by Elspeth P » Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:24 pm
Date walked: 15/08/2022
Time taken: 3 days
Distance: 59 km
Ascent: 480m
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A great trail to start off - manageable distances and easy to navigate. The route descriptions on this website are superb and i wouldn't have made it without them especially as quite a lot of the trail was very overgrown, making some parts of path invisible (especially on Day 1). Walking in the height of summer makes this a risk but it does seem reasonable that if these trails are promoted by the local councils then they should at least either clear some of the overgrown parts of the paths or make the waymarkers a little more obvious. That said I had a great time and recommend visiting Galloway and walking this trail.
Day 1:
The initial cliff top path was scenic and easy going although not brilliantly signed (granted navigation was not an issue- keep the sea on your right and keep on going). As I said the way marking wasn’t great on the first day and finding the path not easy in mid August due to the overgrowth. Admittedly when the path was not obvious one can just walk along the shoreline or, from Drummore, walk along the roadside. North of Drummore the path was frequently invisible - the wooden steps mentioned in stage 6 were only spotted by the handrail - the steps were impassable. It's worth mentioning is that our progress was also hindered as I kept stopping to gorge myself on the largest brambles I have ever seen! We lunched watching Cormorants in the sea at Terally Point.
Rest of walk was along shore line (still poorly marked with very overgrown and hard to see paths) but we ended up at Ardwell soon- wet from punching through all the undergrowth and with a few cuts from thorn and briars but also stomachs full of delicious brambles!
Day 2:
This leg had much better marking of the route and paths more clearly seen-obviously used much more. It started on the Shoreline (and Caravan Parks) then head through dunes past more MoD property then headed inland along minor roads beside farmland (much quieter than A716 yesterday and prettier too). I appreciated the bench at Mosscroft with the sign “have a rest”. The route then headed through open pastures of the farmland (I had to persuade cows running at me that I did NOT have food for them). I enjoyed lunch sitting on a stile watching sheep and cows with the outskirts of Stranraer visible in the distance. Then it was into woodland and finally through forest tracks and into Stranraer. This day was much easier going and the paths were so much more obvious- as they were much more established. There were only a few overgrown bits. The way marking was significantly more obvious too.
Day 3
Great to leave direct from campsite in Stranraer but sad to see so much litter & excrement further along the coastal path. After the roadside pavement the route moved to a lovely pebbly grassy path before becoming gorse and brambles and occasionally impenetrable once again just before Cairnryan. I paused at Cairnryan before heading inland up the steep road that used to be the main road north. Once the road finished the path continued across open pasture passing ww2 gun emplacements, view of loch and ferries and the Taxing Stane. From there it became slightly boggy but easy to walk along an old wall before entering into GlenApp Estate. I did use the map more today but the description of the route (including warning of boggy ground) kept me near wall/fence as described and on the right "track". Then it was onto a forestry road as i said goodbye to Loch Ryan and Northern Ireland in distance, and hello to heather-covered hills of Ayrshire as well as a Buzzard hunting above. After the small mast I needed my waterproof trousers as the grassland was very wet and high. The path was faint across the grassland but much more visible than Day 1 and actually this bit had the best way marked section - I could see next post at every marker- until the ravine kissing gate in Stage 8. Then there was NO visible path- just thick thick bracken that towered above my head. After sliding down the ravine I looked back to see a set of stone steps and handrail within 5m of the kissing gate that descended to the burn! I was grateful to find another set of stones steps that took me up to within 10 m of the forestry track which then wound down to Glen App kirk.
Thank you Walk the Highlands - your route descriptions were fantastic and I will keep using them for all the trails (only 30 or so, left to do!)
- Attachments
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- Stone Stairs (Day 3, Stage 8) that made the ravine descent & ascent so much easier and safer (Kissing gate just visible in top right corner)
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- Impenetrable staircase north of Drummore Day 1, Stage 6