Mullwharchar and Loch Enoch.

A Bank Holiday and all day on the hills and see nobody....has to be Galloway.!We pulled in to the car park at Glen Trool beside the only other occupants...a couple from Cheshire up on holiday.After 30 years of visiting the highlands this was their first visit to Galloway and they were astounded at how beautiful an area it was.The sun was out as we took our leave and headed directly up Buchan Hill on our way to Mulwharchar.We had toyed with the idea of biking in from Loch Doon to the north but the prospect of a return visit to see the sands of Loch Enoch proved irresistable.


The idea was to make good use of the Rig of Loch Enoch and enjoy a high level route towards Mulwharchar,avoiding the tussocks and bogs lower down.The Rig proved a great way out with gentle ups and downs and traces of a path in places.


Makes a change having views down both sides for such a long time.
Loch Valley below us...


Just before we crested the final rise to Loch Enoch a quick detour was made to pay our respects to the Grey Man of the Merrick....



A quick pull up and the loch was in front of us and our hill appeared in the distance...


We took it easy as we had all day before us and walked around the sandy shore when possible.Who would believe this is 1,600 feet avove sea level...


A stop for a spot of lunch and some photos....


...and then a quick flog up the slope via granite slabs to the summit of Mulwharchar.
Good views of Arran and down south to the Mull of Galloway but it was just a bit too hazy to make out the Isle of Man.

The Merrick from Mulwharchar.


Next up was Dungeon Hill to the south...


...which without a doubt was my hardest remaing Donald.It`s a long way from anywhere.We made our way down to the col under Mulwharchar.Loads of granite erratics all over this area.


An easy pull up and we were at the top in no time.


The man eating bog of the Silver Flowe is in the valley at the bottom of the pic above.See the link at the end of the page :)

There are some impressive cliffs on this hill but the only person I know who has actually made the effort to do a route there is our friend Gavin.I`ll see if he has any pics to put up.The weather was now becoming a tad on the parky side so we kept going.We had hummed and hawed about adding on Craignaw....


...but the weather was closing in and we had been up it long ago in December 1992 so we traversed around Craignairny to the Wolf Slock and down to Loch Neldricken.More sandy beaches to walk round here.


As luck would have it the weather brightened up again as we worked our way round the loch.Looking back Loch Neldricken and Black Gairy before heading down the Gairland Burn..


The Gairland is usually a bit of a bogfest but it was behaving itself today and we emerged at the foot with dry feet.A bit of tar work and a quick detour up to Bruce`s Stone...


....and it was back to the car and back home over by Rowantree Toll to Straiton.Good day out it was.I even think Bob enjoyed it :)

PS: To see what Galloway can ofer in the shape of tussocks and bog go to the excellent John Biggar site and look at the picture at the bottom of this page.