Carlingwark Loch Circular Walk
Rating: Easy
Distance/Time: Allow 2 hours
Small map on light pole beside car park in Lochside Park
| Requirements: Walking boots or stout shoes |
| Restrictions: Some public road walking |
| Start from Lochside Park in Castle Douglas and follow the path through the park out onto Whitepark Road. Turn right and follow the road out past the cemetery and on out towards Gelston. Take care on this section, fast moving traffic. Turn right at the ‘Footpath’ sign at Cuckoo Bridge and follow the path, pass over a boardwalk and on through some fenced off farmland until you reach a minor road near Mid Kelton Farm. The boardwalk section crosses marshland which is, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its botanical and wildlife interests. Areas of semi-natural woodland can be seen within the wetland area supporting lichens, plants and breeding songbirds. At the bridge halfway across the boardwalk look down into the water and you should see whirligig beetles scurrying across the surface film of the water. This area also offers excellent views south towards Screel and Bengairn Hills.
At the end of the countryside path turn right and follow the minor road back towards Castle Douglas passing the Douglas Mausoleum and Threave Gardens along the way. The Douglas Mausoleum was built around 1830 to house the remains of Sir William Douglas and members of the Douglas family. In 1792 Sir William, acting under Royal Charter, changed the name of the small village called Causewayend to Castle Douglas. Return to Castle Douglas using the pavement/cycle path along the edge of Carlingwark Loch. The loch is renowned for its birdlife, including breeding great crested grebes, mute swans and many others. The loch also hosts many wintering ducks and is well known to birdwatchers. An information Board is located in Lochside Park near the car park to help you with identification. In the 1868 two fishermen hooked a bronze cooking pot full of old bits and pieces of metalwork, which can be viewed in the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh. Decorations on some of the objects showed them to have been used at the time when Roman armies were in the area some 1800 years ago. During the main tourist season you should be able to get a leaflet for the walk and loch from the Tourist Information Centre on the Market Hill.
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These webs pages have been put together by Keith Kirk. Keith is a semi pro natural history photographer and writer. He is the wildlife feature writer for D&G Life magazine and also writes a monthly Nature Notes column for the Galloway News. His day job is a countryside ranger with Dumfries and Galloway Council, something he has been doing for over 24 years. Keith also has another web site which promotes him as a photographer, whilst this site is more about Dumfries and Galloway, an unknown part of Scotland. www.dumfriesandgallowaywildlife.co.uk
Also check out www.flickr.com/photos/keithkirk8 which he updates on almost a daily basis with his latest images.
Keith is also a photographer who has tested many types of photography kit for manufacturers . At the moment he is testing Bushnell and Spypoint wildlife/trail/stealth cameras. Checkout the link at the top of the page or go to www.scottcountry.co.uk for more info. Also coming soon will be a report on a new outdoor clothing manufacturer (Ridgeline) that is producing good kit for Wildlife Photographers and Birdwatchers.........so watch this space. Here's a quick preview.
A clothing brand in New Zealand has now hit the shores of the UK. Featuring technical fabrics, and membranes that are ideal for photographers and birdwatchers in the changeable UK Climate. Life is about experience and choices, those between you and your environment, you and the gear you wear. Ridgeline's products are affordable, rugged, durable and comfortable, and allow you to get on with the task at hand whenever you need to and wherever you are.
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