Galloway Walks

Route Distance: 7.8 miles. Total Ascent: 2118 ft. Difficulty level A. Car parking: at Stinchar Bridge carpark (south of Straiton on the B7045).
Return to B7045 and walk south until the end of the trees on your left. Take a rather indistinct track to the left, shortly crossing a stream which in winter or after a lot of rain can be difficult. The track thereafter is reasonably obvious and leads ultimately to the trig point on the summit. Walk east for approx 0.2 of a mile (at which point there are good views to the east) and then walk NNE, gradually descending, and this involves clambering down a number of rocky outcrops. You should see ahead of you the small Loch Girvan Eye and you should aim to pass between this loch and the forest to the right of it. You then immediately start climbing Craigmasheenie which is a good place for lunch with views over Loch Riecawr. Carry on towards NNE and the north end of Craigmasheenie leads down to the Nick of the Strand which should be crossed by one of the tracks over towards Shiel Hill. You have the option of walking on the tops of the series of small hills leading to the trigpoint or at a lower level on tracks which tend to come and go. Aim for the trigpoint at NX41765 94525. Then walk in a northeasterly direction to join the Cornish Hill Path at the viewpoint NX40935 95183. Take either direction of this path, although to the right is easier, joining the road from Stinchar Bridge to Loch Bradan.