📌 Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries & Galloway
★★★
Cairnsmore of Fleet is Newton Stewart‘s local “big” hill, and Scotland’s southernmost summit above 2,000 feet. Its main path is well constructed but rather featureless, climbing through forest followed by barren moorland. Look beyond the immediate surroundings and the views are excellent, first over your shoulder across Wigtown Bay from the ascent, then north into Galloway Forest Park if you continue just beyond the summit. If you aren’t wedded to routes with paths, may we propose – for better, for worse – going down over the Knee of Cairnsmore? This allows a circular route and showcases the much more characterful, east side of the mountain – with a large herd of wild goats on our visit.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Rhododendrons on the initial track 
Byre Wood 
View back from the lower slopes 
Bardrochwood Moor 
Upper slopes 
View back to Crammery Hill 
Summit plateau 
Cairnsmore of Fleet summit 
View north from just beyond the summit 
Traverse to Knee of Cairnsmore 
View back over Clints of the Spout to Meikle Mulltaggart 
Mid Burn bogs 
Nick of Clashneach 
Wild goats 
Wild goats 
Knee of Cairnsmore summit 
View south over Wigtown Bay from the descent 
Cairnharrow (right) 
View back to the pathless descent from Knocktim 
Return track by the Graddoch Burn
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on minor road just north of Graddoch Bridge, off A75 3 mi north of Creetown
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NX 463632
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.939959,-4.400057
🚌 Bus stops on A75 at Palnure (1 mi to west) but the A75 has no verge. Safer option would be to use the stop at Pulwhat Bridge (1.5 mi to south), with access from here via cycle path
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 15 km / 9 mi | ▲ 750 m | ⌛ 5-6 hr
Features: △ Cairnsmore of Fleet (711 m, Torbett / Donald); 🦆 Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR
⬤ Tough | Good path with sustained ascent to Cairnsmore of Fleet. Faint, intermittent paths to Knee of Cairnsmore, then steep & pathless descent with boggy areas to track across Knocktim, which is used for return.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – skirt Cairnsmore Farm to south – Bardrochwood Moor – Cairnsmore of Fleet – Knee of Cairnsmore – Knocktim – rejoin outward route near Cairnsmore Farm – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: 30+ wild goats & kids at Nick of Clashneach, sheep & lambs, some midges when wind dropped. Cows in a field crossed near finish – partly avoidable on other side of tumbledown wall.
Weather: Patchwork of sunshine, light breeze intermittently, 20°C at valley level.
June 2023
