An easy riverside and woodland ramble around the southern side of Gatehouse of Fleet. Varied habitats and a good chance of seeing red squirrels.
Bog Factor
Waymarked woodland paths, sometimes muddy.
Car park opposite Mill on the Fleet, Gatehouse of Fleet.
Bus to Gatehouse of Fleet.
NX599562
The car park is at the southwest end of the High Street, opposite the entrance to the Mill on the Fleet visitor centre - which has a cafe and exhibitions, and is well worth visiting. Otherwise, start from the car park by heading down the path from the back of the car park and down to the river, passing a wooden sculpture.
The sculpture was carved from a 200 year old piece of oak to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. Go through the gate in the stone wall and follow the path through the woods. The path crosses a footbridge over a tributary and runs close by the Water of Fleet at first, the reason for Gatehouse's location, as the town was a thriving industrial town in the 18th century, with three cotton mills and a shipbuilders all utilising the river. Keep right at a fork, and again when the path meets another coming down from the recreation field; the path now runs alongside a small burn.
Go straight across at a cross-paths. Eventually the route reaches a ruined building, once a girls' school. Turn left here onto a wider track through the woods. Keep straight on across a crossroads and at the cottage turn right to cross the bridge and then keep left at the fork to head up to Cally Avenue. This used to be the driveway for Cally House (now a hotel) which was built in 1765 by James Murray of Broughton who was responsible for much of the early development of Gatehouse.
Turn left along the track, keeping ahead at a cross-tracks. At the pretty cottage turn right, then left at a fork. Follow this through an area popular with red squirrels. Turn left when the Cally Woods road is reached, then left again onto Cycle Path 7. Keep straight ahead at the houses.
At the stone gateposts it is worth a look down Ann Street for a pretty view of the townhouses and clocktower. You can continue down Ann Street and then turn left along High Street if you prefer to explore the town on the way back. Otherwise turn left before the gateposts to follow the track between the stone wall and the recreation ground.
The path skirts the edge of Garries Park and after a pavilion take the marked path on the right through the trees to return to the car park at the start.
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