Walk 7 - Torrs Point walking and hiking route

Walk Instructions

Start: At Mutehill, 1.5 miles from Kirkcudbright (GR 686486)
Footwear: Trainers in dry weather, boots in wet weather.
Refreshments: Many cafes and pubs in Kirkcudbright
Terrain: Farmland and rocky coast

A coastal walk along the east side of Kirkcudbright Bay. There are often cows and sheep in the fields along this route so please be careful not to disturb them and to keep dogs under close control.

1. Park at Mutehill, just off the A711 about 1.5 miles south of Kirkcudbright on the road to Dundrennan. There is room on the shore side of the road to park a few cars. Follow the quiet road along the shore of the inlet of Kirkcudbright Bay called Manxman’s Lake for one mile. At low tide, Manxman’s Lake is a large area of mud flats and it is a good place to see waders and other water fowl including oystercatcher, curlew, redshank, dunlin, common sandpiper (summer), little egret, shelduck and mute swans. At a group of houses, take the track that continues past the houses close to the shore between fields on the left and woods on the right.

2. After about half a mile you will see the Kirkcudbright lifeboat station down some steps. The original lifeboat house was situated at the Creekhead in Kirkcudbright, where the boat had to be hauled on a wheeled carriage down the street to the quay. A new boathouse and slipway were constructed in 1892 to make life easier and improve response times. However, it was not until the 1950s that a road through the woods was made. Before this, the crew had to make their way through rough woodland for almost a mile before they could get to the boathouse. From the lifeboat station the track turns into a footpath continuing through the woods for about three quarters of a mile before ascending slightly and emerging onto open fields at a gate. Go through the gate and follow a fence line on the right parallel to the coast. Go through another gate to access open fields sloping down to the rocky shoreline. The rocks increase in height until you reach a cairn at Torrs Point.

3. From Torrs Point you have great views across the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay to Ross Island with its lighthouse and on a clear day you will be able to see the hills of the Isle of Man about 30 miles across the Irish Sea and the Lake District across the Solway Firth to the south. A little further on you will see the white painted lookout tower and warning signs that mark the edge of the Ministry of Defence Kirkcudbright Training Area. This area, between Kirkcudbright and Dundrennan, was acquired by the MOD in 1942 to train allied forces for the invasion of Europe. It is still used for training and you may see the red flags flying around the perimeter to indicate that operations are taking place. The area also includes the adjacent area of sea and there is a range patrol boat that warns marine traffic about the danger zone along the coast. Turn left before the perimeter fence and follow a faint path uphill past a shallow pond. You will then see a gate and track leading up and slightly rightwards. Follow the good but sometimes muddy track over a slight rise then down through gorse bushes to reach a gate by a small lake. Go through the gate and follow a track up to reach a surfaced road.

4. Turn left along the road and follow it past Torrs Farm then along an easy downhill stretch to lead you back to the shoreline and your outward route. Retrace your steps back along the shore road to the starting point. You can make this walk a couple of miles shorter by parking at the point where the track to the lifeboat station branches off the shore road.

Please help future walkers by notifying us of any errors in the walk description or any suggestions for improving the directions.

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.