Lady Hunter Blair's walk, Straiton

A short circuit of a beautiful wooded glen featuring dramatic waterfalls and native trees.This walk is closed until the end of 2021 due to forestry harvesting.

Terrain

Good earth and grass footpaths and surfaced road.

Public Transport

Bus to Straiton.

Start

Car park alongside the playing field, Straiton. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

There is an information board in the car park indicating a selection of walks in the area. From the car park return to the road and turn left, then cross as indicated by the obvious signpost. This leads through the pretty Fowler's Croft Development which won an award for architectural design in 1984 from the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland in honour of the thoughtfully designed properties which complement the existing village architecture. At the end of the houses a small footpath leads to a bridge over Lambdoughty Burn; cross this to reach the Dalmellington Road.

Stage 2

Turn left along the road, crossing Slenteuch Bridge after a short distance. The waymarkers indicate that walkers should take a path squeezed between the field boundary fence and a hedge, at time of writing this path was heavily overgrown and deeply unpleasant. If it is still overgrown, as the path shadows the quiet road it is far more sensible to follow the road with care. A small parking area is soon reached on the left, head into the wooded glen at this point and follow the path past a series of attractive waterfalls including Rossetti Linn where English poet, illustrator and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) was thought to have contemplated suicide.

Stage 3

Take the right fork at the first path junction, until a footbridge is reached alongside four wooden sculptures commissioned by Straiton Primary School. Ignore the footbridge for now and continue along the narrowing, rough path into the woods to view more scenic waterfalls. When the path disappears or becomes too rough retrace your steps to the footbridge and cross. Primroses and bluebells may be encountered on the river banks, as well as roe deer, hawks and finches. Follow the earth path through the woodland, taking the high route or the low route when desired - they will rejoin further down the glen. The path will eventually reach a second footbridge - cross this and reascend the gorge to reach the outward path. Turn right to return to the small car park alongside the Dalmellington Road.

Stage 4

Return to the village via the road, looking out for Largs Farm on the left 200m after leaving the car park. This was the home of Covenanter Thomas McHaffie who was executed by dragoons in 1686 and commemorated by a memorial in the churchyard by the west door of the church.

Route: Phil Turner

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