Photographs, route description and map of an ascent of the Corbett Cairnsmore of Carsphairn in the Galloway Hills of the Borders Region of Scotland

Route Map for Cairnsmore of Carsphairn

CAIRNSMORE of CORSERINE - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Location: Cairnsmore, Dumfries&Galloway
Map: Ordnance Survey Landranger ( Dalmellington & New Galloway ) 1:50,000 Sheet 77
Distance: 8miles / 12 km
Time: 4-5hous
Grade: Medium

Set off from the roadside cottage of Bridge End off the A713 Castle Douglas to Dalmellington road and the ancient bridge that spans the Green Well of Scotland, a stretch of the Water of Deugh that flows down from the hills of the Carsphairn Forest in Galloway.
Follow the track past some byres and then across the Benloch Burn. Continue on this track as it climbs past Willieanna, but leave the track and climb to the col between Willieanna and Dunool. Climb the slopes of Dunool and follow the broad ridge over Black Shoulder and onto Cairnsmore itself.
The 2614ft Cairnsmore of Carsphairn was once known as Cairnsmore of Deugh. Galloway is well known for its curious placenames, such as the Range of the Awful Hand, the Murder Hole, The Wolf Slock. Or how about Mullwharchar, Craigmawhannal and Craigmasheenie, Rig of the Jarkness, Curleywee, Lump of the Eglin, Shalloch on Minnoch and Cairnsmore of Carsphairn itself.
One story suggests the Green Well is so named because a counterfeiter by the name of Dodds once made coins from a local ore and threw his master dies into the pool to hide them from the excisemen. The green-hued ore apparently discoloured the waters.
Willieanna forms a lowly addendum to the long curving ridge that rises from the little col known as the Nick of Disgee. Climbing the long ridge over Dunool and Black Shoulder to the stony summit of Cairnsmore, wonder on who was Willieanna? The name of a local worthy or is the hill named after a couple, Willie and Anna‘? Who knows. What is known is that the slopes are rich in clearance cairns, mounds of stones created by the improvement of ﬁelds, dating back to the Bronze Age.
From the Nick of Disgee climb steeply in the lee of a drystone wall onto Dunool where the broad ridge swings to the right before rising to form the steeper slopes of Black Shoulder. Below lies a little pass called Nick of the Lochans giving way to along ridge known as The Glenkens.
From the summit cairn and trig point, the views to the north were mined by banks of wind turbines so turned your backs on them and gazed west to Loch Doon and the Rhines of Kells, with The Merrick peeping up above them. From the summit, follow the dry-stone wall in a SW direction down to the headwaters of the Polsue Burn. Crow the burn and follow the wall right, then left to meet the end of the track that will take you directly back to the start.

Galloway Hills Gallery