High in the hills between South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway lies Cornish Hill, a 1,532ft summit which offers gorgeous views over the Galloway Hills to the south and to Arran and Ailsa Craig to the north.
This 3.5 mile walk is really quite easy and has the added bonus of being a circuit walk that takes in the fantastic Cornish Loch, nestled in the valley below Cornish Hill and makes for a fantastic day out in the South of Scotland that isn’t too strenuous.
Heading Out
The walk starts at Stinchar Bridge, where there is a large (paid) car park. There is, alternatively, a large layby to the south of Stinchar Bridge if you wish to try and avoid the parking charge.
The area itself is lovely, albeit quite popular with tourists in the summer months! The walk starts right at Stinchar Bridge and is quite well signposted, as the little trail leaves the road and dives into dense woodland. It’s wonderfully atmospheric, with the thick tree canopy above, the soft pine needle-strewn path below, and the sound of the stinchar rumbling in the background.
I’d brought both Messi and my dad along on this one and it was a gorgeous, sunny day. Before even starting the walk properly, Messi was in the Stinchar cooling off and my dad and I were making the most of the perfectly placed bench which sits above the rock pools at the bridge.
“This circular walk climbs up above the vast forests of the Carrick onto the wild open hills, giving superb views and visiting the lonely shores of Cornish Loch.“
The little trail wound through the woodland and I was pleasantly surprised to see no other humans! What I DID see was a sparrowhawk, darting through the trees. A little river flows through the wood, making it perfect for dogs: Messi kept jumping in and scaring the small brown trout we could see in the crystal clear water.
Eventually, the dense woodland ends and the trail starts to snake upward at a gentle pace on the exposed moorland. The rolling heather-strewn moors were endless and made a lovely contrast to the dense woodland we’d strolled through prior.
We had a brief pause to take in the views and let a dog walker pass before heading on a little further to the summit of Cornish Hill.
Cornish Hill
The views from the summit of Cornish Hill are absolutely fantastic and a tremendous reward for so little effort. Reaching the cairn, Cornish Loch was glistening in the sun below, a tranquil blue spot in the endless heather. At just 1,532ft Cornish Hill is big enough to tower over the woodland and offer sweeping views of the bigger summits which surround it.
I enjoy the hills in the South of Scotland very much and at this point, I’ve bagged a great many of them. I was enjoying taking in the views and seeing the familiar towering peaks that surround Cornish Hill. To the right, was Shalloch on Minnoch and further beyond it, was Merrick. In front were the peaks of Corserine, Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and Meaul.
It’s an achingly pretty viewpoint and one I can’t recommend enough.
Cornish Loch
The little track descends from Cornish Hill and u-turns back towards the woodland while hugging the edge of the loch. On such a warm, sunny day we decided the edge of the loch was a perfect place to have lunch.
And so we did, right on the stones at the outflow burn. The three of us sat and ate lunch, listening to the water lap against the edge of the sun-soaked heather.
“Some people are at work right now” I remarked to my dad, both of us awed by the beautiful scene before us.
Meanwhile Messi, who had finished his lunch, had decided the best course of action was to lie down and fall asleep in the sun, with his head hanging over the water of the outflow burn!
After an extensive lunch we dragged ourselves away from the scenic spot and decided to head home. Although not before agreeing that we would return here to fly fish Cornish Loch in the near future.
Heading Home
The walk home is short and simple, following the outflow burn back towards the woodland although never actually re-entering it. A brief uphill section gives lovely views north to Loch Skerroch and beyond before descending to the desolate little road that leads back to Stinchar Bridge.
The walk is a fantastic way to spend a day and at around 3.5 miles it is suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities. There is a little bit of everything, from woodland and moorlands, to summit cairns and wild hill lochs!
I’m determined to return here to fly fish Cornish Loch and I also think it will make for a fantastic winter walk during Christmas holidays (when there will be far less people) where a powdering of snow will make the scenery even prettier.
This is a gem of a walk in South Ayrshire and one I highly recommend!
Walk Information
Routle Length: 3.5 miles
Parking: Paid (£3 for the day)
Stinchar Bridge Postcode: KA19 7NT