Maxwellston Hill, Dailly

Summary

A rough hill walk to a panoramic viewpoint. One of the trickier walks in this area, with a maze of gorse to negotiate, and requiring the ability to take and follow a compass bearing in poor weather on the featureless summit plateau. Use the WH app to show your location on the WH map to help with both these sections.

Please read the WARNING below before setting out on this route.

Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

Country lanes, earth footpaths and faint, grassy tracks - very wet and overgrown in places. Navigation skills needed.

Getting there

Start

Village square with war memorial outside Dailly Parish Church.

Public Transport

Bus between Ayr and Stranraer.

Start Grid Ref

NS270016

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 9.5km / 6 miles
Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
Ascent: 321m (Profile)

Mapping and GPS

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Explorer 326 - Ayr

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Walk Description

User reports (1)

WARNING

We've had reports of thick gorse blocking the route after the stile at Stage 3 - this has been reported to the Community Council to take action Sept 2026, please let us know if the path has been cleared.

The information shown above is the latest we have. If you have an update then please email us.

Stage 1

Leave the village square as indicated by the signed waymarker post, along Greenhead Street. Bear left onto The Loaning passing a play area to reach a road junction by the cemetery. Cross over and pass the cemetery entrance before continuing ahead over the cattle grid and along the farm track towards Craig farm.

Stage 2

Lindsayston Burn trickles alongside until the main track curves right and a footpath heads left. Ignore this and continue along the main track uphill for another 600m. Before reaching the farm buildings, at a field entrance on the left, turn left off the track to cross a small ford and enter the field (there may be an electric fence to open). The yellow waymarker arrow is now on a broken post nearby. Turn right and skirt around the field boundary, curving left to reach a wooden stile at the top of the field. The next section is muddy and very overgrown with gorse, follow the instructions carefully; using our GPS mapping should help.

Stage 3

Cross the stile and follow the vague path which runs alongside the fence on your left through long grass before it plunges into the deep gorse bushes. Muddy in places, the path heads uphill weaving a little between gorse but sticking fairly closely to a straight line uphill. Bear slightly right at an open area between the gorse to reach a stile over a fence directly ahead with a marker post beyond it. Climb the stile and after a couple of steps aim to the right rather than following the other trodden path straight ahead into the gorse (there is no way through on this path). Although the way looks blocked by gorse to the right, there is a muddy path through and soon the route heads more directly uphill and eventually out of the gorse and through deep bracken in summer and a few trees. When the bracken is high make a note of the point the path emerges from it as this spot can be hard to find again on the way back down.

Stage 4

Now follow the path and occasional marker posts as the route heads uphill keeping the fence and forestry on your right before heading uphill over rougher moorland. The route bears right to cross a dip and stream and then continues uphill on a faint path up onto the shoulder of Hadyard Hill. Sea views start to become visible ahead on the right and the grassy path leads to a stile in a fence. Cross this and soon the tips of the wind turbines surrounding Penwhapple Reservoir in the next valley become apparent. The views down the Girvan valley to the Firth of Clyde and Ailsa Craig are far more distracting.

Stage 5

A faint path - at times an all-terrain vehicle track - between waymarker posts stays on the right side of the plateau, there may be an electric fence to duck under at times. The faint path leads down from Hadyard Hill and then onto the final ascent to Maxwellston Hill to reach the trig pillar atop a prehistoric fort. This oval Pictish fort consists of two earthen ramparts above intermittent ditches and with panoramic views it's clear to see the defensive potential. A short way right of the trig point is a double facing wooden seat to take in the spectacular views.

Stage 6

Enjoy the 360 degree views before following the outward route back. Traverse the left side of the ridge before descending with great views over Dailly to pick up the route through the dense gorse and back along the farm track to the roads leading back to the village square where there is a pub and shop.

Route Profile

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