To the east of Merrick are vast areas of forestry plantations. The great Rhinns of Kells ridge, however, rises proudly above the treeline and offers an excellent rugged hillwalk. The high point is Corserine, a Corbett and an extensive viewpoint over much of Galloway.
Forest tracks lower down. Faint grassy paths on the hills, with some pathless or wet sections.
None to start.
Car park near Forrest Lodge.
Forrest Estate is owned by the Fred Olsen group, who run it for commercial forestry as well as hydro electric power; unusually for Scotland, the tracks in the forest are named after Olsen family members and employees of 25 years service. Park at the private car park for the public at Burnhead Bridge, which is quite well signed. Here there is a map with all the tracks shown, next to the start of Professor Hans Heiberg road. This is used for the return, so instead head towards Forrest Lodge but immediately fork left onto Birger Natvig road. This leads through a felled area and passes to the left of a whitewashed house at Fore Bush.
Pass the vehicle barrier and continue ahead, eventually reaching a fork. Leave Birger Natvig road here and instead fork right onto Robert Watson road. At the next junction keep straight ahead across Anette Olsen road. Keep ahead along the track, climbing steadily, until it curves to the right. Here turn left (waymarker) onto a rougher track. Follow this, soon reaching the Folk Burn. Cross the burn via the bridge, follow the hillwalkers signs and head into the dense trees. After a short distance a waymarker is reached; from here the route follows a crushed stone path to where the forest is left behind.
A faint grassy path continues ahead onto the open hill. It swings right and left to help make a steeper part of the ascent - with great views back over the extensive forestry plantations, before more even grassy slopes continue upwards onto the broad ridge between Polmaddy Gairy and the shallower corrie backed by Scar of the Folk.
The path peters out onto the plateau, and a prominent cairn is reached. From here it's a fairly flat walk across the top - keeping to the left of the craggy corrie of Polmaddy Gairy - the route is obvious in clear conditions but would require navigational care at other times. There are stunning views northwards towards Carlin's Cairn and the northern end of the Rhinns of Kells ridge - not included in this walk.
Continue to reach the trig point and cairn marking the summit of Corserine - at 814m second only to the Merrick in this part of the Galloway hills. The views, as might be expected, are very fine - especially looking west over the remote forested valley to the wild heart of Galloway. A burnt circle of ground a short distance NW of the trig marks an old battery and the scars of a plane impact many years ago.
The quickest return would be back the same way, but to continue the traverse of the Rhinns of Kells ridge, descend SSE down wet grassy slopes, eventually aided by a faint ATV track. This continues down to the bealach, where the forestry on the west side almost reaches the ridge, and onwards onto Millfire, marked by a cairn. Continuing along the ridge - which has rockier terrain on its flanks - the route is soon joined by a tumbledown drystone wall on the crossing of Milldown.
Continue down to the next bealach, passing to the left of the Lochans of Auchniebut before continuing the ascent near the wall up onto the top of Meikle Millyea. The trig point and cairn lie on the far side of the wall shortly after a wall junction, but careful baggers will also want to visit another cairn around 350m southwest which appears to be higher. Meikle Millyea's position gives it a great outlook east over the central part of Galloway, as well as south towards the Solway.
From the trig point and cairn descend NNE briefly to reach the tumbledown wall that runs out along this part of the hill. Continue by the wall as it continues generally NE down to and over Meikle Lump. By this point there is easier going on a faint path on the north side of the wall. There are great views back to the ridge that show the ruggedness of the eastern side of Milldown, seen over Loch Dungeon. Continue descending eastwards by the wall; as you near a bend where the wall turns NE the path shortcuts left a little away from the wall, descending very steeply NE with a scrambly section requiring care.
The faint path continues down to the forest edge. Join the newly created crushed stone path into the trees beyond, soon emerging on a wider track. Bear right along the track, bearing right when it joins a larger track coming in from the left. Further on, at a cross-roads of tracks (Kristin Olsen and Professor Hans Heiberg roads), keep straight ahead downhill. You are now following Professor Hans Heiberg road; ignore a track forking left (Mary Watson road) to continue downhill. At another fork keep straight on (ignoring the branch right, Billy McClelland road), and ahead again passing the Malcolm Mitchell road on your left. The track now passes a house at Burnhead, and returns to the car park at the start a short distance beyond.
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