Walking Breaks
Whether you want an easy stroll on a beach, or through the forest, or a more strenuous hike, you will be spoilt for choice.
Packed lunches, early breakfasts, drying facilities are all available to make your stay as comfortable and convenient as possible.
Galloway Forest Park
300 square miles of forest, mountain, hill and loch.
Three visitor centres in the Forest park. See red deer and wild goats, and walk or cycle the forest trails. New internationally acclaimed mountain biking trails opened in Kirroughtree and Glentrool.
There are over 40 summits topping 2000ft in the Galloway Hills, with the Merrick at 2766ft being the highest in Southern Scotland. There are countless lochs, burns and waterfalls waiting to be discovered in this unspoilt area.
Kilsture Forest on the road to Garlieston - woodland trails, alive with bluebells in Springtime.
From Garlieston, you can walk along the beach and follow the coast to Cruggleton Castle and cliffs. Another lovely sandy beach is at Monreith next to St. Medans Golf Course.
Balloch Woodland, Creetown
At present four main trails cover the length of the woodland and follow routes that have been walked by the local community for more than a century, following the natural contours of the woodland and using materials either from the woodland itself or from the most sympathetic local source.
Includes a short all-abilities trail which has been built providing a circular route around the wildlife ponds, enabling visitors to enjoy the wide range of pond life at close quarters.
All routes are waymarked from Creetown village square and provide access to the main points of interest and features including the poetry stone circle, the waterfalls and gorge of Balloch Burn, red squirrel feeding sites, an ancient chalybeate well, the wildlife ponds and roundhouse interpretation centre and areas of broadleaf woodland. However, for the more intrepid walker keen to explore off the beaten path, a wide range of other discoveries await you.
Please follow the Country Code when out walking in the countryside:
Leave gates as you find them
Keep dogs under close control at all times
Keep to paths across farmland
Use gates & stiles to cross fences, hedges and wall.
Respect farm livestock, crops and machinery
Take your litter home with you
Take care on country roads
Protect wildlife, plants and trees
Guard against risk of fire
Make no unnecessary noise