Whita Hill is the best known of the rounded hills which cradle the town of Langolm, being topped by the massive Malcolm Monument. This circular walk begins by heading north up the glen before climbing to the summit.
Bog Factor
Mostly waymarked; one section is pathless across tussocky, boggy moorland.
Kilngreen car park, Langholm .
Bus to Langholm.
NY363848
Start from the Kilngreen car park adjacent to the River Esk, on the A7 just north of the town centre. Follow the river upstream to the far north corner of the car park and cross Ewes Bridge on the left. On the far side, take the right hand fork in the track (walk no.8 on the marker post), then follow the tarred track uphill, signed for Pathhead and Beanntrai. At Pathhead, continue on the track straight ahead. When this reaches another house, keep straight ahead below the house now on a grassy track.
Stay on this track at a fork (waymarker no.8). The track now undulates along the western slopes of the glen. Keep ahead through a gate and continue until the wall on the right ends; here turn right (marker post) downhill beside a fence, soon passing through a kissing gate. Once through the gate continue through a field with a fence on your left. Eventually a muddy track cuts back sharply left downhill to reach the main A7 road. Turn right along this (take care - busy traffic), crossing Highmill Bridge over the Ewes Water.
On the far side turn left beside the bend chevron sign onto a track that continues by the river. After around 500m follow the track as it sharply to the right, up into the woods. Near the end of the track take the path that drops to cross the burn - there's a footbridge. On the far side head up through the trees; at the top a marker indicates that the route turns right. Further on cross a stile, keeping to the north side of the plantation.
The route follows the line of an old track, eventually curving right to pass around the top of the trees. When a stone dyke is reached turn left and continue up the moorland with the wall on your right. The route aims well to the left of the monument on Whita Hill, eventually meeting a minor road. Turn left along the road.
Continue along the road until a small parking area and a sign for 'Public Footpath to the Malcolm Memorial'. Turn right here, following a grassy path up by an unusual metal sculpture - a memorial to the poet Hugh MacDiarmid (Christopher Murray Grieve) who was born locally.
Just past the memorial the path joins a track; follow this to the right to reach the top of the hill and the massive Malcolm Memorial, which commemorates Major General Sir John Malcolm - a soldier and MP during the time of the Empire. The views are superb. From the front of the memorial turn right onto a footpath which descends directly towards Langholm.
The grassy path descends rapidly, bearing left by a pylon to reach a curious small stone pyramid used during the Langholm Common Ridings. Go straight ahead across a grassy track here, following a path which bears right to come alongside a stone wall.
Turn left through a gate to continue the descent down a rough track. This becomes surfaced and eventually meets a road and houses. Go straight across the road, descending a steep ramp down to a street below. Continue along this to reach Langholm's High Street, then turn right to head back to the start of the walk.
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