📌 Kippford, Dumfries & Galloway
★★★★
Dumfries and Galloway is sometimes referred to as Scotland’s Riviera, and perhaps nowhere is more deserving of that description than Kippford: a charming village strung along the Rough Firth (or estuary of the Urr Water). A dense network of footpaths connects it to neighbouring Rockcliffe, which has a tiny crescent beach and views of tidal Rough Island. This route generally follows the shoreline for the outward route, before returning to Kippford via two steep-sided summits with wonderful views across the mudflats to the hilly peninsula on the far side. Look out for red squirrels on the final, forest descent.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Kippford 
Cockle beach south of Kippford 
Path after Roughfirth 
Rough Island viewpoint 
Track near Auchenvhin jetty 
Auchenvhin jetty 
Rockcliffe Beach 
Track to Mote of Mark 
Final ascent to Mote of Mark 
Rough Island from Mote of Mark 
Jubilee Path towards The Muckle 
Lower part of Rough Firth from The Muckle 
Upper part of the firth 
Descent from The Muckle
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Solway Yacht Club, Kippford village
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NX 837554
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.879848,-3.813980
🚌 Bus stops opposite Yacht Club
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 5 km / 3 mi | ▲ 160 m | ⌛ 2 hr
Features: 🏠 Kippford; 🏠 Rockcliffe; 🏖️ Rockcliffe Beach; 🏰 Mote of Mark hillfort; △ The Muckle (100 m)
⬤ Moderate | Paths, tracks & quiet roads throughout, with slightly tricky routefinding due to the number of junctions! Some steep ascents / descents; descent from The Muckle was a little hard to follow in 2023 due to fallen trees – look out for red / white marker paint on trunks.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with detours to Rockcliffe & Mote of Mark: start & Kippford – Rockcliffe & beach – Mote of Mark – The Muckle – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Red squirrel & bees inside an old tree stump on descent from The Muckle. Grey heron, oystercatchers, seagulls.
Weather: Sunny with a welcome sea breeze, 20°C at 10am and rising!
June 2023
