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Walking the Galloway Hills

35 wild mountain walks including the Merrick

ISBN

9781786310101

Availability

Published

15 Jul 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

208

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.25cm

Weight

230g

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Guidebook describing mountain walks in the Galloway Hills of southern Scotland, covering Trool, Minnoch, Doon and Talnotry. Offering solitude and rugged natural beauty, this rocky, heathery wilderness presents some great hiking opportunities suitable for experienced hillwalkers. Includes summaries of longer backpack/bothy trips.

Seasons

January to December. Ideal months March to June, and September. Winter can be serious with untrodden snowfields, but good for those suitably equipped and skilled.

Centres

Newton Stewart; Glen Trool (Glentrool village and Loch Trool); Dalmellington (Ayrshire); Carsphairn and St John's Town of Dalry (Glenkens).

Difficulty

The hill ground has small paths or none at all. The higher ridges give good grassy walking. Mid-level granite ground is rugged with bare rock and peaty grass, and is remote. Lower ground has some well laid paths. Walks are graded from 1 (good paths) to 5 (rugged pathless ground).

Must See

Galloway Forest Park; Merrick, high point of Southern Uplands; 28 tops over 2000ft (600m) with 4 Corbetts (2500ft / 750m); Granite heartland with 31 lochs and lochans; Rivers ancient oakwood; UK's first dark sky park; Guerilla warfare centre of the 14th century

ISBN

9781786310101

Availability

Published

15 Jul 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

208

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.25cm

Weight

230g

Overview

A guidebook to 34 day walks and one long-distance route in the wild and remote hills of Galloway. Although there are some shorter and easier routes, many of these hill walks are long and on rugged terrain, so are more suitable for experienced walkers.

The day walks range from 4-33km (2-20 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2-11 hours, with options to combine routes to form longer days. A 3-day trek covering 82km (53 miles) is also detailed.

1:50,000 OS maps included for each walk
GPX files available to download
Easy access from Newton Stewart, Glentrool village, Loch Trool, Dalmellington, Carsphairn and St John's Town of Dalry
Detailed information on planning, bothies and the history of the area
Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

Table of Contents

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

Harshness and heather

Geology of the Galloway Hills

Wildlife and wet

Free Forest of Buchan

Forest park and biosphere

Climbing and scrambling

When to walk

Getting here, getting around, staying the night

Maps and GPS

Safety in the hills

Using this book

Section 1: Glen Trool

Route 1 Water of Minnoch and Glen Trool

Route 2 Water of Trool

Route 3 Around Loch Trool

Route 4 Fell of Eschoncan to Bennan

Route 5 Merrick and Rig of the Buchan

Route 6 The Three Lochs

Route 7 Craignaw

Route 8 Craiglee and Rig of the Jarkness

Route 9 Mulldonoch to Curleywee

Route 10 Caldron of the Merrick

Section 2: The Awful Hand

Route 11 Kirriereoch Hill and Merrick

Route 12 The Awful Hand: Shalloch to Benyellary

Route 13 Shalloch on Minnoch

Route 14 Craigmasheenie and Shiel Hill

Section 3: Loch Doon

Route 15 Craiglee of Doon

Route 16 Hoodens Hill and Mullwharchar

Route 17 Northern Rhinns of Kells from Loch Doon

Section 4: The Glenkens

Route 18 Garryhorn and the northern Rhinns of Kells

Route 19 Cairnsmore of Carsphairn

Route 20 Craig of Knockgray

Route 21 Corserine from Forrest Lodge

Route 22 Southern Rhinns of Kells

Route 23 Mulloch Hill

Route 24 Waterside Hill

Route 25 Dunveoch

Section 5: Talnotry and the south

Route 26 Larg Hill to Curleywee

Route 27 Curleywee by Stronbae Hill

Route 28 Millfore

Route 29 Cairnsmore of Fleet from the north

Route 30 Cairnsmore of Fleet from the south

Route 31 Clints of Dromore

Route 32 Knockman Wood

Route 33 The Thieves Stones

Route 34 Wood of Cree

Section 6: Expeditions

Route 35 Not the Southern Upland Way

Other routes

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B The bothies

Appendix C Information points

Updates

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

Reviews

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Downloads

Walking the Galloway Hills - GPX File

By Ronald Turnbull

Ronald Turnbull writes regularly for TGO, Lakeland Walker, Trail and Cumbria magazines. His previous books include Across Scotland on Foot, Long Days in Lakeland and Welsh 3000ft Challenges. He has written many other Cicerone guides, including Walking in the Lowther Hills, The Book of the Bivvy and Not the West Highland Way. Ronald's weekly newsletter on mountains, hillwalking and history is at https://aboutmountains.substack.com/

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