Campsite

OK, it's not a bad looking day, let's be off. We drive down the road a few miles to the Green Well of Scotland and park up of the verge after the bridge. One other car is there already. Setting off up the track at about 8.30 it's turning into a nice warm sunny morning. Views to the west over to the Merrick and the Rhinns of Kells are inviting. Going is easy under foot on a farm track. We pass Dunool on our right as we head towards Standing Stone Rig, following the path up by the stream, across the small bridge and up the side of the wall heading right for the cairn. No false summits here! Three other guys are draped around the cairn. It's too nice a day to waste on Donalds, I decide - it has only taken us 90 minutes to get here and rather than head off to Windy Standard, Alhang and Moorcroft hills I think we would be much better served by getting over to Corserine and claiming another Corbett. So we head down the fence line over Black Shoulder and Dunool then along the Nick of Disgee back to the path and thence to the car. A nice wee hill that one.
Dunool

View towards Merrick

Cairnsmore


Summit Cairnsmore

Route down over Black Shoulder

View back up



We drive down the road a few miles to Polharrow Bridge then up the well-surfaced single track road to Forrest Lodge, an estate owned by Fred Olsen and with tracks going into the forest having the most unusual names - Prof Hans Heiberg Drive being one (He was a Norwegian Professor of Silviculture in case you didn't know). Off into the tree lined avenue which soon opens out into a cleared area of forest with our first objective - Meickle Lump - up ahead. Have to say I just love these place names down in Galloway. Anyhow we proceed through the trees, coming to Kristen Olsen Road then through a boggy trail that brings us up to a stile over the deer fence and up the side of the aforementioned Meickle Lump. The heather's bonny, the going steep at first then levelling out as we walk up to the first top, Meikle Millyea which offers good views south to Clatteringshaws Loch and along the broad ridge we'll take to Corserine.

Meikle Lump

Boggy bit

Deer Stile

Heathery hillside

Clatteringshaws

Along the ridge to Corserine

Meikle Millyea has its name pinned on the trig point (they do think of everything here) and we enjoy the cool breeze before heading along to the next couple of tops - Milldown and Millfire - all, I later learn, Donalds - yay! We get good views over to the hills in the west. We hear a crinkling rustling noise in the grasses and spot a threesome of dragonflies mating or up to some nefarious business. One flies off before I can get my camera out. The land over to the east is so flat and arable looking - quite a contrast after recent weeks out on the hills. Up ahead the great whaleback of Corserine stretches up to the skyline. I push on faster than Ally who's lagging behind with a sore knee. Great views from the cairn, including over to Cairnsmore of Carsphairn.
Meikle Millyea

To Milldown

dragonflies

View over to Cairnsmore

Dungeon Loch

Corserine

Summit


Better late than never


We trek down by the Scar of the Folk, with rougher terrain over towards Craigbrock. I head to the Folk Burn for a drink - having neglected to refill my water bladder yesterday was a bad move on such a hot and sunny afternoon. After downing a litre of cool streamwater I feel revived and we set off back into the forest to return to the car park. It's good to see these hills down in this part of the world on a good day.
Craigbrock

Peacock Butterfly

Last section of descent

Shrooms

Looks like a motorway they're building - definately a "Boulevard"!!

And another one


You've been warned!
