Walk 10 - Cairnsmore of Fleet walking and hiking route
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Walk Instructions
Start: At a small car park near Muirfad off the A75
about 3 miles north of Creetown.
Refreshments: Hiking boots recommended.
The Cairnsmore of Fleet (2332ft/711m) is the
most southerly two thousand foot hill in Scotland
and a magnificent viewpoint for the Cree Estuary
and the Solway Firth. The walk is straightforward
but moderately strenuous as it starts close to sea
level. In winter be prepared for severe winds and
icy conditions as the route is very exposed to the
prevailing winds.
1. To get to the start of this walk, drive along the
A75 towards Newton Stewart until about 3 miles
north of Creetown. There is a small, unmarked
turning on the right past a group of houses called
Muirfad. After a sharp left bend by an old railway
bridge look out for a parking sign at a lane on the
right. Park in any of the bays along this lane. Go
through a gate at the far end of the lane and follow
a good track next to the Graddoch Burn towards
Cairnsmore House. Stay to the right on this track
until you see a signed path on the right just before
you reach the buildings. Follow a short path through
woodland to emerge on another track where you
turn left. The track ends at a gate where you go
diagonally uphill across an open field to reach
another gate at the edge of mixed woodland.
Continue to follow the path upward along a fire
break in the forest until you arrive at a track and a
granite seat.
2. The seat is carved from a huge chunk of granite
and bears an inscription to Rosemary Pilkington who
was a supporter of the local forestry plantations.
Continue plodding up the forest firebreak until
eventually the angle eases then a final steeper
section leads to the open hillside.
The way ahead is now obvious as the path makes its
way up quite steep ground with a few zig-zags to ease
the angle. Don’t forget to turn round occasionally
and enjoy the ever-expanding views across Wigtown
Bay. Eventually the angle eases as you reach the
broad summit ridge/plateau. This area can get quite
boggy after a spell of wet weather, but the worst bits
can normally be avoided. Just before you reach the
summit there is a memorial to airmen who have lost
their lives in nine aircraft crashes on the hill.
3. The summit of Cairnsmore of Fleet is a magnificent
viewpoint. To the north and east you can see the
whole range of the Galloway Hills. To the south and
west you can see the Lake District, the Isle of Man,
the Mull of Galloway and on a clear day you can see
over to Ireland and the Mountains of Mourne.
The easiest way back from the summit is to retrace
your steps using the path that you ascended. More
experienced hillwalkers who like a bit of heather
bashing might prefer to vary the return by a rougher,
pathless route over the Knee of Cairnsmore - for this
head across the plateau to this outlying summit,
keeping above the much craggier eastern side of the
hill. Once at the bronze age cairn descend roughly
southwest down rough, pathless slopes, eventually
picking up a track that leads on and descends just
south of the Craddoch Burn. This track leads back
down towards Cairnsmore House where the outward
route can be rejoined.
Please help future walkers by notifying us of any errors in
the walk description or any suggestions for improving the
directions.
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Disclaimer: This route was correct at time of writing. However, alterations can happen if development or boundary changes occur, and there is no guarantee of permanent access. These walks have been published for use by site visitors on the understanding that neither HPB Management Limited nor any other person connected with Holiday Property Bond is responsible for the safety or wellbeing of those following the routes as described. It is walkers' own responsibility to be adequately prepared and equipped for the level of walk and the weather conditions and to assess the safety and accessibility of the walk.
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