“A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.” Arthur Schopenhauer
View From Craignaw, Dungeon Hills, Galloway.
Solitude:
If your seeking solitude, you will not go far wrong in the Galloway Hills of Southwest Scotland. Public transport is sparse, and access by car is limited. The freedom to roam in Galloway Forest Park, however, has got to be a selling point.
Buchan Burn flowing into Loch Trool (subsequent trip). In autumn the woodland beauty of Loch Trool is amazing.
Wild and rugged, and not dissimilar to the highlands. It has got to be one of Scotland’s best-kept secrets. The Galloway Hills consist of four main ranges, and what descriptive names these magnificent hills have. The Range of the Awful Hand, the Rhinns of Kells, Minnigaff and Dungeon Hills. These mysterious names only add to the attraction.
Craignaw Bivi:
For a long time I had wanted to visit this area. But for one thing or another, it seemed to get put on the back burner. With a quick job to do in Dumfries, however, and living in Penrith, I was halfway there. So not to be put off, the kit was packed (including my 11-year-old son) for an overnight bivi on Craignaw, in the Dungeon Hills.
The technical data for Craignaw is a height of 645m. Nevertheless, I don’t place much importance on height; whether this is because I am not the tallest man on the planet I’m not certain, however, for me, the attraction of a hill is more to do with its physical appearance and location than anything else.
Craignaw has a complex rocky summit with many opportunities for the crag rat, and in a good hard freeze – ice climbing. At its summit, it commands vast views in all directions.
The specific route I took started at the car park at Loch Trool. Easy access to the hills is gained just passed Buchan House. The route runs parallel to Gairland Burn and up to Loch Valley. From here we crossed Mid Burn, that’s between Loch Valley and Loch Neldricken. And there negotiated the tough grasses and heather (no tracks here), and skirted the Northern edges of Loch Valley, before a short break overlooking Loch Narroch.
Buchan Burn Loch Trool (subsequent trip). It always rains, but then great for those polarizer shots.
Snow:
Up until this point the weather had been sunny, but the skies from the west soon encroached carrying snow, and the cloud base came right down making visibility poor. So from this point, the route was made via compass bearing whilst we made our way to the Southern ridge of Craignaw proper.
The cloud lifted as we ascended iced slabs of granite; and the sun, previously blocked by a dark menacing sky, duly descended blood red to the horizon to the west.
Overnight Freeze On Criagnaw, Dungeon Hills, Galloway.
Dark Sky Park:
Once on the summit, I captured the only landscape image I managed to take this trip. In hindsight, however, I could have taken one or two on route. Our bivi site was located on the eastern side of the summit cairn, and with a windchill aggravating frozen fingers, the slow process of getting the tent up began. Nevertheless, before long we were toasty warm in our sleeping bags.
Being the Uk’s first Dark Sky Park, and rated the equivalent of a photographer’s darkroom, there is real scope (no pun intended) for a dramatic star display within the Forest Park. Disappointingly for us, cloud enveloped the skies above later into the night, so nothing much was to be seen. And low cloud was to be on the ‘carte du jour’ in the morning, so a sunrise shot was a no go.
I’ve always wanted to see the Devil’s Bowling Green below Criagnaw’s summit, and so in the morning we were not dissatisfied with viewing this fascinating rock display even in low visibility.
I will not be forgiven, however, for the slight navigational error that entailed my son going back up a route, he had already descended. I explained, however, that in the hills dealing with the unexpected was all part of the man making process – and with a sigh, he returned to whence he came.
A Windy Devil’s Bowling Green
Pristine Beaches:
From here it was all downhill. Downhill being the keyword emphasized to my son, who now seemed slightly less confident in my navigational ability!
Passing the crags of Black Gairy we were soon down to Loch Neldricken. Deer footprints were visible as we waked the pristine beaches of the Loch. The far side of the Loch was not visible for low cloud, and looked as though it went on forever.
The rain was unforgiving as we proceeded back to Loch Trool. The bogs were deep, but would we have had it any other way? I think not.
Regaining the road at Loch Trool we came across something unusual – human species! The first for 24hrs.
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Fragmented Memory 🙂
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