Walk 7 - Torrs Point walking and hiking route
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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.
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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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