Cairnsmore of Carsphairn from the Green Well

In Galloway, the A713 travels from Ayr to Castle Douglas. Around halfway along this road is the small village of Carsphrain, just to the north of which the road crosses the Water of Deugh.

By the bridge over the river, the route begins on the east bank as indicated by a Right-of-Way sign pointing northwards. On the southern side of the road is a rather neglected parking area which used to form a section of the old road. There is ample room here to park several cars.

From the parking area, cross the road and and begin hiking up an estate track. The track passes a house just after which is a visitor information board about the area, Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and the Green Well of Scotland.

Follow the track uphill slightly and around a corner, where Cairnsmore of Carsphairn comes into view ahead. After passing some lovely woodland, a farm shed and heading through a gate, the track then climbs gently for the next 1km or so.

The track levels and crosses the Disgee Strand . Rather than a straight there-and-back up Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, I fancied a circular route, so left the track here and began to follow the Disgee Strand upstream. Ground is soggy underfoot to begin with, but dries out as a wall crossing the nick between Willieanna and Dunool is neared.

On a grassy slope, the wall travels uphill north-east, aside which is a faint path. Over the minor bump of Dunool with its small cairn , the path crosses a flat area to reach the base of the rise up Black Shoulder.

The path, now more of an ATV track, begins to veer slightly away from the wall to avoid a bouldery area. The wall ends abruptly on Black Shoulder , with a fence-line continuing onwards along the hill crest.

Following the ATV tracks aside the fence, leads over a wide grass-covered expanse to Cairnsmore of Carsphairn's summit , where a large cairn sits just east of a sheltered trig point resting at the top end of a wall. Fine views in all directions !

From Cairnsmore of Carsphairn's summit trig point at the top of a wall, follow the wall downhill as it travels south-west. There is a path to follow on the south side of the wall which tries to avoid the occasional patch of boulders on an otherwise grassy hillside.

After losing around 350m of height, gradient easies and terrain becomes rather damp. A stream is crossed, shortly thereafter the track from the Green Well is reached and followed back downhill.