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This walk has been created following
the popularity of last years Papy Ha Walk.
Kirroughtree Visitor Centre provides walkers
with a choice of exceptional waymarked
trails, and this route is a combination
of these routes interlinked using paths
created for orienteer courses. Great views,
not too strenuous and taken at a comfortable
pace.
We start and finish this route from the
Sunday Multi Start at Kirroughtree Visitor
Centre. We initially follow the Larg Hill
trail through mixed woodlands along a
well defined path. This area is rich with
wildlife and in particular red squirrels
and we hope that our walkers will not
be dissappointed by these illusive little
creatures. We might need to be careful
not to get a crink in our necks looking
upwards!
Leaving the wood for a short while we
follow a steep section of the recently
upgraded Sustrans national 'Cycle Route
7'. We then continue gently climbing Larg
Hill with fine views over Newton Stewart
and the Minnigaff Hills of Curlyee and
Millfore. Walkers who enjoyed the Minnigaff
Hills Walk on Saturday will be able to
see the hills in their splendour from
a lowland outlook.
Having reached the high point of Larg
Hill views towards Cairnsmore of Fleet
open up to the north east and we will
rest for a while to enjoy the vista.
We then descend along forest tracks to
hidden Bruntis Loch before we pick up
a short section of the Forest Drive. We
pass the cairn erected in 1997 to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the creation of
the Galloway Forest Park. The cairn is
a tomb for over 60 locally associated
time capsules.
The inward section of the walk follows
gently undulating sections of path and
tracks before opening out into typically
lowland farmlands for the final section
of the route. We would expect to see buzzards,
red deer and a wide variety of birdlife
along this section in particular so make
sure you bring your binoculars.
NOTE - There are no pre-determined limits
to the numbers permitted on this walk,
however in the interests of safety the
walk leader may restrict the total number
of walkers on the day. In this event,
a later departure may be offered if sufficient
numbers are interested.
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