Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal Volume 6 Number 3

A Gallowegian wander

by Edred M. Corner

My interest in this region was first awakened by that stirring romance, the "Raiders," by Crockett. Ever since I read this book I have longed to wander through the regions described there. In order to gain some knowledge of the district I studied Mr Colin Phillip's paper on the "Highlands of Galloway," and Mr Watt's note, both published in the S.M.C.J. (1) This visit, like almost all projected visits, was put off and put off until matters were brought to a head by an English climber asking me to give some report of this region.

On 27th March 1897, I started from London in the full tide of enthusiasm that awakes in the hill-lover at the prospect of a holiday. In my mind my plans were fixed, and like most plans, they were not fully carried out. For I assured myself that Arran should be my wash-pot wherein to improve my bodily condition, over Galloway would I cast out my boots, o'er Tyndrum would I triumph. Unfortunately Tyndrum was never reached. All my plans were upset by a most unromantic and necessary thing, namely, boots in bad repair, and new ones slow in arriving. In Arran with plenty of soft snow I had several most enjoyable days on the hills. In their wintry garb the Arran Hills presented quite new aspects to me, though their summer appearances were very familiar. Cir Mhor, as is most proper, received most attention, and with pardonable pride my number of ascents became double figures. My boots having arrived, the journey to Dalmellington was commenced. The railway people were good enough to furnish me with waits of three-quarters of an hour at Irvine and two hours at Ayr, much to my annoyance. But to their credit I must say Dalmellington was reached that night. The proprietress of the Black Bull is nothing if not hospitable, and as the weather was cold, carefully sent to inquire if I would prefer sleeping in sheets or blankets.

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The start next morning was made at 9 A.M., and under very good omens, for the first bridge I crossed, over the Muick, was garnished with a text. A well-filled rücksac kept the pace in modest bounds until Craigmulloch, at the head of Loch Doon, was reached, 9-10 miles. The walk was most enjoyable, and the scenery about the foot of Loch Doon is very pretty. At Craigmulloch, I had most comfortable quarters at the keeper's house. After lunch I felt that it was my obvious duty to learn something of the country. The best way in which I could do this, was by following a ridge due south, when I should have the Kells range on the east, and the Merrick and its confrères on the west. Crossing the Carrick burn by a bridge, the little hill of Starr was ascended. From here the great scene of desolation, so characteristic of this region, commenced - long stretches of boggy moorland, dotted over with boulders and lochans, stretched out for miles. Over this moor, or more correctly through it, one has to travel in this country. The next landmark surmounted was a little hill with a long name, Clachmawhannal, 1,169 feet. The desolation became greater as I advanced. Bearing slightly to the west, still travelling through boggy moor, I arrived on firmer ground, I and ascended Hooden's Hill. The ridge has three cairns and on its east encloses a corrie called the Slock, which is very typical of the best of the climbing ground in this region. The cliffs consist of granite, broken in places by irregular and usually broad ledges, and offering scrambling of no very high order, though plenty of danger and humiliation by stopping the climber at the foot of a smooth slab of granite set at what appears to be a ridiculously easy angle. The second cairn on the ridge, I believe, corresponds to the Gordon's Loup of the 6-inch map, 1,810 feet by aneroid. The ridge is broad and flat, the highest point being at the southern extremity, and is called the "Lump of Eglin," 1,875 feet. The ridge southward continues over Mullwharchar and Dungeon Hill, both over 2,000 feet, and presenting climbing which looks better than that mentioned in the description of the Slock corrie, but like that situated on the east or Gala Lane face. I left the main ridge at the Lump of Eglin, and followed a branch ridge eastwards of the top of a hill with the interesting but suggestive name of Yellow Tomach, 1,775 feet. The rock would be better called speckled, so that the name might be altered.

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The cliffs of this hill had received mention from Colin Phillip, and I had been in consequence ordered to explore them. Through these cliffs I descended, and found no difficulty, though climbing of the vegetable and boulder type could be obtained for short stretches. An occasional shallow gully might offer a wet pitch, probably coated with spongy moss, to be surmounted. The descent was continued into Gala Lane, and the burn reached. This was a fatal mistake. The burn here is no longer rushing and brawling, leaping on its rocky bed, but has retired to the quieter dignity of a fen drain. Its banks also recalled those of its southern relative in that they were sedgy and boggy. Down four miles of superlative bog I floundered, and regret to state did not speak well of the suggester of my trip. Everything in these degenerate days ends some time, and the only result was a greater consumption of broth, and a quieter pipe afterwards.

The next morning began badly with a heavy shower, and I found that the clouds had condescended to rest upon the head of the Wee Hill of Craigmulloch. At 9 A.M. things began to improve, and I set out. Profiting by my bog-trotting experiences of yesterday, I gave all burns a wide berth, and only joined the Eglin burn higher up. But not so high as I wished to, for above all things the climber is a weak man. Have they not frequently been turned aside by weather, heat, edibles, especially bilberries and crowberries? On this occasion I was deflected from my course by a large boulder that was split in two and offered some scrambling. It was situated by the side of the burn. The crack just allowed my body to enter, and some ten minutes were spent on the boulder ascending and reascending it. The Eglin soon took upon itself the modestly majestic drain-like characters that the Gala exemplifies so well, but, in contradistinction to the latter, its banks gave good walking. Crossing it just after the Saugh entered it, I surmounted the Rig of Minshalloch. This rig runs up to the foot of the great N.E. corrie, under the summit of the Merrick.

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The Merrick, 2,764 feet, is the monarch of Galloway, and had spent the morning coquetting with the mist; but now forgot its kingly dignity so far as to become sulky and childish, hiding its head in the mist. The ascent was made by the southern ridge of the corrie, which was grassy except for a few rocks. But now the Merrick treated its humble pilgrim most lavishly with wind and blinding snow. This low trick put my back up in both senses, and somewhat revengefully I at length sat on the monarch's cairn. From what could be seen of the corries, - they have been described as rocky, - scree seemed to greatly preponderate. In fact it was borne in upon me that Mr Phillip's descriptions were flavoured more by the artist than the rock climber. Following the ridge north, I ran over the Spear, 2,560 feet, which is to the Merrick as Stob Garbh is to Ben Lui, to the col, 2,125 feet- The Merrick is shaped somewhat like a squat Ben Lui. From the col I soon arrived at a barren and cairnless waste, which is the top of Kirriereoch, 2,562 feet. Crossing the county march, which is north of the summit, I descended over slippery long grass and scree to the col, 1,750 feet. And having had enough wind and snow for one day, I descended, joining the burn, Tunskeen, followed it to Loch Macaterik. Passing the sandy little cove Macaterik, and following Black Garpel burn, I rejoined the Eglin, and so home. I had intended to include Tarfessock and the Shalloch on Minnoch, following the length of the Merrick range, and this could have easily been done in decent weather. The shades of these hills are not very bold. The Merrick I have likened to a squat Ben Lui: Kirriereoch recalls the writing-desk hill of the Badminton, and Tarfessock and the Shalloch are miniature Aonach Mors from Roy Bridge.

Saturday morning promised a fine day, and kept that promise well. The views were spoilt by haze, and a cold wind prevented long halts. At 9.30 A.M. I strolled by Starr, and crossed the Gala at Lochhead farm, and continued up the lower slopes of the Kells to a kind of high level route, where the going is easy and the Gala bogs avoided. Crossing the Kirreoch burn, Meikle Craigrarson, 2,000 feet, was ascended.

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The western hills of Gala Lane are well seen from here, and present the best-looking cliffs and gullies in the neighbourhood. The ridge of Meikle Craigrarson abuts on the mass of Corscrine, which is the highest hill in the Kells range, and from the former hill presented the aspect of a somewhat glorified Primrose Hill clad with snow. For be it said for the benefit of northern readers, Primrose Hill, 219 feet, and Parliament Hill, Hampstead, 330 feet, are the Salisbury Crags or Whangie of the Cockney, and it will be easy to understand why the London contingent of the Club did not demean themselves to participate in the "local scrambles polemical essays." The top of Corscrine for the height of the hill (2,668 feet) is even larger than that of Aonach Mor. After a painstaking search a diminutive cairn was found not at all on the place one would expect to find it, but placed according to the whim and exactness of the Ordnance Survey. In order to warm myself, and save other wanderers trouble in finding it, I built the cairn into more decent proportions. Then, as the day was still young, I strolled to the North Gairy top (2,175 feet) in order to see the Loch Dungeon, situated between it and Millfire and Milldown. The saddle between Corscrine and the next hill to the north, Carlin's Cairn, is about 2,025 feet high. Carlin's Cairn is crowned by a large and evidently ancient cairn, of which the following history is related by Mr Harper in his "Rambles in Galloway," p. 214: - "The cairn was erected by the wife of the miller of Pulmaddy, who, on Bruce taking refuge at the mill when pursued by the English, concealed him among the sacks of corn in the hopper of the mill, and effected his escape. In happier times Bruce rewarded his protectress with a grant of land in the neighbourhood of Pulmaddy. She, in return, wished to raise a monument to the king for the generous gift, and some time after she brought together all her neighbours and kinsfolk, and caused them to carry a quantity of stones to the extreme edge of the Kells Rhynns, in sight of Carrick, and overlooking Loch Doon, and there she erected what it is now known as Carlin's Cairn." From this point Corscrine has improved greatly in appearance. The N.E. corrie, flanked by the ridge of Craigrine, was filled with snow, through which the black rock showed. In the summer I have no doubt the corrie is full of scree.

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The east slope of Carlin's Cairn consists of steep grass, broken rock and scree, and forms one of the more savage gairies of the district. The ridge northwards is very broad and hummocky, with a pool or two of water. Meual is a lump, as its name implies, and is 2,279 feet high. From here I branched off west to a col, 1,850 feet, and thence up Cairngarroch, 2,156 feet, one of the most shapely of the Kells. Retracing my steps, the main ridge was regained and followed, with a wall, over the three hummocks of Bow to the summit of the Coran of Port Mark. There is a cairn with a stick in it, and the height is 2,042 feet. The cold wind had dropped, and half an hour was spent comfortably dreaming of many things. Somewhat regretfully I made my way to Lochheacl and back to Craigmulloch.

The Kells present absolutely no climbing possibilities. Their ridges are composed almost entirely of grass, and are usually exceedingly broad. Thus they present no difficulty that could not be overcome by any determined invalid. They yield fine views. To the west lie wild stretches of desolate moor, with green Gala Lane intervening between the Kells and the cliffs of Yellow Tomach, Mullwharchar and the Dungeon. Beyond these are seen glimpses of Lochs Enoch and Neldricken. The picture is closed by the fine line of hills, the Merrick and its Spear, Kirriereoch, Tarfessock and the Shalloch o' Minnoch. On the east lies the green valley with the village of Carsphairn, extending by St John Dalry on to Loch Ken; and behind Carsphairn, its Cairnsmuir towered up in its snowy robes, looking worthily "the highest of the three," and flanked by the undulations and beautiful colouring of the lowlands. Of the distant views I cannot speak, as I could not even see my earliest friends, the Arran Hills.

Thus ended as pleasant three days' holiday as any hill wanderer could desire. The desolation of the country forced my loneliness on me, but there was no climbing where a companion was necessitated. The last day the weather hounded me with wind and rain back to Dalmellington, perhaps as a profaner of the sacred fastnesses of the hills.

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To this paper I append a geographical note giving the heights of the principal summits and cols. The dips are none of them great, and each range could be done in a day's work. A glance at the list will show that the "footage" is well distributed throughout the "mileage."

East Range from S. to N.

Central Range from N. to S.

Kells Range from S. to N.

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The above heights are obtained from the 6-inch Ordnance Survey map, and I have added the approximate height of other places from aneroid observations.

(1) Also Sheriff Nicholson's articles in Good Words.