Of all the walks in Dumfries & Galloway, two are probably the most popular with visitors to the area. Merrick, the 2,776ft Corbett in Glen Trool, which is the highest point in the South of Scotland and a peak I have climbed multiple times. The other is the walk at the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, a spectacular circuit route around Scotland’s southernmost point and a walk I am ashamed to say I have never done!
I’ve always wanted to do the walk, but a combination of doing OTHER walks and being a little bit put-off by how busy it was likely to be (especially in the summer months) has seen me postpone it repeatedly.
So, in late summer, I set-off for the very southern tip of Scotland. I was hoping for a nice walk, some lovely views and hopefully, a parking space!
What I got was one of the best coastal walks I’ve done in all of Dumfries and Galloway.
Getting There
The directions really are fairly simple, regardless of where you’re coming from. Whether you are coming from the north on the A77, or from the west on the A75, head to either Stranraer or Dunragit and then just head south. Either way you will find yourself on the B7084, a narrow coastal road that offers a lovely drive through remote Dumfries & Galloway coastal villages like Sandhead and Drumore.
It feels more like driving in the North of Scotland, with rolling fields, grazing livestock, and endless ocean sprawled out, interspersed with sleepy villages and hamlets.
I should also highlight that it’s well sign-posted. Just follow the signs for the Mull of Galloway and you will eventually reach it. There’s also ample passing places as the road narrows, which was a pleasant surprise for such a remote area.
As you approach, the towering, white lighthouse will be very apparent in the distance.
The Mull of Galloway
Doing the walk in late summer, on a weekday, I was relieved to see ample parking was available. The car park is large and is completely FREE. It starts at the bottom of the wee hill where the lighthouse sits, and snakes upwards to a larger rectangular car park.
There are disabled parking spaces, toilets and a very popular cafe! It’s a fantastic tourist spot and I haven’t even mentioned the lighthouse (which you can go to the top of!) and the RSPB visitor centre
Here is a link to the offical Mull of Galloway website and the RSPB site so you can plan your visit.
I was doing the walk on a Friday and the Gallie Craig cafe was closed (it’s shut on a Thursday and Friday) which I found a little odd, so if you are going with the intention of taking in the breathtaking views, perhaps with a cup of coffee, make sure you plan your days!
If you want to visit the exhibition or climb to the top of the lighthouse, it is open for most of 2025 (and I will update this post each year). Here is a quote from the official website:
The lighthouse and exhibition will be open from 29th March until 2nd November 2025.
The exhibition is open daily and you can climb the tower weekends with additional opening on bank holidays and school holidays
– Mull of Galloway website
In my never ending genius, I’d decided I could do the walk with no jacket as the forecast was for sun. As I arrived, it was grey, overcast, cold and windy. My mind was bouncing between admiring the stunning views and thinking “please get brighter”.
Thankfully, as the day progressed it only got sunnier and warmer.
The Start of the Walk
The walk at the Mull of Galloway follows trails that loop around the peninsula, making for a spectacular 6.5 mile circuit. They also allow for the walk to be shortened. You could do a shorter version that’s around 3 miles, or simply have a stroll along the cliffs at the car park before turning back.
“The southernmost tip of Scotland, the Mull of Galloway has a splendid lighthouse, bustling seabird colonies, dramatic cliff scenery and stunning views. This walk explores the coast on both sides of the peninsula.“
Before I set off on the walk, I had to have a look at the lighthouse and the surrounding sea views. Designed by Robert Stevenston and entering service in 1830, the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse is a gorgeous structure, perched atop dramatic cliffs and has been restored into the fantastic condition it’s now in.
You can climb 115 steps to the top in order to enjoy the views, or you can drop to the working foghorn platform. To learn more of the history of the building and surround area, you can enter the old engine room which now houses an exhibition!
Both the engine and the foghorn have been restored to working order and foghorn blasts and engine demonstrations are done throughout the year for visitors.
Due to doing the walk, I didn’t go in to the facility for a look, rather I was enjoying taking pictures of the outside. It’s a wonderful, peaceful spot and the sea views are wonderful.
The walk starts at the little Gallie Craig cafe. It’s well signposted and heads north along the cliffs. Regardless of your level of fitness, I’d urge you to take a little walk along this track (after you have seen the lighthouse of course) as the views are wonderful.
Ireland is visible in the distance, as is the Isle of Man and even on this grey, windy day it was beautiful. The sheer drops to the crags and sea below are incredible (be careful with dogs and children) and make for some truly breathtaking vistas.
A relatively short walk will bring you to the first real oddity of the day: Kennedy’s Cairn. A large cairn with steps running around the side of it, it stands in a relatively flat field and offers wonderful views over the fields and out to sea in all directions. It has been a listed building since 1994 and Canmore have it on their website.
An information board at the cafe described it as having been a lookout in both World Wars but with the original purpose of the cairn remaining a mystery. Archaeological finds at the cairn found 55 pieces of flint, and some stones dated to the Mesolithic era.
It’s a great target for a short walk at the lighthouse.
The walk eventually reaches a point where the peninsula narrows and requires navigating around a field with some cows and an electric fence before dropping down to West Tarbet Bay.
The bay had an assortment of camper vans, fishermen and pitched tents and made for quite a cosy scene. I couldn’t help but wonder what a summer evening camped there would be like. Watching the sunset from the bay must be a pretty nice way to spend an evening.
This is another perfect ‘turn back’ spot, as you can either walk the main road back to the lighthouse or cross over to the east side of the peninsula and walk the trail back. Either way, shortening the walk but some making for a lovely day out.
For me, I wanted to do the full walk and, still hopeful of the sun appearing, I pressed on along the west coast trail (spotting a Kestrel hunting along the fields and cliffs) which climbs up to some fields high above West Tarbet Bay before dropping down to the eastern side of the peninsula.
The Hidden Bay
The eastern side of the peninsula had some wonderful surprises in store for me! As it turned out, the sun was just waiting to appear, and so it did, with full force! What had started as a grey, chilly day was now sunny and warm.
What I wasn’t expecting however was a picturesque little, secluded bay, just to the north of East Tarbet Bay. Following the Kirk burn down towards the sea (in an atmospheric little valley in which I got a lovely picture of a large red fly although I’m not sure if it’s a damselfy or something else!) it’s a beautiful spot.
The turquoise sea was lapping up on the rocky shore, birds were singing and the gentle breeze made this one of the absolute highlights of the entire day. There wasn’t a person in sight as I stood and took in the peaceful atmosphere. It would make for a fantastic place for a secluded picnic.
Not to be outdone, a peregrine falcon cruised overhead and I had just enough time to get a few pictures of one of the UK’s most impressive birds.
A little path leads up from the bay as the track ascends along the cliffs before arriving at East Tarbet Bay. I spotted a group of cormorants on a rock, basking in the warm sun and added them to my wildlife collection on this walk!
Returning to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse
East Tarbet Bay was just like the West Bay, it had a smattering of cars, vans and even some motorbikes are people had arrived and staked out their spots at the sea.
The trail goes down to the bay and up onto the cliffs on the other side, snaking along the coast before climbing upwards towards the car park at the lighthouse. It’s a lovely way to end the walk and is possibly to the most exertion I had felt on the entire walk: althought that was worsened by the sun, which was now baking down.
Return to the Car Park
Heading back up through the field to the car park, I was overwhelmed by how much I’d enjoyed this walk. I’ve done a lot of coastal walking in Dumfries & Galloway and this circuit at the Mull of Galloway is one of the finest in the region.
It’s a walk with a bit of everything: dramatic cliffs, secluded bays, golden fields and a wide variety of wildlife. On top of that, there is the wonderful lighthouse, museum and a big, free carpark.
Whether you want to do the full walk, half of the walk or just have a leisurely stroll along the cliffs, it’s a fantastic place to spend a day irrespective of your level of fitness.
If you’ve never been to Scotland’s southernmost point, I highly recommend it.
Route Information
Route Length: 6.5 miles
Parking: FREE
Postcode: DG9 9HP