To the south of Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway lies Screel Hill, a 1,126ft peak that sits between Auchencairn and Palnackie. It’s lesser-known neighbour, Bengairn, is 1,283ft and together they make a wonderful 6-mile circuit walk that offers sweeping views over the Solway Firth and would make a perfect walk if you are on holiday in the region and want some fantastic views but nothing too strenuous.
I hadn’t actually heard about this walk until recently, when I saw a social media post by WalkHighlands mentioning it and soon I was investigating! The easiest version of the walk is to just bag Screel Hill which makes the walk just 3 miles (HERE is a wonderful little guide for this version of the walk from Dumfries & Galloway Council)! However, for the more adventurous, you can extend the route and bag Bengairn too, which makes the total route 6 miles.
“The reward is the stunning views over the Rough Firth and Auchencairn Bay“
Of course, I had to do both, so on a sunny September day I set out for the little Forestry Commission car park (which is free!) and enjoyed a wonderful little day out on the hills in Dumfries & Galloway.
The Start
The walk starts from the little Screel Hill car park, which sits just off the A711 between Palnackie and Auchencairn. The car park is a decent size, able to hold around 10 cars and it’s directly off of the main road so no need to worry about driving your car along bumpy forest tracks!
A nice big sign signals the start of the route and the path gently climbs upwards, along a wide forestry track before entering some light woodland.
The path eventually splits into multiple routes, most of which lead to the summit of Screel Hill. There are signs throughout the route for ‘Screel Hill Core Path’ which make navigation very easy. On this day, the main route was closed for path maintenance and I detoured to the western route, which snakes around Screel Hill before climbing the hill from the west side.
It’s actually a very enjoyable route and if I was to do the walk again, I’d favour this detour version. The more the path climbed, the better and better the views were getting. The Solway Firth was shimmering in the sun and the gentle breeze was making the going very pleasant.
Overall it’s a very easy walk and before I knew it I was at the base of Screel Hill. The ascent of Screel Hill is short and steep. From this western ascent route, the path is very rocky and craggy at points, with large rocks and trickling water. I can imagine in winter, with some snow or frost, it could be a bit treacherous so be warned if you are planning on ascending or descending via this route.
The Summit of Screel Hill
The target of this walk is Screel Hill and, by the point of reaching the summit, I’d walked about 2 miles. It’s a very gentle, easy walk and the views awarded for the effort are fantastic. The Solway Firth is sprawled in front, with the Lake District and Isle of Man all visible beyond.
To the north, the hills of Dumfries & Galloway are in full view, as is Dumfries. It really is a beautiful little summit (it’d make a great winter walk also) and reminds me of its nearby neighbour Criffel, which also offers stunning views for not too much effort.
By the time I’d taken in the views (and taken far too many pictures!) I decided I was definitely going to extend the walk and head for Screel Hill’s neighbour, Bengairn. I don’t like leaving hills un-bagged and, feeling very fresh, I knew by this point that making this a double-hill day would be the perfect way to turn this walk into a real diamond.
Heading to Bengairn
While Screel Hill has a rocky summit, its neighbour Bengairn is a big brown lump. Both hills are seperated by a very small, boggy moor. I am delighted to announce that I managed to navigate 90% of it perfectly…until my boot slid off a rock and splashed under the cold water of one of the large puddles that I’d been so skillfully avoiding.
Thankfully, I was having too much fun for this to annoy me (and my waterproof hiking boots were doing their job) and before I knew it I was back on high, heather moorland. Once again, the going was very easy. No steep ascents, just a slow, steady climb to the base of Bengairn with beautiful views to the left the entire way.
The little track winds through the heather and never vanishes, making navigating a doddle. A kestrel was hovering in the sky above as I was attempting to step over the spiders webs that were dotted along the path (I always feel bad destroying their intricate creations) which was also a sign that I was the only one who had bothered to venture further to Bengairn.
But it was worth it.
The Summit of Bengairn
After a very gentle ascent (with none of the dangers that had afflicted Screel Hill!) I was on the summit and once again enjoying the beautiful views over the Solway Firth. I actually think the views from the summit of Bengairn are just a little bit better. It may be due to the extra height or perhaps due to the more ‘central’ position on the ridge, but summit is surrounded by rolling farmland, sea views and is stunning for so little effort.
Either that or I am just a fan of sheep. Because Bengairn had a lot of sheep.
I take a lot of picures of sheep on this blog. They are everywhere on my adventures and they are such good posers (almost as good as me) and I was soon crouching trying to take pictures of sheep with the beautiful backdrop that Bengairn and Dumfries & Galloway was providing.
Heading Home
After baffling the sheep for a bit, I decided to take in the views one last time and head for home. The route home is very easy, descending south from Bengairn and following the faint track through dense heather and bracken (this was the worst part of the walk as I lost the path more than once!) before eventually finding a little gate and bridge that takes you back into the woodland at the start of the walk.
I have to say, this walk really impressed me. Whether you want to do the shorter version and just bag Screel Hill, or if you want to push on and also bag Bengairn, it’s a beautiful walk. The paths are great throughout, the signposts are clear and nothing is ever too strenuous.
The views you are rewarded with for the effort put in are wonderful. It reminds me of similar walks in the area such as Benniguinea or Criffel. It’d make a great walk at any time of the year, allowing for a warm t-shirt walk of 3 miles to the summit of Screel Hill in July, or an atmospheric 6 mile walk on a frosty December day to bag both Screel Hill and Bengairn.
I’d been completely unaware of this walk until recently but I am delighted I discovered it and I’d strongly recommend it as one of Dumfries & Galloway’s hidden gems.
Route Information
Route Length: 6 Miles
Parking: FREE
Postcode: DG7 1SP