Southern Upland Way 4: St John's Town of Dalry to Sanquhar

Summary

This is the probably the longest and one of the most exposed sections of the whole walk, much of it across open moorland. The rewards are fine views and the feeling of remoteness and solitude. Chalk Bothy at Polskeoch near the 28km point provides shelter for those with sleeping/cooking gear. Some minor roads where vehicle pick-ups could be arranged.

Grade

Bog Factor

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Footpaths, boggy in places, across open moorland hills dominate this section, which is the highest so far, though there is some walking on minor roads and forest and farm tracks.

Getting there

Start

St John's Town of Dalry.

Public Transport

St Johns Town of Dalry and Sanquhar are both served by bus; the latter also has a rail station.

Start Grid Ref

NX619811

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Services

St John's Town of Dalry has hotels and food shop. Chalk Bothy at Polskeoch just after the 27km point. Sanquhar has 2 hotels, B&B on the edge of town, and food shops.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 41.5km / 25.75 miles
Time: 10 - 12 hours
Ascent: 1033m (Profile)

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Walk Description

User reports (1)

Stage 1

The Way climbs Main Street in St John's Town of Dalry to a Y junction where it leaves the main road and takes the minor road to the left, which runs between drystone walls. Once past the last buildings of the town the road becomes a track that crosses undulating sheep pastures to Ardoch Farm where it joins the farm road, keeping right at a junction.

Stage 2

The road soon becomes a track and crosses the eastern slopes of Ardoch Hill and then skirts the western edge of a plantation with the Earlstoun Burn to the left. The track crosses the burn and runs over rough pasture to a minor road at a Y junction. The Way takes the central road (north) here and follows it to the Butterhole Bridge over the Black Water.

Stage 3

Continue for three hundred metres before leaving the road for a path that runs north over Culmark Hill and down to Culmark Farm where the farm road is joined and followed to a bridge over the Stroanfreggan Burn and a minor road.The Way turns right (east) along the road for two hundred metres then turns left up the track to Stroanpatrick, which is itself left after a short distance via a gate to a path that runs north-east through sheep pasture towards forestry plantations and the little pointed summit of Manquhill Hill.

Stage 4

The path enters the trees, crosses a forest road and ascends the open upper slopes of Manquhill Hill. Once over the hill it drops back into the forest and crosses two more forest roads before leaving the trees again for a steeper climb up the heathery slopes of 580 metre Benbrack.

Stage 5

The summit is decorated with a huge red sandstone arch, one of Andy Goldsworthy's Striding Arches artworks that decorate several hills in the area.From Benbrack there is a fine moorland ridge walk as the path stays above the trees to Cairn Hill, where it turns to the right, and Black Hill beyond which it re-enters the forest and follows its edge northwards to High Countam where it turns right and plunges fully into the trees and follows a boggy firebreak, soon crossing a forest road and reaching Allan's Cairn, a square sandstone pillar set inside iron railings. This is a memorial to Covenanters who were killed by troops during the religious disputes of the 1680s.

Stage 6

The firebreak eventually leads to a forest road which is followed to little Polskeoch Bothy, which provides very basic overnight shelter - please carry out any rubbish you find. From the bothy the road loops round the head of the Polskeoch valley to the remote house called Polskeoch where it becomes a public road. This road is followed down the valley for nearly four kilometres, soon leaving the forest for sheep pastures.

Stage 7

At Polgown the Way leaves the road and climbs north-east on a path across the slopes of Cloud Hill above the Scar Water valley. Eventually the path crosses the broad watershed east of Cloud Hill and the first views of Sanquhar appear ahead with the Lowther Hills on the horizon way beyond the town.

Stage 8

The path now descends beside the Whing Burn, where there is a large fenced area that was planted with native trees in 2006 and which in time should become an attractive wood. Leaving the burn the path reaches a track that leads to Ulzieside Farm and a minor road that crosses the Euchan Burn and then the Blackaddie Bridge over the River Nith, across which lies the town of Sanquhar. This has food shops, hotels and a B&B nearby plus a ruined castle and other historic buildings. There's an SUW information shelter beside the bridge.

Route: Chris Townsend

Next stage: Sanquhar to Wanlockhead

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