Walk 6 - Senwick Woods walking and hiking route
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Walk Instructions
Start: Brighouse Bay Car Park (GR 635457)
Footwear: Trainers in dry weather, boots in winter
or wet weather.
Terrain: Rough paths and rocky coast
A walk along the rugged coastline from Brighouse
Bay to Kirkandrews. The Borgue coast is designated
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its geology
and bird life. Peregrines and ravens nest along the
coastal cliffs along with a variety of gulls and sea
birds. Seals and porpoises are often seen along this
section of coast.
Some parts of this walk cross steep ground above
tall cliffs. Please keep children and dogs under
close supervision.
1. The walk starts from the public car park at Brighouse Bay.
Follow the path along the edge of the bay then through the
Graplin Plantation woodland between Brighouse Bay Holiday
Park and the sea. Look out for spring flowers along this section
of the route. After about a mile you emerge onto the rocky
foreshore and the path continues between the golf course and
the shore round some interesting bays and headlands. There
are some information boards with descriptions of the plants
and wildlife that can be seen in the area.
The first deep inlet is between the tee and the green of the 3rd
hole of the golf course so beware of low-flying golf balls!
In the next bay there is a “Bone Cave” that was excavated in
the 1870s and was found to contain numerous animal bone
fragments along with human remains and artefacts, probably
dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries.
The highest headland on this section of the walk was the site
of the promontory fort of Borness Batteries. You can still see
the outlines of the ramparts and ditches between the stone
wall and the cliff edge. The age of the fort is uncertain.
2. A short way beyond Borness Batteries you will come to a
gate where the path forks. One route heads inland and back
round to Brighouse Bay but this walk continues through the
gate along the coast. The next mile of the route is rough going
around Harrison’s, Borness and Ringdoo bays. There is a lot
of gorse and the best route is often along the top edge of the
rocky shore just above the high tide mark.
The headland between Harrison’s Bay and Borness Bay is
the site of an earthwork of uncertain period. There is a theory
that this was an abandoned attempt at constructing a fort
but there is no conclusive evidence. The tip of the headland
is known as Manxman’s Rock and is separated from the
mainland by a narrow channel.
3. Beyond Ringdoo Bay, the cliffs rise again and there are
several caves at sea level. Some of them can be accessed at low
tide but be careful of the slippery rocks and fast rising tides.
The route follows the line of the fence on the edge of farmland
above the cliffs. Sometimes the path is on the landward side
and sometimes on the seaward side. There are metal kissing
gates at the points where the route crosses the fence.
These cliffs are where peregrines and ravens often nest so look
on the cliff ledges for the large piles of sticks that are typical of
raven nests. Peregrine nests are more difficult to locate but the
birds are often seen perching on the fence posts along the top
of the cliffs.
This section of the walk is good for spring flowers, especially
the large clumps of bright yellow primroses.
As you round the last prominent bay you can look back to see
Little Pinnacle, a tall rocky spire with a deep channel behind
it. This is a popular nesting site for cormorants and gulls. The
final feature before the cliffs decrease in size is Meikle Pinnacle
which is accessible via a scramble and is a popular place for
sea fishing.
4. The route now goes through another kissing gate then
follows a faint path down across the edge of a pasture to a
shallow valley where a small stream can be crossed. Continue
parallel to the coast across the field to a gate in a dry-stone
wall just below the point where the ground gets steeper to
the right.
Go through the gate and follow the path next to a fence
line leading around the side of Barn Heugh through two
more kissing gates to meet a track that gives access to
Kirkandrews village.
5. Kirkandrews is the site of an old church that was originally
founded in or before the 12th century but nothing remains
of the original structure. A later church on the site was in use
until 1670 when it was merged with the neighbouring parish
of Borgue. The remains of the church are now seen as family
grave enclosures for the McCulloch and McLennan families.
In the early years of the 20th century James Brown of
Knockbrex built a laundry and the “wee kirk” along with some
workers’ cottages in Kirkandrews. The kirk is open to the public
on Sunday afternoons from Easter until the end of September
and for Sunday evening services in July and August.
From Kirkandrews, you can walk back along the road to the
Coo Palace or take the footbridge across the Pulwhirrin Burn
and walk back across the fields along the coast.
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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