Walk 22 - Burrow Head walking and hiking route
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Walk Instructions
Start: At the public car park in Isle of Whithorn.
Refreshments: St Ninian’s Tea Room café and the
Steam Packet Hotel in Isle of Whithorn
A fine cliff-top walk from Isle of Whithorn at the
south end of the Machars peninsula.
1. Start from the public car park by the library in Isle
of Whithorn. There is no longer an island here due
to harbour extensions in 1790 that built a causeway
from the mainland and extended the harbour to
become the home port for around a dozen trading
vessels. Start walking back towards Whithorn and you
will see a signposted path on the left, leading past a
stone building through a gate and into field. Cross the
field to another gate in a stone wall then head for a
marker post in the next field. From the marker post,
descend to a footbridge across a small stream then
continue across fields parallel to the coast. The path
is marked by yellow footpath signs where it crosses
walls and fences.
2. The scenery now becomes more rugged and the
cliffs gain in height. You may see gannets feeding
close to the shore here. They nest on the Scares rocks
between Burrow Head and the Mull of Galloway.
Cormorants and porpoises are often seen along this
coast. The path continues close to the edge of the
cliffs. Be careful here in windy weather. During rough
seas you may hear the waves crashing into blow holes
in the cliffs below. The rocks here are sedimentary
rocks of the Silurian period and have been folded until
they form vertical sheets and columns. At the foot of
the cliffs there is a natural arch formation known as the
“Devils’ Bridge” but this is difficult to see from above.
3. The path passes a small building then reaches the
highest part of Burrow Head which is marked by a
cairn set back in the field. This cliff-top location was
used for filming the finale of the 1973 cult classic
film “The Wicker Man”. The route now descends past
the sites of Iron Age forts and some impressive rock
formations to reach a caravan park.
4. Follow the track through the park to reach the end
of a surfaced road at Cutcloy Farm and cottages.
The road slopes gently downhill for around two
miles to return you to Isle of Whithorn. The hill on
the left of the road just after Cutcloy rejoices in the
name of The Howe Hill of Haggagmalag. In Isle of
Whithorn you can sample refreshments at either the
St. Ninian’s Tea Room by the car park or you can walk
around the edge of the harbour past some interesting
historic buildings to the Steam Packet Inn. This dogfriendly
pub has an extensive food menu and a good
selection of home-brewed and local beers.
5. If you follow the road to its end there are several
additional items of interest. There is a seat carved from
a massive piece of granite that is a memorial to the
Kirkcudbright based fishing boat “Solway Harvester”
that sank with the loss of seven local men in January
2000. Round to the right, across small field, are the
ruins of St. Ninian’s Chapel. The oldest parts of the
existing structure date back to the 14th century but
there was probably an earlier chapel on this site since
the 12th century. There is a “witness cairn” where
pilgrims and visitors to the chapel are invited to add
their own stones, often bearing the names of family
members. The white tower at the end of the peninsula
is a navigational aid that has been guiding boats into
the harbour for hundreds of years.
It would be a great help to future walkers if
you could record any inaccuracies you come across
during this walk and report them to reception so that
appropriate amendments can be made. Thank you
for your help. Happy walking.
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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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