An approach from New Abbey enables the ascent of Criffel - the finest viewpoint in the area - to be made into a varied circular walk.
Mostly good paths; some livestock on section near Loch Kindar. Heather path across the hill from the summit to Knockendoch can be boggy; descent has improved path.
Bus to New Abbey.
Car park at Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey.
There is a large car park at Sweetheart Abbey, set behind the main street in the village. The great ruined Abbey dates back to 1273 and was built in memory of John Balliol by his wife - she also founded Balliol College at Oxford University. When she died she was buried in the Abbey, and had her husband's heart interred beside her, which is the source of the name. The abbey was inhabited by Cistercian monks until the Reformation; today the ruins are administered by Historic Scotland and there is an entrance charge. The car park also has public toilets, and a tearoom. The walk begins by heading back to the road and turning right through the village. New Abbey must rank amongst the prettiest settlements in the area with its whitewashed cottages overlooked by the Abbey ruins, and two grand old pubs that face each other in the centre. Once this is reached, turn left onto the lane that leads past the Abbey Arms.
Turn left again to follow a narrow road that climbs up beside the millpond. After a couple of sharp bends it leads through open countryside, with a small car park in the trees on the left where it ends (this can be used to shorten the walk). The tower seen on the hill to the right is the Waterloo Monument. For Criffel, continue ahead across the wooden bridge (signed for Criffel), and then turn left into the grassy pasture (signed for Loch Kindar - the Criffel sign indicates the descent route). Keep to the right for an initial boggy stretch, before continuing to the far corner of the field and head through an iron gate with a group of deciduous trees. This leads down through a gap in a wall to join a grassy track between the fields and woods.
Go through another gate into the next field - stay on the raised track to the far end, then turn right, keeping the drystane dyke on your left. Go through a kissing gate at the next wall and then head left through the next large field until the wall, then right beside the wall to reach the shores of Loch Kindar. Head to the right along the shores to go through a kissing gate and on through the woods. After a second kissing gate the path climbs up through the trees, eventually emerging on a forest track. Turn left along this; when it meets another forest track at a bend fork right uphill. Once past the burn a good path is crossed by the track (a sign indicates New Abbey back the way you came)- turn right here to head uphill on this path.
The path continues climbing, with the tumbling Craigrockall Burn on the right. Further up another track is reached - again go straight across this. Later, ignore a footbridge and stay on the main path, eventually leaving the trees behind.
The excellent path curves left up the heather slope, then zig-zags up towards the top of Criffel. There are ever-improving views looking back over Loch Kindar and the Nith Estuary beyond. As the ground begins to level off a much rougher path joins in from the right - this is used for the descent. The massive summit cairn - known as Douglas's Cairn - is a short distance beyond, with the trig point just over to its right. Criffel is unmatched as a viewpoint for the Solway Firth and the estuaries of its rivers, as well as looking across to the English Lake District, with Skiddaw the most prominent peak.
Retrace your steps to the fork and take the left hand path. This skirts along the east side of the broad ridge; it is heathery and boggy in places, eventually leading out to the cairn on the summit of Knockendoch. From here there are superb views over the mouth of the River Nith. From here the path descends to the north.
Eventually the path reaches a fence and drystone wall and becomes well constructed as it heads down the left side of a drystone wall. Eventually forestry is reached and the path continues down a broad fire break. Eventually the path emerges on a grassy forest track. Turn right down this, then left at a fork, then right onto a path once more. The path becomes a track as it passes the houses, eventually reaching the wooden bridge crossed earlier in the walk. Head across this to reach the end of the public road, and continue down the tarmac for the final stretch back to New Abbey.
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