Bargrennan to St John’s Town of Dalry

This route is one of 12 sections of the Southern Upland Way. If you have stayed the night in the campsite or in Glentrool it is well worth retracing your steps to do the riverside section along the Water of Minnoch.

The mixed woodland here is fantastic at any time of year but especially in the spring when you will be walking through a sea of Bluebells. As you come to the confluence with the Water of Trool you will start to see true mountainous landscape. We will be passing through this for the rest of the day, and climbing up it tomorrow.

Nestled in a steep sided valley Loch Trool is surrounded by woodland. It was here that Robert the Bruce defeated an English army by rolling boulders down the hill on top of them. The trail then ascends steeply up to Loch Dee. In contrast to Loch Trool this is in open moorland with views of Merrick, the highest summit in Southern Scotland. The White Laggan Bothy here is a chance to split this very long section of path.

The third Loch of the day is Clatteringshaws, a reservoir surrounded by farmland. You will get great views of it after you have passed by and are climbing up the slope away from it. There is then a final short but steep climb over Waterside Hill from the top of which you will get views of St Johns Town of Dalry. This is a small village but still the largest place we have passed through since Portpatrick. It has two shops for stocking up on supplies and a pub to recuperate in.