Tarras Water & Whita Hill

About Tarras Water & Whita Hill

Starting at Kilgreen car park, this walk consists of roads and good tracks. From the car park, walk into the town centre and continue on the A7 heading south. Pass Ashley Bank House and take the next road on the left (Hall Path). Keep right at Hillside Crescent. Past the last house the road becomes a track. Go through a gate at a sign for Jenny Noble's Walk. Soon walk up to the Round House to get a fine view back over the town.

Regain the track and follow it through several gates and across fields to Broomholmshiels Farm. Walk out to the road and turn left. The road climbs steadily and drops into the valley of the Tarras Water. There is a lovely open feeling about this area, and in spring and summer you will usually hear curlew, skylarks and other birds. The Tarras Water comes into view and the road drops to cross it by the entrance track to Rashiel.

Stay on the road across the bridge, as it climbs high above the river giving excellent views over Rashiels to Whita Hill. The tarred road ends at Cronksbank. Continue on a clear track through the farm and on up the valley to Perterburn, enjoying the spaciousness and the open air. Directly opposite the house at Perterburn, turn left through a gate and follow a rough track down. Where the track bends left to enter a field, go ahead to a small gate giving access to a footbridge over the Tarras Water.

On the far Side of the bridge, and follow the marked path below the house at Middlemoss to regain the track. Turn left on the a gate and follow the track round to the right and through another gate, This part of the walk has a real feeling of remoteness, about it as you follow the track with the Tarras Water below to the right.

However, in a kilometre you reach the road to Newcastleton. Turn left on the road. There is a very extensive view to the left (south-west) in the direction of Carlisle and the Solway Firth.

From the crossing of the Little Tarras Water it is a steady climb of just over a kilometre to the MacDiarmid Memorial at the top of the road. Once over the summit a whole new vista opens up, looking down into 'Ewesdale. You can turn left at the MacDiarmid Memorial and follow the signs for Walk 8 up to the Monument and back to Langholm that way. Or, if you have had enough climbing, continue on the road as it descends steadily.

Shortly after passing under the main power line, turn left on a clear path (just past the entrance to the old quarry). This path leads across the hill past a stone sheepfold to reach the top of the Whita Road track by the golf course. Turn right here and follow the track down past the golf clubhouse. At the road, go straight across and descend on a very steep path to reach the centre of town. Turn right to return to the car park.

The Langholm Walks Booklet of 14 way-marked walks is available from Welcome to Langholm in the Market Place, The Paper Shop on the High Street, The Buccleuch Centre or by mail to langholmwalks@gmail.com