After a few miles on the A710, under grey skies, I turn off at Gillfoot and head into the Kirkconnell Flow Nature Reserve in search of red squirrels and a more interesting route. The path becomes boggy, my poles sinking over a foot, so I turn back. There’s a wooden seat among the trees. I sit silently, scanning the branches, but there’s no movement, only the birds.
A well-signposted core path winds round Airds Point. It’s a pretty woodland walk. A large brown rabbit hops across a carpet of bluebells under the beech trees. We stare at each other. It leaps away as I reach for my camera. A group of lambs are chasing each other round a tree. They stop playing despite my stealthy approach.
The path takes me to the 13th century Sweetheart Abbey, which is covered in scaffolding but still beautiful to walk round, followed by tea and cake at the Abbey Cottage tea rooms.
It’s back on the A710 for a long stretch, made more pleasant by the fine views of Criffel. Fortunately, the road is straight and open, and there are rarely vehicles passing in both directions at the same time. About 80% of incoming vehicles pull out and pass me on the other side. For those that do not, I swivel round to check if there is any traffic approaching in the other direction. This seems to cause the oncoming vehicles to change lanes rather than me having to step onto the verge. I would prefer my epitaph to be “Lost on the Black Cuillin” not “Mown down by Mr Whippy on the A710.”
I relax at Kirkbean, heading down a minor road to Carsethorn, for a beach walk round to Southerness. On cue, blue skies appear, and the coastline is gorgeous. This is the funny thing about coastal walking. You can spend hours thinking Why am I walking down an A road? and then you get an unexpected payoff rounding the next headland, discovering the “The House on the Shore”, as marked on the OS map. My photos don’t do it justice; a beautiful, isolated old house in pretty gardens, overlooking a huge beach. What must it be like to sit at one of those windows, reading or writing, and gaze across the beach?
The Thirl Stane sandstone arch has to be explored.
I pitch at the Lighthouse leisure campsite, which feels a little uncomfortable, surrounded by static caravans. Not my favourite site. The lady at the nearby shop, replacing my chocolate supplies, is very chatty and tells me that George Clooney once filmed at the house I passed earlier. I wander down to the wonderful lighthouse before crashing out after a long day.
Walk distance: 22 miles.
Total distance: 1,662 miles.
I remember that nature reserve I followed the path expecting to emerge further up the road, only to realise I’d walked round in a circle and was back where I started. Frustrating! Sweetheart abbey was nice, not covered in Scaffolding when I was there. Agree about Southerners,a lovely spot. Unfortunately traffic dodging on busy A roads is quite common on parts of the Scottish coast. You could go up the lighthouse when I went here.
There was a pretty circular path but it was heading in the wrong direction for me. The path I took was actually fenced off and I can see why! Apparently the lighthouse has been closed for a while, sadly.
Hi Tony, great to finally make contact. I like your epitaph, mine would be “No good being on the moral high- ground, if your buried underneath it!” In relation to assumining that speeding motorists are allows required to give way to pedestrians. ‘ Bagging @ another Franklin Gardens next week (home of Northampton) Loughbrough Lightning v Quins. Cheers Alan
Hi Alan. It was good to chat. I have ordered some Lifesystems EX4 spray. Good epitaph and enjoy the rugby. 🙂
When I was up that way, I took a wrong path after Sweetheart Abbey and accidentally climbed up Criffel. By the time I had made it back down from the top, I had used up most of the daylight and did the last few miles into Southerness in the dark. Consequently I never saw the beach house or that arch; interesting to see what I missed out!
I thought seriously about climbing up Criffel, but it was already going to be a long day. I would have done if there was a route over the top to avoid part of the A710, but I read from your blog, and others, that it was a there-and-back route. Shame.
Oh, I definitely came down a different way from that by which I went up, apart from right at the top where they merged/branched. Sorry if I gave the wrong impression, there. I went up it in a line from the abbey and then came down what had been the left-hand-side going up.
While doing that did avoid part of the A-road, it still dropped me back onto it in the end, so I’m not sure I’d recommend it on that score. The view was good, cloud permitting, though.