Southern Upland Way 2: Castle Kennedy to Bargrennan

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This long and varied stage crosses one of the least visited parts of Galloway. It starts in pleasant parkland, then crosses farmland as it leads into ever wilder, remoter country with moorland and extensive forestry plantations. There are no facilities en route except the basic open shelter at the Beehive Bothy, but New Luce is accessible via a 2km each-way detour. There is also little at the end at Bargrennan - there's a seasonal small hotel and a campsite at Glen Trool.

Terrain

Varied terrain. Forest tracks and rides, moorland paths and some farm tracks. One or two sections are rough and harder to navigate.

Public Transport

Buses to Castle Kennedy and Bargrennan, both link to Newton Stewart.

Start

Castle Kennedy. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Cross the busy A75 from Castle Kennedy and head up the entrance driveway to the Castle Kennedy Gardens. Follow the tarmac lane through the parkland as it swings to the right by the loch. Across the water is Lochinch Castle can be seen; the much older ruins of Castle Kennedy are the centerpiece of the gardens, which are open to the public (charge). When a junction is reached, the left track is a detour to the gardens, whereas our route turns right. Follow the track to a t-junction with a minor road, then turn left along it. Ignore a road off left, and then take the next right onto a track, passing a building. Keep ahead when another track joins from the left, then at the buildings at Chlenry keep straight ahead again, now on a narrower track.

Stage 2

Keep left past a barn, and follow the track through a gate. The track almost peters out - ignore a branch right and instead fork left on a grassy trod through the trees. The path runs along the right side of a gorse hedge, then goes through a gate on the left to continue on the other side. Eventually it emerges at a minor road - turn right along it. After around 500m turn right onto another track. At the Glenwhan Moor plantation go through the gate but then turn left to follow a path that runs along the edge of the woods - with open country to the left. Although boggy in one or two places, this can be a lovely section, passing near a small lochan.

Stage 3

Eventually the path runs along the top of a high bank inside the edge of denser forestry. Look out for a sign indicating where to turn left steeply down through the trees. Head down some steps to cross a small footbridge, then continue on the path with a railway to your right. When the path reaches a gate into a field, go through and turn right, heading through a gate and over a bridge over the railway. The route then follows the Water of Luce downstream to reach a suspension footbridge - cross this. Go ahead through a gate on the far side into a field, and aim for another gate towards the left corner of the woods opposite. Continue uphill through the grassy pastures to again meet a minor road - turn left along this.

Stage 4

After 250m or so turn right onto a rising track. Keep straight ahead through a gate and follow the track with a drystone dyke on your left. After another gate the wall is left behind - keep ahead on the now grassy track - which is boggy in places - with wind turbines visible ahead. Keep ahead - passing through another gate - for around 2.5km until a gate near the ruins at Kilhern. Don't pass through the gate here, instead turning left. After another gate follow the winding track, which is muddy in places. Continue ahead through a gate (the chambered cairn of the Caves of Kilhern can be visited by a detour to the right here). When the track swings right at the next gate, leave it to go through the gate and continue through the pasture with a drystane dyke on your right. The path descends towards a farmstead; when it meets a track, turn left to follow this down to the road.

Stage 5

New Luce (which has a hotel) is a 2km detour to the left from here, but the route turns right. Follow the road for 500m to a junction, then take the left fork which ends at Balmurrie Farm. Pass through the farmyard on a track, then which it forks take the left branch. Continue for 450m and then turn right immediately after a cattle grid, taking a rough and boggy path uphill. This leads to a pedestrian gate; pass through then bear right to cross an almost hidden footbridge over the burn. The path now continues with a drystone dyke on your right.

Stage 6

Look out for a marker post indicating where to fork left away from the wall, crossing a footbridge at one point and later a drystone dyke via a stile. Then route then enters the forest plantations at a gate, and keeps straight ahead along a wide firebreak. It crosses a footbridge, and goes straight on at a first track, turning right along a second. As the track nears a turbine the route turns right onto a another firebreak path. Keep straight across at another track, soon reaching the Beehive Bothy - a basic shelter. Continuing from the shelter, the standing stones at Laggangarn are reached after 300m. The crosses carved on the stones were a later addition, as the stones pre-date Christianity.

Stage 7

Soon the path reaches a forest track - turn right here, crossing the bridge, then turn left onto a path again. At the next track the route turns briefly left, then right onto a grassy path. This soon meets another track - go straight across this. The path climbs by a wall and then reaches more open ground. A finger post indicates the Wells of the Rees, just off to the right - small stone domes have been built over springs - they are very old and their exact purpose is not known. The trail bears left at a cairn, then goes left again at a marker post to make a zig-zagging ascent to the open ridge of Craig Aire Fell, which gives splendid open views, high over the forestry.

Stage 8

After the trig point the path passes a picnic table and descends back to the trees. Go straight across at a first track, then turn right along a second. This track is followed for 2km to Derry, where a path on the right shortcuts a section before rejoining the track. Keep left on the main track at a junction. Shortly after this it becomes a minor road, which is followed for 5km to a t-junction. Turn right here, following the road through the hamlet of Knowe. Turn left over a footbridge onto a path into Penninghame Woods. Go straight across at a forest track, following an attractive path which curves right. At an open section keep ahead to the beech trees and turn left at the road. Follow the road for 1.3km, then turn right after a cattle grid to climb the grassy pastures of Glenvernoch Fell. There are lovely views over Loch Ochiltree.

Stage 9

There's a seat by the trig point. The path continues across the open pasture, which can be quite soggy in places, but there are great views of the Galloway Hills ahead. Eventually there's a stone dyke ahead and then path curves left to follow it to a gate. Continue to another gate, then bear left over rough ground - care is needed to stay on the marked route. Go straight across a faint wooded burn, then meet a track and follow it to a road. Turn right, following the road round a bend to the right. Before reaching Garchew turn left and head across the open pastures - this section can be rough. Aim for a gate in the wall to the right, once through it the going gets easier as the route bears left. Cross a wooden stile over one wall, and a stone one over a second. The route now heads down to the right of the buildings to reach the A714 in Bargrennan. Turn left to follow the busy road over the River Cree. The next stage turns right down the far bank, whereas the hotel - and, further on, the campsite - are reached by taking the next right turn off the road.

Next stage: Bargrennan to St John's Town of Dalry

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Southern Upland Way 2: Castle Kennedy to Bargrennan

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