There’s little to see in the early morning mist and rain, so I follow the road to Garlieston rather than the coastal path. It also shaves a little off the challenging 30 miles planned for the day.
The village is quiet, with no cafe for breakfast, so I pass on through to begin a pretty core path leading to Isle of Withorn.
The remains of Cruggleton Castle dominate a high outcrop of shale.
The stone arch provides a little shelter from the rain.
After the castle, the path becomes very overgrown, eventually vanishing into tall, soaking wet crops. There are a lot of cows about, and a few bulls to avoid, making the walking more difficult.
The weather clears after I leave Isle of Withorn, the path somewhat easier. The towering cliffs are rimmed with pretty lilac flowers, giving me a fine view back to the island.
Dramatic Burrow Head, the southernmost point on The Machars peninsula, was the setting for the final scenes from The Wicker Man. I can see why.
The sun comes out, and I revel in the warmth, with soft, springy grass underfoot, and birds swooping far below. This is one of the finest coastal sections in Dumfries and Galloway.
I explore St Ninian’s Cave. He is said to be the man who first brought the Christian faith to Scotland around 397AD. Tradition holds that this cave, a little eroded now, was a place of retreat for the saint.
Visitors have left their mark in the form of wooden crosses constructed from driftwood.
It’s 4.30pm and the tide has turned. The morning wind, rain and terrain were hard going. I’m too tired to risk clambering along the rocky shore, so take the longer road route inland, spotting a deer with her fawn.
After a few weary miles, I still can’t resist a diversion to see the otter monument, a memorial to Gavin Maxwell, who was born in nearby Elrig and wrote Ring of Bright Water, which I recall from my childhood. I should read it again.
The light has begun to soften the sweeping view from the memorial clifftop.
Kings Green campsite at Port William is next to the sea, allowing me to pitch facing the water. It’s a little exposed, so I make sure the tent pegs are secure. Another chap is pitched further along the green but doesn’t seem keen to chat. Time for some fine chilli con carne instead and a very welcome sleep.
Walk distance: 27 miles.
Total distance: 1,823 miles.
Hi Tony, another big day! I stayed in a B& B close to where you camped. I think thats the Kintyre Peninsular in the far distance on your last photo. After St. Ninians Cave I managed, after a brief detour inland , to get back on the coast and walk along a raised beach all the way to St Medan. I often ckeck whats on the 1:50k as well as the 1:25k, because you often get differences. Yes your right this part of D&G is especially beautiful. cheers Alan
Hi Alan, yes I saw that both you and another coastal walker, Charles Compton, who I actually met the following day, managed to walk along the coast after the cave. However, it sounded quite hard work, and tbh I was really flagging by that stage, so decided to walk along the road. Thirty miles was too far really with a full pack, especially in poor conditions, but my total distance is determined by public transport to the start/end points for a week’s hiking. I’m getting stronger though, which is good. All the best, Tony
I am sure the question on everyone’s mind is:
‘What about your breakfast?’
Another mars bar I imagine.
Haha. I should have referred to “second breakfast”. I made some oats with raspberries when I woke up. 🙂
A lovely section of the coast. Good mileage too!
St Ninian’s cave doesn’t look very comfortable or weatherproof. There were many more religious momentoes there when I passed through, but I suspect a few high tides have washed them away.
The cave seemed to have a fairly steady flow of visitors, but definitely not a place to shelter from the rain!