The sandy beach at Brighhouse Bay is the start point of this enjoyable circuit. Follow the coastline atop the cliffs before turning inland for a ramble through some of Galloway's rich dairy country.
Waymarked route, with sections of fairly rough coastal path, woodland and field paths and tracks. Can be muddy in places. Northern part of return often overgrown but can be omitted.
None to start.
Car park at Brighouse Bay.
There is a car park and public toilets at Brighouse Bay. Various paths on the left here give access to this sheltered sandy beach, often popular due to the adjacent caravan park. The walk begins along the track at the end of the car park, soon becoming a path. After an initial open section it climbs through the trees - turn left (waymarker) just before the path reached the caravan site.
Keep straight ahead on the main path through the woodland, curving left when a fence is reached to emerge above a slipway. Follow the track to the right here a little, again until a marker post indicates a left turn into the woods before the caravans. The trees are finally left behind as the path reaches a bench looking out across the mouth of the bay.
The route now continues on the mixture of grass and rocks that lie above the sea at Dunrod Point. Soon the path comes alongside a drystone dyke and coastal cliffs are revealed ahead. Pass through a gap in the wall before rounding the back of Rumblekirn, a dramatic inlet. Continue by the wall as it climbs high above the sea - an enjoyable traverse.
Eventually a wooden kissing gate quickly followed by a stile indicate the point to turn inland. Once over the stile follow a grassy trod to the left of a wall, eventually going through a gap to continue on the other side. Go through two gates in rapid succession and climb up to reach a cairn and small bench that mark an excellent viewpoint. Looking west Burrow Head can be seen, the southernmost point of the Machars peninsula. Continue directly ahead from the cairn, ignoring a path to the right, and reach a kissing gate in a drystone wall. The path then descends to meet a grassy track which is followed to the left.
After passing through a gate the route crosses a track - a right turn here would provide a short-cut back to the start and avoids the possibly overgrown section ahead. Otherwise, take the path opposite and pass the derelict house. The path continues between a fence and stone wall, and passes to the right of Cairniehill Loch - really a marsh of rushes and reeds that provides a habitat for newts and can be ablaze with irises in the late spring. Keep straight ahead - the path keeps to the higher ground with a slope down on the left - don't cross the stile but head through a farm gate to its right. The route eventually reaches a farm track. A public footpath sign indicates that a right turn is now needed for the final leg back to Brighouse bay.
The track leads across the rich pastureland that helps make Galloway so renowned for its dairy industry. Pass the fine farmhouse at Cairniehill; after this the track becomes a lane and leads past several cottages before descending back to Brighouse Bay and the car park.
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