Walk: A Kirroughtree gem

📌 Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries & Galloway
★★★

Kirroughtree is best known for its 7stanes mountain bike trails, but four waymarked walks also begin at the visitor centre. This route combines all but the longest one to create a (fairly) interesting circuit. Highlights from the outward section include the Anniversary Cairn, celebrating the 50th year of Galloway Forest Park, and views of Cairnsmore of Fleet where occasional gaps in the trees permit. Further on there are two tranquil lochans, the first of which harbours the elusive Gem Stane; a similar sculptured stone is found at each 7stanes outpost, but this one is unusually located on a waymarked walk rather than the cycle trails. Don’t miss the final detour to the wildlife hide, where we were lucky to spot a red squirrel, woodpeckers and a jay in close succession.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre, off minor road 1 mi north of Palnure, 3 mi east of Newton Stewart. Alternative start point at free car park (no facilities) on west side of Daltamie Hill

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NX 452648

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.953546,-4.419484

🚌 Bus to Palnure (1 mi)

🚗 Car park (charge)

📝 Key info

▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 130 m | ⌛ 2 hr

Features: 🏠 Kirroughtree Visitor Centre; 💧 Little Bruntis; 💧 Bruntis Loch; 🪨 Gem Stane; 🪨 Anniversary Cairn; 🐿️ Wild Watch Hide

⬤ Easy | Clear paths & tracks, waymarked.

➡️ Irregular walk shape: start – turn right at path junction, 🧭 NX 450650 – Anniversary Cairn – Gem Stane & Bruntis Loch – Little Bruntis – west & south sides of Daltamie Hill – rejoin outward route at earlier path junction – detour to Wild Watch Hide near finish – start. Route waymarked in orange (Anniversary Cairn Trail), yellow (Little Bruntis Trail) then purple (Wild Watch Trail) & on map 🔗 here

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: On main trail: thrushes, forest birds, small fish in the lochs. At Wild Watch Hide: red squirrel, two spotted woodpeckers, jay, tits, chaffinches etc.

Weather: Full evening sunshine, 17°C or so.

June 2023