Galloway Walks

Difficulty level B+: Distance 8.13mls: Total climb 2254ft.

Parking: in Largs town, one of the side streets leading to the waterfront, opposite to Douglas Park.

Go into Douglas Park and then into the Lane at the side of it. Go up the hill, following signs to the ancient burial chamber and then the Viewpoint. There are steps up at various points which make this initial climb much easier. For the first mile or so, the climb is quite steep, but frequent stops provide an opportunity to view the unfolding and quite superb panorama of the firth of Clyde. Follow signs to the viewpoint (this involves a sharp right turn up a grassy slope, leaving the fence/dyke which you would otherwise have followed). After reaching the viewpoint (NS 21407 58537) with its indicator, continue in a south easterly direction until you reach a dyke. Follow this dyke in an easterly direction, past the Cockle Loch until the dyke turns sharply to the south. Cross the dyke and continue eastwards passing the hill called Jock’s Castle on your left (there is also a dyke/fence on your right which you can follow at a respectable distance) and walking in an approximate east by north direction. You shortly start descending to a valley on the other side of which are the Knockside Hills at the top of which is a convenient and reasonably sheltered lunch spot. Keep the dyke on your right ( the further you are from the dyke the less steep is the descent although never very difficult) but at the bottom (NS 25075 58610) cross over both the dyke and the burn. Climb the hill aiming for the point between the two knolls at the top. After lunch continue in a north easterly direction following the dyke/fence, when you reach it, to the bottom of the valley, cross over the dyke/fence and continue northerly to climb Irish Law, bearing in mind that the east slope is less steep than the west or south. Continue north to Little Irish Law descending from this to the north before swinging west to Feuside Hill, then southwest to first Paton’s Hill and then Rigging Hill. Continue to the west, passing Jock’s Castle to the south and shortly then crossing a dyke/fence after which there is a track going west which will ultimately take you back to the viewpoint and down to the cars.