Carsphairn and Scaur Hills
Encyclopedia
The Carsphairn and Scaur hills are the western and eastern hills respectively of a hill range in the Southern Uplands
of Scotland
. Ordnance Survey
maps don't have a general name for the hill area as a whole. Also, Ordnance Survey use "Scar" rather than the local spelling of "Scaur" - the word is pronounced as "Scar" however. In their Landranger Series of maps it requires four separate sheets to cover the area.
to the west and the Lowther hills
to the east. The overall shape of this hill area is oval with the longer curved sides to top and bottom. From the north western point of the oval at Dalmellington
to the south eastern one at Thornhill
is around 39 kilometres (as the crow flies), though Dalmellington lies some 10 kilometres further north than Thornhill. So the axis of the oval runs from north west to south east. Taking a section across the west end of the oval, from New Cumnock
in the north to Carsphairn
in the south it is over 19 kilometres and on the east a similar cross section from Sanquhar
to Moniaive
is almost the same (19 kilometres). The north west quarter of the oval lies in Ayrshire
in Strathclyde Region
and the other three quarters are in Dumfries and Galloway
.
By comparison with the Galloway and Lowther hills these hills are much less frequented or known about except by the local populace - for whom the hills have a special place in the folk memories of the communities. There are also many more communities immediately around these hills than around either the Lowthers or the Galloway hills and what to call this hill area would be challenged strongly by these local communities who would each wish to claim the hills for their own. Being much more readily accessible and in general considerably less challenging than the neighbouring ranges these hills are much more lived in and used on a daily basis by the local communities. They are exploited on an altogether more casual basis, by communities which strongly identify with them.
passing the head waters of the River Nith
on the way. At New Cumnock this road joins the A76
which follows the valley of the Nith eastward through the former coal mining towns of Kirkconnel
and Sanquhar before swinging southward to Thornhill. The northern boundary therefore follows the River Nith for all but some 5 kilometres. The A76 carries on from there southward with the River Nith to the town of Dumfries
.
which travels south west through the small villages of Penpont
and Moniaive. From Moniaive the A702 continues in a south westerly direction towards St. John's Town of Dalry
and New Galloway
, but the boundary of our hill area follows the B729 westward towards Carsphairn on a largely single track road. At Carsphairn the B729 joins the A713
heading north-westward for Dalmellington.
rises just to the south east of the watershed at Polskeoch; less than a kilometre from the head waters of Scaur Water
on the other side of the watershed. It heads in a generally southern direction and joins the Water of Deugh some two and a half kilometres north of Kendoon power station which is the second in a series of such power stations running all the way down through the Glenkens from Drumjohn near Loch Doon
(which is used as a reservoir for the system and whose level was raised by 27 feet by damming in the 1930s) to Tongland near Kirkcudbright. This series of power stations is called Galloway hydro-electric power scheme
. The next two power stations are at Carsfad Loch and Earlstoun Loch with Water of Ken running through them to the fourth power station at Glenlee (one kilometre south west of St John's Town of Dalry) and onward as far as Parton village (where James Clerk Maxwell
is buried) on Loch Ken
, where it is subsumed into the River Dee
. The southern end of Loch Ken is shown with the alternative title of River Dee on the Ordnance Survey maps.
River Dee itself starts from Loch Dee as Black Water of Dee. It runs through Clatteringshaws Loch
where in the 1930s a dam was placed on it to form another reservoir for the Galloway hydro-electric power scheme. From Loch Ken the River Dee flows south past Threave Castle
(which is on an island in the river) and into Kirkcudbright
Bay and thence into the Solway Firth
.
runs south eastward, through the village of Tynron
. It joins the Scaur Water just west of Penpont. The Scaur Water is subsumed into the River Nith some 3 kilometres south of Thornhill.
) and the Kello into it at Kelloholm one kilometre east of Kirkconnel
.
rises south of the Afton Reservoir. It flows north through the reservoir and then through New Cumnock before being subsumed into the River Nith just north of New Cumnock where Cumnock Castle once stood. The Afton has been made famous by Robert Burns'
song "Flow Gently Sweet Afton
" and the Burns connection adds an extra dimension to the pride in their countryside of the local populace.
). Just north of Thornhill is Drumlanrig Castle
belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch
.
(SUW) heads south west over gently rising moorland, before descending to Scaur Water at Polgown from whence it uses the minor road which follows Scaur Water to Polskeoch where there is a Mountain Bothies Association
bothy (OS Ref NS685018). From there the SUW heads south to St John's Town of Dalry.
Coming in from the area of Mennock village, the route is again over gently rising moorland called Fardingmulloch Moor and here there is a good track to follow to just beyond the ruin of Fardingmulloch house. Beyond that the route continues on an old track over by Druidhill Burn to Scaur Water and Penpont. No doubt this would have been an ancient way through these hills since the route passes a fine earthwork
by the Druidhill Burn (OS Ref NS810014).
Drumlanrig castle, its grounds, and the many estate properties surrounding it lie on and around a low north/south carefully forested ridge between this glen and the west bank of the River Nith. There are several walking and cycling trails in these wood and river bank environs. This is good agricultural land and there are many minor roads through the low green hills serving the farming community in this most easterly part of the Scaur hills.
Just over one kilometre east of the village of Tynron is Tynron Doon
(289 metres), the site of an Iron Age fort occupied from pre-Christian times till the 16th century (OS Ref. NX819939).
(OS Ref NX555972) a "World Ceilidh
" and a "Doonhame Hairth". Buses are run directly to the festivals from Glasgow and Edinburgh and the festivals take place 4 miles (6 km) into the hills off the already remote A713.
To the east of Carsphairn Forest is where the highest hills in this whole hill area lie.
is the highest of these Carsphairn hills. The most commonly used route onto this hill is to park in the lay-by across the road from Green Well of Scotland where the Water of Deuch runs under the A713 (OS Ref NX557944), and from there follow the twisting undulating ridge over Willieana (over 420 metres) Dunool (541 metres) and Black Shoulder (688 metres). This leads to the col between Cairnsmore to the north west and Beninner (710 metres) to the south east along the summit ridge. Both tops are worth visiting for the views they offer. In general walkers tend to go back the way they came but it is possible to return by the Benlock Burn.
One of the great highways of medieval times was the pilgrimage route from Edinburgh
to Whithorn
in Galloway
, much of which is preserved to-day as a hard-beaten track alongside or parallel to the present road. This route came by Durisdeer
to Penpont, Tynron, Moniaive, and on to St John's Town of Dalry)
In the 17th century Moniaive became the refuge for the Covenanter
s, a group of Presbyterian
nonconformists
who rebelled at having the Episcopalian
form of religion forced on them by the last three Stuart kings
, Charles I
, Charles II
and James II of England
(James VII of Scotland). There is a monument off the Ayr Road to James Renwick, a Covenanter leader born here who was executed in Edinburgh.
At one time the mills of Dalmellington produced yarn for the carpet making industry in Kilmarnock
and there were also about 40 weavers working from home there. By the 20th century mining was the dominant industry, though workers had to travel to outlying areas. Eight pits producing around 124,000 tons a year were operating in the 1940s. With the decline of the labour-intensive deep mining, the area is now dependent on its replacement, opencast mining.
by gathering together from New Zealand, the USA, Mexico, Greece and England at the remote deserted cottage of Cormilligan near Tynron. They joined local people in celebrating the lives of their ancestors William and Isabella McCaw who emigrated to Otago in New Zealand with nine of their 10 surviving children in 1880.
in England and on the continent of Europe. The Devil has various familiar names in Scots such as "the deil", "auld nick" and "auld horny", and so in Scots "Devil's Dyke" becomes "The Deil's Dyke". This name was given to a series of earthworks that were thought to mark a frontier perhaps between Strathclyde Britons
and the Angles
in Galloway and running from Loch Ryan
to near Annan
on the Solway
and perhaps even from coast to coast in association with the Catrail in Roxburghshire
. This notion was put forward by the antiquarian Joseph Train (1779–1852) who had picked up on folk belief concerning a Deil's Dyke. Eventually this concept of a single Deil's Dyke was discounted by antiquarian scholars in favour of separate unrelated earthworks which had been strung together in Train's imagination. However a section of the dyke running from New Cumnock to Burnmouth in the Parish of Durisdeer has continued to interest them.
Southern Uplands
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas . The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills within this region...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps don't have a general name for the hill area as a whole. Also, Ordnance Survey use "Scar" rather than the local spelling of "Scaur" - the word is pronounced as "Scar" however. In their Landranger Series of maps it requires four separate sheets to cover the area.
Location
This range lies between two other ranges, the Galloway hillsGalloway Hills
The Galloway hills are part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland, and form the northern boundary of western Galloway. They lie within the bounds of Galloway Forest Park, an area of some of largely uninhabited wild land, managed by the Forestry Commission...
to the west and the Lowther hills
Lowther Hills
The Lowther Hills, also sometimes known as the Lowthers, are an extensive area of hill country in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, though some sub ranges of hills in this area also go under their own local names - see "Hill Walking" below. They form a roughly rhomboidal or lozenge shape on the map...
to the east. The overall shape of this hill area is oval with the longer curved sides to top and bottom. From the north western point of the oval at Dalmellington
Dalmellington
Dalmellington is a market town in Ayrshire, Scotland. In 2001 it had a population of 1407. The town owes its origins to the fault line separating the Southern Uplands of Scotland from the Central Lowlands...
to the south eastern one at Thornhill
Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
Thornhill is a town in the Mid Nithsdale area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, south of Sanquhar and north of Dumfries.A monument to the explorer Joseph Thomson , who lived in neighbouring Penpont and Gatelawbridge, can be found close to the school...
is around 39 kilometres (as the crow flies), though Dalmellington lies some 10 kilometres further north than Thornhill. So the axis of the oval runs from north west to south east. Taking a section across the west end of the oval, from New Cumnock
New Cumnock
New Cumnock is a place in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal mining era but, like so many others, suffered after the deep shaft pits closed in the 1980's...
in the north to Carsphairn
Carsphairn
Carsphairn is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located about half way between Dalmellington and St. John's Town of Dalry, next to the A713 road. Carsphairn annual sheep show is held in the village. Cairnsmore of Carsphairn is to the north east of the village in the Carsphairn...
in the south it is over 19 kilometres and on the east a similar cross section from Sanquhar
Sanquhar
Sanquhar is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a Royal Burgh.Sanquhar is notable for its tiny post office , claimed to be the oldest working post office in the world...
to Moniaive
Moniaive
Moniaive is a village in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, near Thornhill, on the A702 road and B729 road. Population 520 . The name is from Gaelic monadh-abh and means "Hill of Streams". It is situated at the northern end of the very scenic and tranquil Cairn Valley...
is almost the same (19 kilometres). The north west quarter of the oval lies in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
in Strathclyde Region
Strathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...
and the other three quarters are in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
.
By comparison with the Galloway and Lowther hills these hills are much less frequented or known about except by the local populace - for whom the hills have a special place in the folk memories of the communities. There are also many more communities immediately around these hills than around either the Lowthers or the Galloway hills and what to call this hill area would be challenged strongly by these local communities who would each wish to claim the hills for their own. Being much more readily accessible and in general considerably less challenging than the neighbouring ranges these hills are much more lived in and used on a daily basis by the local communities. They are exploited on an altogether more casual basis, by communities which strongly identify with them.
The Northern Boundary
From Dalmellington the B741 runs north east to New CumnockNew Cumnock
New Cumnock is a place in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal mining era but, like so many others, suffered after the deep shaft pits closed in the 1980's...
passing the head waters of the River Nith
River Nith
The River Nith is a river in South West Scotland.-Source, flow and mouth:The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, more precisely between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, 7 km East of Dalmellington...
on the way. At New Cumnock this road joins the A76
A76 road
The A76 is a major trunk road in south west Scotland.Starting at Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, the A76 goes through or immediately by-passes Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock, Pathhead and New Cumnock before entering Dumfries and Galloway and continuing through Sanquhar, Mennock, Enterkinfoot,...
which follows the valley of the Nith eastward through the former coal mining towns of Kirkconnel
Kirkconnel
Kirkconnel is a small parish and town in Dumfries and Galloway, southwestern Scotland. It is located on the A76 near the head of Nithsdale. Kirkconnel led a more quiet existence than neighboring towns like Sanquhar. Principally it has been a farming community. There are few buildings of any...
and Sanquhar before swinging southward to Thornhill. The northern boundary therefore follows the River Nith for all but some 5 kilometres. The A76 carries on from there southward with the River Nith to the town of Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
.
The Southern Boundary
From Thornhill the boundary is formed by the A702 roadA702 road
The A702 is a major road in Scotland, that runs from Edinburgh to St. John's Town of Dalry in Dumfries and Galloway. It is the last section of a sometimes recommended route between London and Edinburgh, the English and Scottish capitals, which now follows the M1, M6, A74 and A702 roads, rather than...
which travels south west through the small villages of Penpont
Penpont
Penpont is a small village in the region of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, two miles west of Thornhill.It is situated near the confluence of the Shinnel Water and Scaur Water rivers in the foothills of the Southern Uplands, and has a population of roughly 400 people...
and Moniaive. From Moniaive the A702 continues in a south westerly direction towards St. John's Town of Dalry
St. John's Town of Dalry
St. John's Town of Dalry, usually referred to simply as Dalry, is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, formerly in Kirkcudbrightshire. It is located sixteen miles from Castle Douglas along the A713 road, and is at the southern terminus of the A702 road...
and New Galloway
New Galloway
New Galloway is a town in Dumfries and Galloway Region, southwest Scotland. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, a mile north of the end of Loch Ken...
, but the boundary of our hill area follows the B729 westward towards Carsphairn on a largely single track road. At Carsphairn the B729 joins the A713
A roads in Zone 7 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
List of A roads in the zone 7 in Great Britain starting north of the Solway Firth/Eden Estuary, west of the A7 and south of the A8 .-Single- and double-digit roads:-Triple- and four-digit roads:...
heading north-westward for Dalmellington.
River Systems
Blacklorg Hill lies roughly in the centre of this hill area with the Afton Reservoir just to the west of it. The main rivers radiate out from this central area in all directions. Below is a list of the main water courses starting from Water of Ken and following a clockwise order round the various waters.Water of Ken
Water of KenWater of Ken
The Water of Ken is a river in Galloway, south-west Scotland. It rises on Blacklorg Hill, north-east of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn in the Carsphairn hills, and flows south-westward into the Glenkens valley, passing through Carsfad and Earlstoun lochs, both of which are dammed to supply the Galloway...
rises just to the south east of the watershed at Polskeoch; less than a kilometre from the head waters of Scaur Water
Scaur Water
Scaur Water is a river which rises near Polskeoch in the Scaur hills in the region of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It flows from its source near Sanquhar in the Southern Uplands and joins the River Nith two miles southwest of Thornhill. The total length is...
on the other side of the watershed. It heads in a generally southern direction and joins the Water of Deugh some two and a half kilometres north of Kendoon power station which is the second in a series of such power stations running all the way down through the Glenkens from Drumjohn near Loch Doon
Loch Doon
Loch Doon is a body of water, in Carrick, Scotland. The River Doon issues from its northern end, while the loch itself receives waters from Loch Enoch via Eglin Lane....
(which is used as a reservoir for the system and whose level was raised by 27 feet by damming in the 1930s) to Tongland near Kirkcudbright. This series of power stations is called Galloway hydro-electric power scheme
Galloway hydro-electric power scheme
The Galloway hydro-electric power scheme is a network of dams and hydro-electric power stations in Galloway, south west Scotland. It was built between 1930 and 1936....
. The next two power stations are at Carsfad Loch and Earlstoun Loch with Water of Ken running through them to the fourth power station at Glenlee (one kilometre south west of St John's Town of Dalry) and onward as far as Parton village (where James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and optics into a consistent theory...
is buried) on Loch Ken
Loch Ken
Loch Ken is 9-mile long freshwater loch in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the Glenkens, where it is fed from the north by the Water of Ken and from the west by the Dee. It continues as the Dee south from Glenlochar, where the water is held back by the Glenlochar Barrage...
, where it is subsumed into the River Dee
River Dee, Galloway
The River Dee, in south-west Scotland, flows from its source in Loch Dee amongst the Galloway Hills, firstly to Clatteringshaws Loch, then in to Loch Ken, where it joins the Water of Ken. From there, the Dee flows southwards to Kirkcudbright, and into Kirkcudbright Bay to reach the Solway. The...
. The southern end of Loch Ken is shown with the alternative title of River Dee on the Ordnance Survey maps.
River Dee itself starts from Loch Dee as Black Water of Dee. It runs through Clatteringshaws Loch
Clatteringshaws Loch
Clatteringshaws Loch is a reservoir in the Dumfries and Galloway district of southern Scotland. It was created by damming the Galloway River Dee as part of the Galloway Hydro Electric Scheme....
where in the 1930s a dam was placed on it to form another reservoir for the Galloway hydro-electric power scheme. From Loch Ken the River Dee flows south past Threave Castle
Threave Castle
Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee, 2.5 km west of Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland...
(which is on an island in the river) and into Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
Bay and thence into the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
.
Dalwhat Water
This water runs south eastward to Moniaive close to which it meets the conjoined waters of Craigdarroch and Castlefairn Waters and becomes the River Cairn. The Cairn in turn is subsumed into the River Nith just outside Dumfries.Shinnel Water
Shinnel WaterShinnel Water
Shinnel Water, also spelt Shinnell, is a river in the region of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It rises in the Scaur hills hills of Tynron Parish in the Southern Uplands at an altitude of 460m, and flows 13 miles to join Scaur Water near Penpont, at an altitude of 70m...
runs south eastward, through the village of Tynron
Tynron
Tynron is a village, and former kirkton of Nithsdale, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It lies in a hollow of the Shinnel Water, from Moniaive. At Tynron Doon, on a spur of nearby Auchengibbert Hill, there can be seen the ditches and ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort...
. It joins the Scaur Water just west of Penpont. The Scaur Water is subsumed into the River Nith some 3 kilometres south of Thornhill.
Scaur Water
This water rises near Polskeoch close to the source of the Water of Ken so that these two water systems taken together create a natural route through the south east corner of these hills and the roads which run up into these glens almost meet - there is a gap of some 2 kilometres with no road between Lorg on Water of Ken and Polskeoch on the Polskeoch Burn (which feeds Scaur Water). Scaur Water travels in a generally south eastward direction to Penpont.Euchan Water and the Kello Water
These waters rise within a kilometre of each other on the north east side of Blacklorg Hill. They both run north-eastward, the Euchan being subsumed into the River Nith just south of Sanquhar (close by the ruin of Sanquhar CastleSanquhar Castle
Sanquhar Castle, now a ruin, was built by the Crichton family in the 13th century. Situated on the southern approach to the former royal burgh of Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland, it sits on the trail of the Southern Upland Way, and is passed by hundreds of visitors who walk...
) and the Kello into it at Kelloholm one kilometre east of Kirkconnel
Kirkconnel
Kirkconnel is a small parish and town in Dumfries and Galloway, southwestern Scotland. It is located on the A76 near the head of Nithsdale. Kirkconnel led a more quiet existence than neighboring towns like Sanquhar. Principally it has been a farming community. There are few buildings of any...
.
Afton Water
Afton WaterRiver Afton
The River Afton is a small river in Ayrshire, Scotland. which flows North from Alwhat Hill in the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills, through Afton Reservoir and then for eight miles down Glen Afton before joining the River Nith at New Cumnock.The river is memorialised in Robert Burns's poem and this led...
rises south of the Afton Reservoir. It flows north through the reservoir and then through New Cumnock before being subsumed into the River Nith just north of New Cumnock where Cumnock Castle once stood. The Afton has been made famous by Robert Burns'
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
song "Flow Gently Sweet Afton
Sweet Afton
Sweet Afton is a lyrical poem describing the Afton Water in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was written by Robert Burns in 1791 and set to music by Jonathan E. Spilman in 1837, under the title "Flow gently, sweet Afton"...
" and the Burns connection adds an extra dimension to the pride in their countryside of the local populace.
River Nith
The River Nith rises about a kilometre south west of Enoch Hill. It flows northward under the B741 at Nith Lodge roughly half way between Dalmellington and New Cumnock before swinging eastward. From New Cumnock it forms the boundary between the Lowther hills and Carsphairn/Scaur hills and the A76 travels down the valley created by it (NithsdaleNithsdale
Nithsdale , also known by its anglicised gaelic name Strathnith or Stranit, is the valley of the River Nith in Scotland, and the name of the region...
). Just north of Thornhill is Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle sits on the Queensberry Estate in Scotland's Dumfries and Galloway.The Castle is the Dumfriesshire family home to the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry...
belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch
Duke of Buccleuch
The title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
.
Water of Deugh
This water rises to the west of Afton Reservoir. It joins Carsphairn Lane just west of Carsphairn village and is subsumed into Water of Ken north of Kendoon. As part of the Galloway hydro-electric power scheme, when rainfall is plentiful, water is diverted into Loch Doon from the Water of Deugh via a tunnel system. When water is required for power generation, water from Loch Doon is then released at Drumjohn to feed Kendoon power station.From the north
From Sanquhar the Southern Upland WaySouthern Upland Way
Opened in 1984, the Southern Upland Way is a coast to coast walk in Scotland between Portpatrick in the west and Cockburnspath in the east....
(SUW) heads south west over gently rising moorland, before descending to Scaur Water at Polgown from whence it uses the minor road which follows Scaur Water to Polskeoch where there is a Mountain Bothies Association
Mountain Bothies Association
The Mountain Bothies Association is a Scottish charity which looks after almost one hundred shelters in some of the remoter parts of the UK.Most of the MBA bothies are in Scotland, with others in the north of England and Wales...
bothy (OS Ref NS685018). From there the SUW heads south to St John's Town of Dalry.
Coming in from the area of Mennock village, the route is again over gently rising moorland called Fardingmulloch Moor and here there is a good track to follow to just beyond the ruin of Fardingmulloch house. Beyond that the route continues on an old track over by Druidhill Burn to Scaur Water and Penpont. No doubt this would have been an ancient way through these hills since the route passes a fine earthwork
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
by the Druidhill Burn (OS Ref NS810014).
From the east
To the east of this ancient way from Mennock to Penpont the hills drop to a small glen which carries a minor road north from Penpont to Burnmouth on the River Nith. There are several places along this glen offering access into the Scaur hills.Drumlanrig castle, its grounds, and the many estate properties surrounding it lie on and around a low north/south carefully forested ridge between this glen and the west bank of the River Nith. There are several walking and cycling trails in these wood and river bank environs. This is good agricultural land and there are many minor roads through the low green hills serving the farming community in this most easterly part of the Scaur hills.
From the south and south east
In the south/south east, the valleys of Water of Ken, Dalwhat, Shinnel and Scaur Waters have roads running deep into the central hill area with active farming communities eating well into the hill area up these glens. Between the glens there are a series of ridges which gently increase in height towards the central area of the hills around Blacklorg and Polskeoch. These ridges make for easy, pleasant, but unspectacular walking except for the area near the head of Scaur Water where there is considerable visual interest among the cluster of low but shapely hills around Glenmanna, Glenwhargen Craig (482 metres) and Cairnkinna Hill the highest hill in the eastern half of these hills at 552 metres.Just over one kilometre east of the village of Tynron is Tynron Doon
Tynron Doon
Tynron Doon is a multivallate iron age hill fort outside the village of Tynron in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It was occupied on and off from the 1st millennium BC until the 16th century, when an L shaped tower house stood there. Tynron Doon lies at the southern end of the Scaur hills....
(289 metres), the site of an Iron Age fort occupied from pre-Christian times till the 16th century (OS Ref. NX819939).
Access to Carsphairn hills
At the western end of these hills, near Dalmellington, there is an extensive area of forest called Carsphairn Forest which does not make for the most interesting walking territory. For the outdoor enthusiast there is however, a 23 kilometre cycle route through this forest (with some 250 metres of climbing). For the alternative live music enthusiast there are "Twin Music Festivals" held bi-annually at KnockengorrochKnockengorroch
Knockengorroch is a world music festival held annually among the Carsphairn hills in South West Scotland. Originally there were two festivals held each year - the World Ceilidh, usually held around the end of May, and The Hairth, held in mid September...
(OS Ref NX555972) a "World Ceilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
" and a "Doonhame Hairth". Buses are run directly to the festivals from Glasgow and Edinburgh and the festivals take place 4 miles (6 km) into the hills off the already remote A713.
To the east of Carsphairn Forest is where the highest hills in this whole hill area lie.
Cairnsmore of Carsphairn
At 797 metres Cairnsmore of CarsphairnCairnsmore of Carsphairn
Cairnsmore of Carsphairn is a 797m high hill in the Southern Uplands of southern Scotland. An alternative name, rarely used nowadays, is Cairnsmore of Deugh...
is the highest of these Carsphairn hills. The most commonly used route onto this hill is to park in the lay-by across the road from Green Well of Scotland where the Water of Deuch runs under the A713 (OS Ref NX557944), and from there follow the twisting undulating ridge over Willieana (over 420 metres) Dunool (541 metres) and Black Shoulder (688 metres). This leads to the col between Cairnsmore to the north west and Beninner (710 metres) to the south east along the summit ridge. Both tops are worth visiting for the views they offer. In general walkers tend to go back the way they came but it is possible to return by the Benlock Burn.
Water of Ken routes
Just where the B729 road crosses the Water of Ken (OS Ref NX633918) a minor road heads north up the valley of the Water of Ken. There are three useful places to park along this road to go into the Carsphairn hills - Moorbrock house, Nether Holm of Dalquhairn and Lorg.- To get to Moorbrock house head north for some 2 kilometres off the Water of Ken minor road from Craigengillan. Park just south of Moorbrock house (OS Ref NX629965). From here it is possible to go over Moorbrock Hill (650 metres) and then south west to Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and Beninner in an interesting day's walk, passing a memorial to the crew of a crashed Spitfire (23 May 1942) in the hollow before climbing Cairnsmore (OS Ref NX603993). Head east from Beninner back to Moorbrock house.
- From Moorbrock house it is also possible to go over Moorbrock Hill and head north eastward to Windy Standard (698 metres) with its profusion of 36 windmills dating from 1996. From there return by Mid Hill of Glenhead (531 metres) and Dodd Hill (496 metres).
- Parking on the Water of Ken minor road near Nether Holm of Dalquhairn (OS Ref NX663994) climb Dodd Hill following the 14 Stations of the CrossStations of the CrossStations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
which run up Dodd Hill in the form of crosses - from beside the house at Nether Holm of Dalquhairn. Make for Windy Standard and come back by Alhang (642 metres) and Mid Rig. In the col between Alhang and Alwhat (628 metres) is the source of Afton Water and from Alwhat there are views down over Afton reservoir to the north with Cannock Hill (594 metres) Craigbraneoch Rig and Blackcraig Hill (700 metres) to the east of it. - Parking just south of Lorg (OS Ref NS667008) head over Lorg Hill, Meikledodd Hill to Blacklorg Hill and Blackcraig Hill, descend over Craigbraneoch Rig (576 metres) to the north end of Afton Reservoir and return by the west shore of the reservoir, Alwhat and the Lorg Burn.
From Afton Water
- New Cumnock sits right at the foot of the lower slopes of Hare Hill which lies to the south east of it. So it is possible to set off directly from the town into the hillsHare Hill has a wind farm on top of it which became operational in the year 2000 .
- It is also possible to head south west from town up Connelburn Rig, and Benty Cowan Hill (447 metres) to Enoch Hill (569 metres) where the source of the River Nith is to be found - on its south west shoulder.
- To get into the heart of the hills more quickly you can drive south up Glen Afton to the parking place just north of the reservoir. A good circular route from here is to head north west onto Blackcraig Hill then follow the undulating ridge southward over Blacklorg Hill (681 metres), and Meikledodd Hill, then south west for Alwhat and Alhang. The River Afton can then be followed down to the reservoir, or, Windy Standard can be visited - though this involves some 150 metres descent followed by a steep 200 metres climb to Windy Standard. Returning north east from Windy Standard over Wedder Hill (597 metres) gives good views over the reservoir to Craigbraneoch Rig and Blackcraig Hill beyond it. The surface of Afton Reservoir sits at around the 400 metre mark.
From Kirkconnel and Sanquhar
Mining communities in general have a strongly egalitarian sense of communal social identity and an equally strong loyalty to their local environment. This is well illustrated by the fact that in 2010 Sanquhar celebrates the centenary of its riding of the marches, which takes place over a 10 day period in August. The Euchan Water, the Kello Water and the Crawick all run into the River Nith in the immediate area around Sanquhar and Kirkconnel and these waters are much used by the local community for walking and for swimming in during the summer.Surrounding Communities
There are three quite distinctive types of community surrounding this hill area, taking these in clockwise order we have; the essentially pastoral communities from Carron Bridge through Thornhill and Penpont to Moniaive, the isolated moorland community around Carsphairn and the coal mining towns from Dalmellington through New Cumnock, Kirkconnel and Kelloholm to Sanquhar.Carronbridge to Moniaive
The economy of this area is very much dominated by the presence of the Duke of Buccleuch's Drumlanrig Estate which controls much of the area and is a major employer within the community.One of the great highways of medieval times was the pilgrimage route from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to Whithorn
Whithorn
Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...
in Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
, much of which is preserved to-day as a hard-beaten track alongside or parallel to the present road. This route came by Durisdeer
Durisdeer
Durisdeer is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It lies north of Thornhill, above the Carron Water, a tributary of the Nith....
to Penpont, Tynron, Moniaive, and on to St John's Town of Dalry)
- CarronbridgeCarronbridgeCarronbridge is a village in the parish of Morton in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The village is at the junction of the A76 and A702 roads approximately north of Thornhill. To the west of the village the Carron Water flows into the River Nith...
is a small hamlet at the junction of the A76 and the A702 where the estate built its sawmill in 1850's. - Thornhill (population roughly 2600) was created a burgh of baronyBurgh of baronyA burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
in 1664 (though its existence pre-dates that considerably) and in the 18th century it was developed as an estate village for Drumlanrig Castle.The town was planned with a basic rectilinear design allowing wide tree-lined streets. - Penpont is a small rural village with a population of roughly 400 people. It was the birthplace of Joseph ThomsonJoseph Thomson (explorer)Joseph Thomson was a Scottish geologist and explorer who played an important part in the Scramble for Africa. Thomson's Gazelle is named for him. Excelling as an explorer rather than an exact scientist, he avoided confrontations among his porters or with indigenous peoples, neither killing any...
, the geologist and explorer after whom Thomson's GazelleThomson's GazelleThe Thomson's gazelle is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie"...
is named. The sculptor Andy GoldsworthyAndy GoldsworthyAndy Goldsworthy, OBE is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.-Life and career:The son of F...
has lived in the village for many years and retains a workshop there. Many of his works can be found in the surrounding countryside. The birthplace of Kirkpatrick MacmillanKirkpatrick MacmillanKirkpatrick Macmillan was a Scottish blacksmith generally credited with inventing the rear-wheel driven bicycle.-Invention of pedal driven bicycle?:...
, the inventor of the bicycle is just over a kilometre south of Penpont and between Penpont and Moniaive at Maxwelton House was the birthplace of Annie LaurieAnnie LaurieAnnie Laurie is an old Scottish song based on poem by William Douglas of Dumfries and Galloway. The words were modified and the tune was added by Alicia Scott in 1834/5. The song is also known as Maxwelton Braes.-William Douglas:...
made famous in the song of that name and the subject of the 1927 movie also of that name. - Moniaive is the last community on the A702 before a 12 miles (19 km) drive over moorland to St John's Town Dalry in the Glenkens or a 15 miles (24 km) one over mostly single track road to Carsphairn on the B729. So in many ways it feels like the terminus of the lively Nithsdale communities. Yet it is far from being an end of the road village. Because it is in itself picturesque and in a picturesque setting it has of recent years become something of a Mecca for people who want to get away from city life. This could be said for most of this part of Nithsdale but Moniaive has to be the epicentre for the community of artists, crafts people and musicians (some of international standing) to be found in the area carrying on a tradition which goes back to James Paterson the landscape artist and one of the Glasgow BoysGlasgow SchoolThe Glasgow School was a circle of influential modern artists and designers who began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to sometime around 1910. Representative groups were: The Four , the Glasgow Girls and the Glasgow Boys...
who was likewise drawn here in 1884.
In the 17th century Moniaive became the refuge for the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s, a group of Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
nonconformists
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
who rebelled at having the Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
form of religion forced on them by the last three Stuart kings
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
, Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
(James VII of Scotland). There is a monument off the Ayr Road to James Renwick, a Covenanter leader born here who was executed in Edinburgh.
Carsphairn
Carsphairn is the only village between Moniaive and Dalmellington - 15 miles (24 km) from the former and 10 miles (16 km) from the latter (over high moorland lightly populated road). It is a parish of 80 square miles (207.2 km²) with a population of less than 200 set in a bowl between the Rhinns of Kells and the imposing mass of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn. Farming was the main use of land here but now a greater part is afforested with only a few farms left. There are 38 houses, a school, a church, a pub, a shop and post office in Carsphairn village. The village also has its own Heritage Centre, although opening hours are seasonal. Even though it sits on the A713 it is a remote, isolated and largely scattered community quite different in character from the small but active towns and villages along the River Nith or the Moniaive, Penpont area.Dalmellington to Sanquhar
- Dalmellington is the last outpost Ayrshire town before the A713 road climbs towards the Glenkens and ultimately Castle DouglasCastle DouglasCastle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1407. River DoonRiver DoonThe River Doon is a river in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The river flows 23 miles from Loch Doon, joining the Firth of Clyde just south of Ayr. Its course is generally north-westerly, passing near to the town of Dalmellington, and through the villages of Patna, Dalrymple, and Alloway, birthplace...
issues from the northern end of Loch Doon and passes close to the town, while the Loch Doon itself receives waters from Loch EnochLoch EnochLoch Enoch is a multi-basin loch in Galloway to the east of Merrick and south of Mullwharchar. The loch is situated in a granite basin and has several small islands and some beaches on its shore. The sharp granite sand of these beaches was collected and sold for sharpening knives and scythes...
via Eglin Lane. River Doon flows through Alloway where the Robert Burns cottageBurns CottageBurns Cottage, the first home of Robert Burns is located in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built by his father, William Burness in 1757. Burns, Scotland's national poet, was born there on 25 January 1759. It is a simple two-roomed clay and thatch cottage and is now a museum dedicated to...
is and the river features strongly in his songs and poetry.
At one time the mills of Dalmellington produced yarn for the carpet making industry in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
and there were also about 40 weavers working from home there. By the 20th century mining was the dominant industry, though workers had to travel to outlying areas. Eight pits producing around 124,000 tons a year were operating in the 1940s. With the decline of the labour-intensive deep mining, the area is now dependent on its replacement, opencast mining.
- New Cumnock is mentioned in the Ragman RollRagman RollsRagman Rolls refers to the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favor of Baliol in November 1292; and again in 1296...
of 1296 and Cumnock Castle comes into the story of the First War of Scottish Independence in the time of William WallaceWilliam WallaceSir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
and Robert the BruceRobert I of ScotlandRobert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
both of whom were active in the area. Wallace may even have been born close by. In 1509 it was made a burgh of barony and in more recent times coal mining dominated the economy. In 1950 13 miners lost their lives here in the Knockshinnoch DisasterKnockshinnoch Disaster September 1950In September 1950 one of the worst mining accidents in the history of British coal mining occurred in the Ayrshire village of New Cumnock.For several tense days the world's media descended on the small Ayrshire mining village as rescuers strove to reach the men trapped deep underground.British...
though 116 men were rescued. - Kirkconnel had been primarily a farming community until the 1890s when a coal pit was opened at Fauldhead. Coal had always been mined in the district before that, but never in large quantities. From then on coal dominated the life of the little town. The coal industry moved away in recent decades, and with it much of the population.
- Kelloholm was created in 1921 as a model village to house miners and expanded after the Second World War. Its main industry since the collapse of deep mining is now meat-processing.
- Sanquhar's economy had been connected with the wool trade and the production of carpets before the coal mining industry came to dominate it. A distinctive two-coloured pattern of knitting is still widely known as 'Sanquhar knitting'. It was also the place where the Covenanters signed the Sanquhar DeclarationSanquhar DeclarationThe Sanquhar Declaration is a speech read by Covenanter, Richard Cameron, accompanied by twenty armed men in the public square of Sanquhar, Scotland, in 1680, disavowing allegiance to Charles II and the government of Scotland, in the name of "true Protestant and Presbyterian interest", opposition...
renouncing their allegiance to the King, an event commemorated by a monument in the main street. The church of St. BridesBrigid of KildareSaint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
contains a memorial to James CrichtonJames CrichtonJames Crichton, known as the Admirable Crichton , was a Scottish polymath noted for his extraordinary accomplishments in languages, the arts, and sciences before his killing when aged 21.-Life:...
, 'The Admirable Crichton', a sixteenth-century polymath. Sanquhar is notable also for its tiny post office (established in 1712), claimed to be the oldest working post office in the world.
Cormilligan
How much obscure corners in these hills can mean to people who have what seems like the most distant of connections with them was well illustrated during Scotland's Year of Homecoming in 2009 when 38 descendants of the McCaw family marked the Homecoming YearHomecoming Scotland 2009
Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a series of events designed to attract people of Scottish ancestry to visit Scotland. The campaign, organised by EventScotland and VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, claimed that "for every...
by gathering together from New Zealand, the USA, Mexico, Greece and England at the remote deserted cottage of Cormilligan near Tynron. They joined local people in celebrating the lives of their ancestors William and Isabella McCaw who emigrated to Otago in New Zealand with nine of their 10 surviving children in 1880.
Deil's Dyke
There are several Devil's DykesDevil's Dykes
The Devil's Dykes , also known as the Csörsz árka or the Limes Sarmatiae , are several lines of Roman fortifications built mostly during the reign of Constantine I , stretching between today's Hungary, Romania and Serbia.-History:The fortifications consisted of a series of...
in England and on the continent of Europe. The Devil has various familiar names in Scots such as "the deil", "auld nick" and "auld horny", and so in Scots "Devil's Dyke" becomes "The Deil's Dyke". This name was given to a series of earthworks that were thought to mark a frontier perhaps between Strathclyde Britons
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
and the Angles
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
in Galloway and running from Loch Ryan
Loch Ryan
Loch Ryan is a Scottish sea loch that acts as an important natural harbour for shipping, providing calm waters for ferries operating between Scotland and Northern Ireland...
to near Annan
Annan
-People:* Kofi Annan, , former Secretary-General of the United Nations * Kojo Annan, , Kofi Annan's son* Noel Annan, Baron Annan, was a member of the House of Lords and British academic...
on the Solway
Solway
-Places:New Zealand*Solway, New Zealand, a suburb of MastertonUnited Kingdom*Solway Firth, the inlet between the north west of England and southern Scotland*Solway Moss, lowland peat bog in Cumbria, England, near the Scottish border...
and perhaps even from coast to coast in association with the Catrail in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
. This notion was put forward by the antiquarian Joseph Train (1779–1852) who had picked up on folk belief concerning a Deil's Dyke. Eventually this concept of a single Deil's Dyke was discounted by antiquarian scholars in favour of separate unrelated earthworks which had been strung together in Train's imagination. However a section of the dyke running from New Cumnock to Burnmouth in the Parish of Durisdeer has continued to interest them.
Further reading
- Atkinson, Tom (1982)South West Scotland Luath Press Barr Ayrshire
- MacLeod, Innes (2001) Where the Whaups are Crying (A Dumfries and Galloway Anthology) Birlinn Edinburgh ISBN 1-84158-149-6
- Oram, Richard (2000) The Lordship of Galloway John Donald Edinburgh ISBN 0-85967-541-5
- Temperley, Alan (1979) Tales of Galloway Mainstream Publishing ISBN 1-85158-026-3