The little village of Kirkcolm lies around 6 miles to the north-west of Stranraer, at the northern tip of the Rhinns of Galloway peninsula and it marks the start of a wonderful little coastal walk along the shores of Loch Ryan.
The walk guarantees beautiful views over Loch Ryan and the surrounding countryside. On the east end of the loch is Cairnryan, the departure point for the Stena Line ferry to Ireland. At the entrance to the loch lies Ailsa Craig, the giant snub island which sits on the west coast of Ayrshire and is the site where granite is taken to make curling stones! Visible further beyond is the Isle of Arran.
As for the walk itself, there are 2 versions. One is a 2.5 mile coastal circuit which follows a flat trail along the coastline before looping through Kirkcolm and back to the car park. The other route, which I chose to do, is a longer 4.5 mile route which includes beautiful woodland in the Corsewall Estate.
This is a walk that I was surprised by as, to be honest, I hadn’t expected it to be so good! I was expecting a pleasant but simple little coastal stroll and what I got instead was a gorgeous coastal circuit, suitable for all ages and abilities, with fantastic views and a wonderful atmosphere.
The Coastal Car Park at Kirkcolm
You cannot miss the entrance to the large, free carpark at Kirkcolm. For a start, it’s well signposted on the A718 and secondly, there is a large boat with ‘Welcome to Kirkcolm’ printed on it. It’s an immediately pleasant welcome to the start of this walk and the car park has a lovely interpretation board which tells the story of the Supermarine Stranraer, a twin-engined flying boat which served during World War II.
“During World War II Wig Bay was a seaplane base, where flying boats were maintained and serviced. By the beginning of 1945 over 1000 RAF personnel were stationed here with 170 flying boats to maintain.”
There is also a nice sign, ‘the wig’, which shows the route ahead as well as a little more information on the area. It all makes for a very pleasant start and Messi and I were soon ready to get going.
Beyond the sign, the beach immediately starts, making it a wonderful place to walk a dog or to just enjoy some Dumfries & Galloway coastline with absolutely no undulation or ascent whatsoever.
Messi wasted absolutely no time in contributing to this blog post.
He immediately ran into the sea.
He splashed about, running in circles as he enjoys doing, while I admired the lovely scene before me, with my walking buddy being daft as the hills behind were basked in spring sunshine. The water was crystal clear and I was already thinking that this walk was pleasantly surprising me.
One highlight that you must see is ‘The Scar’, a rather odd sandbar the juts out into Loch Ryan (and was covered in a wide variety of birds, including oyster catchers). We had a wee stroll out on to it, just enough to get a nice picture, and then I decided to retreat and leave the birds to their funnily little peninsula. The area is home to nesting terns between May and July and even the ferry slows down so as to not disturb them!
The interesting features of the walk jsut kept on coming as The Scar is the point where the walk swings north. Across from The Scar is the Cairnryan ferry terminal, where the huge Stena Line ferry sits. Also, even more interesting, is a small stone structure stands overlooking Loch Ryan.
It is actually a mine watchers post, part of the Loch Ryan defenses during World War II and it is still standing (and can be entered). Dumfries & Galloway has quite a lot of similar structures dotted about the coastline, which were constructed during the Second World War and it was a treat to be able to enter this one and imagine the effort that was put into fortifying this crucial port.
“Originally used as an observation post, looking for mines in the loch, either air dropped or set by U-boats.”
Heading further up the loch, we strolled behind the Stena Line ferry which was underway and heading for Northern Ireland. There are a few well placed benches, where you could easily just sit and watch the ships come and go. It’s a lovely spot and it’s no surprise to me that it’s so popular with dog walkers.
At this point you have a choice. A sign marks the mid-point of this walk, where you can leave the beach and head to Kirkcolm before looping back to the car park (around a 2 mile walk) or you can continue on into the woodland above Loch Ryan.
If possible, I’d urge you to do the longer version of the walk as the woodland of Corsewall Estate is beautiful and very atmospheric.
Immediately after crossing through a little gate, with a well-signposted route sign, the path climbs upwards for the only slightly strenuous part of the day. The path climbs steeply through dense woodland, with an ever-improving view opening behind. Again, there are some very well placed benches so you can take your time and admire the view.
The views over Loch Ryan are fantastic and well worth the effort. I hadn’t seen a single person in the wood (most had clearly opted for the shorter route), and Messi and I were having a lovely time exploring this corner of Dumfries & Galloway.
At this point I’d like to say a few words about Corsewall Estate and the fantastic job they have done here. I’ve walked all over Scotland and on a great many estates and I’ve had more than one that seems resentful of your prescence as a walker. This route, meanwhile, has a lovely walking trail throughout, a variety of interpretation boards (telling of the flora, fauna and history of the area) plus green walking route signs to keep you heading the correct way.
Even the path looked maintained. No potholes or quagmires here. It really is very well done and, as we exited the wood later, I was struck by a Corsewall Estate sign that affirmed that they wanted walkers to enjoy the area and had tried to make the walk pleasant as a result.
It’s a fantastic little walk thanks to their efforts.
Once at the top of the woodland the path becomes nice and smooth and follows a little fenceline that offers even better views out to sea. I had timed things perfectly as one of the ferries was approaching Loch Ryan, bypassing Ailsa Craig as it made for Cairnryan.
From there, the path wound downhill, with more interpretation boards and a lovely little tree-arch!
The path eventually leaves the woodland, joining the B738 and heading back to Kirkcolm. I was once again pleasantly surprised as I’d expected to have to walk on the road back to the village but instead a small path follows the side of the road, dipping into some woodland, before emerging in Kirkcolm. It’s another lovely touch that just makes the walk more pleasant for walkers (and safer).
Kirkcolm is a cute little Dumfries & Galloway country village: rows of white houses surround a narrow main street. There is the ‘Blue Peter Hotel’, a smattering of holiday homes and just a typical quiet, rural village. People were strolling about going about their days and one woman seemed smitten with Messi and insisted on making a fuss over him (he loves this).
One thing I missed was the Kilmorie Stone, a carved standing stone which is currently standing in the churchyard of Kirkcolm Church. The stone is something I’d like to see so when I inevitably return to do this walk I will go and see it and add a picture into this blog post!
“The cross-slab almost certainly dates to some time between the eighth and tenth centuries and displays a mix of stylistic influences.”
To the south of the village is Kirkcolm Primary School and it marks the last choice of the day: one can either continue on the main road back to the carpark at the start of the walk or take a turn at the primary school and head back along the beach.
I’d enjoyed the walk so much I decided to head back to the beach, to enjoy the scenery just a bit more.
Heading Home
When we reached the car I was surprised at how much fun I’d had. I’ve recently added a post of my Top Ten Coastal Walks in Dumfries & Galloway to the blog and I’d deliberately left this walk until after it was published as I didn’t think it would be that good. Now though, I am not so sure!
This walk has a little bit of everything, especially if you do this extended version. It has lovely, flat coastline, a wide variety of wildlife, the fun of seeing the ferries come and go, plus the excellent path through the estate with fantastic views out to sea from high above.
On top of that, it’s a relatively easy walk. The short version is just 2 miles and has almost no uphill whatsoever. Even the longer version only has one relatively strenuous section as you climb high into the wood before it immediately becomes easy-going again.
This is a fantastic little coastal walk, right at the edge of Dumfries & Galloway in an oft-overlooked location. It would make a fantastic walk in summer or winter and it is one I would strongly suggest you consider.
I’m not sure if it will break into my top 10 coastal walks in the region but it is definitely one I will return to again and again throughout my life.
Walk Information
Route Length: 4.5 miles
Parking: FREE
Carpark Postcode: DG90PU
Route Leaflet: HERE