the forestry. If the weather's too bad on the high hills, Cairnharrow/Cambret Hill down near the Solway make a good cicuit.

In reply to Tim_C7:

A couple of favourites are the Merrick vi the Rig of Enoch. Start as per the tourist route but where it leaves Buchan Burn, cross the stream and head to the summit of Buchan Hill (all very arduous) but from there, the Rig of Enoch is delightful. Look out for the Grey Man!

Also, up the Gairland Burn, past the Murder Hole to the Northern End of Loch Neldricken (great camp site by a silver sand beach)from where Craignaw (the best summit in the range) and the Devil's Bowling Green are easily explored.

Several things are needed for walking in the Galloway Hills in my opinion. These are: waterproof boots, walking poles, midge repellent, midge net, strong breeze to keep the midges off, a good sense of humour. The going is exceptionally rough until you get on the tops and it's important to allow for this in planning your day as you'll cover a lot less distance than you would in the Lakes if you venture off the path, and there are hardly any paths anyway.

In reply to Tim_C7:

Use maps & compass dont be like the pratts who call out rescue if they get lost because you cant get mobile reception on most of the hills.

In reply to Tim_C7:

Tim, much of the advice above is on the money! I lived for three glorious years in Dalmellington (a grand spot despite it's reputation ......... the view from my bedroom included the NE aspects of the Merrick!) and explored all corners of Galloway.

For me the pure essence of the Galloway Hills is the Dungeon range (Mullwharchar,Dungeon Hill, Craignairny and Craignow)from the roadhead at Loch Doon (excusing the neds campsites by the loch)and variations of the traverse of the Rhinns of Kells (for the best coverage I always favoured starting from Forest Logde in Glenkens but the ascent of Corserine by following the Gala Lane from Loch Doon and taking in the northern summits as far as the Coran of Portmack and the Black Craig is another cracking route).

For a weekend out in the hills I often walked from Loch Doon via the Dungeon Range, spending a night beneath a specific boulder by Loch Enoch (everyone once in their lifes should be awoken by Loch Enoch by Red Deer stags barking) and returning by the Awful Hand (the Merrick, Kirrereoch Hill, Tarfessock and Shalloch on Minnoch)

Another underlooked route (except in Ken Wilson/Richard Gilbert's Wild Walks) is the ascent of the Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (for me the best route is via the Green Well of Scotland, Dunool, the Black Shoulder and taking in Beninner). I am one of the lucky ones that recall views from its summit that were not polluted by windfarms (in those days the regimented ranks of spruce was enough!)

As a complete aside; any one like me that has fallen in love with this magnificent area of wild beauty; have a root about your local library for a copy of Robin Ade's "Fisher in the Hills; a Season in Galloway" IMHO it is the best and most important work about Scottish game angling; but more importantly it is by a country mile the best written description of these hills and its magnificent landscape, flora and fauna

In reply to grumpytramp:

Funny that this morning I'm sitting drinking coffee, fair to middling hungover, out of a mug with a Robin Ade drawing of Tinker's loop and Lamloch Kirk on it.
I'm sure I have read Robin's book too and used to enjoy hearing his stories of fishing in the hills and trips to Pakistan at the odd Hogmanay party.

When I was 13 my parents chose to buy a wreck of a farmhouse nr Carsphairn. Pretty devastating for a teenager's social life, but the only good thing about it was getting out in the hills with the dogs. The N end of the Rhinns, Loch Doon and Cairnsmore were the usual tramping grounds, and it would be a very rare day you'd meet anyone beyond a stalker or forestry worker in the plantations.

Happy days.

In reply to grumpytramp: I've spent many a happy day fly fishing for trout in these hills. Great fishing,specacular scenery and an environment that really feels wild.I don't know whether it's good or bad that so may people drive past it on their way up north.
On angling literature have you read "landscape with a solitary figure" by Colin Willock?.It's years since I read it but I remember finding it inspiring.I believe he went on the produce "Survival" for Granada a TV series that exposed me to the world wild places before I evenknew where they were on a map.
sjm
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In reply to grumpytramp:


Other excellent books on the area are J McBain's 'The Merrick and Other Hills' (account of wallking in the hills about 100 years ago) and the novels of SR Crockett, especially 'The Raiders' and 'All About Grey Galloway'.

In reply to Tim_C7:

Some pics of the dungeon hills on this blog...

http://blueskyscotland.blogspot.com/2010/05/mulwharchar-and-loch-enoch.html

In reply to grumpytramp:


I was up at Loch Doon a few weeks ago and was pleased to see that all the entrances to the campsites had been blocked off by boulders.

In reply to Tim_C7:

I did this walk in April
http://walking.visitscotland.com/walks/southscotland/214487
and it was awesome. Saw nobody apart from 4 deer until we got to the summit of Merrick. Superb views all the way, we were really lucky with the weather. Recommended.

In reply to oldmanofmow:

Compass? What's a compass? u mean i won't be able to text my friends? oh no..... never mind my sarcasm, i share ur sentiments about eejits in the hills cryin when the gps runs outta batteries.

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appeciated... hopin we get the weather!!!!