Douglas, set just off the motorway on the northern flanks of the Lowther Hills, has a rich history. This walk explores both the village and the attractive lochs on the Douglas estate - as well as a visit to 'Castle Dangerous'.
Tarmac lanes, tracks and grassy paths; section around furthest loch can be a little overgrown.
Bus to Douglas.
Douglas.
There is a small car park on the south side of the A70 in the village, on the corner with Nursery Avenue. Begin the walk by heading left along the A70 Ayr Road from the car park, and then turning right down Main Street. Look out for a memorial on the right that marks a grim incident from history. Here stood the house of the tailor, James Gavin. He was a supporter of the convenanters who wanted the church to have independence from the crown. For this, John Graham of Claverhouse severed James' ears using his own tailoring shears. Continue ahead at a junction and follow the road past the old buildings at the core of Douglas, including the former inns of the Cross Keys and Sun.
Off to the left are the ruins of the ancient Church of St Brides. The octagonal bell tower contains a clock donated to the village by Mary Queen of Scots - it is thought to the be oldest working church clock in Scotland. Continue along the road, following the signs for the Cameronian's Monument and Castle Dangerous and ignoring a fork off right.
The road passes a gatehouse and follow the tarmac lane through the gateway into the policies of the Douglas Estate. On the right is a memorial to Polish soldiers evacuated here during World War 2. Turn left through a gate on the opposite side of the track, following a surfaced path which curves round the north side of Stable Lake. There are several benches and picnic tables.
Keep ahead when a track joins from the left, and then bear left at the fork just beyond. This leads up to a tarmac lane - turn left along this. Off to the left is a memorial that commemorates the disbanding of the Cameronian Regiment in 1968. A short distance further a junction is reached. The walk turns right here, but note the old tower ahead. This is Castle Douglas, though it is sometimes known as Castle Dangerous as the location inspired Sir Walter Scott's novel of that name. Only a single tower remains.
Back on the tarmac lane, fork off left (waymarker) onto a grassy path when the lane bends right. The path undulates, crossing a dip before climbing to join another track - keep left along this. There are now views to the middle of the three estate lochs off to your left. After about 180m look out for a path off left to a stile under a big tree. Cross this and follow the narrow, winding path to the shores of the third loch. Turn left along the banks of this.
This section of the path can be a little overgrown. Pass through a gap in a fence to continue along the lakeside embankment, and right around the far side of the lake. Eventually the path crosses a footbridge over the outflow, and then continues alongside a fence on your left, before curving right and ascending to reach a gate. When a track is reached turn right along this. Keep straight ahead through another gate, and ignore a track forking off right. Eventually, at a cross-tracks (with only a grassy track ahead) turn right. Ignore a track off right and follow the tarmac lane back to Douglas. In the village, you can turn left along the Loaning and then right at Ayr Road to vary the return to the start.
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