The Corbetts - SMC Scottish Highlands Hillwalking Guide

 Southern Scotland

The Merrick
The High Mountains of Britain & Ireland The Islands

 Photographs of an ascent of The Merrick

the highest of the Corbetts in the Galloway Hills

of the Borders Region of Scotland


Bruce's Stone above Loch Trool at the start of the ascent route to The Merrick

Bruce's Stone above Loch Trool

at the start of the ascent route to The Merrick

The Bruce's Stone commemorates

 the
victory in Glen Trool

of
Robert the Bruce

over the forces of Edward II of England



Inscription on Bruce's Stone above Loch Trool

Inscription on Bruce's Stone

The Bruce's Stone

commemorates the
victory in Glen Trool

of
Robert the Bruce

 over the forces of Edward II of England





Waterfall in the Buchan Burn on the ascent route to The Merrick

 Waterfall in the Buchan Burn

 on the ascent route to The Merrick





Buchan Hill above the ascent route to The Merrick

Buchan Hill

 above the ascent route to The Merrick



Culsharg bothy beneath Benyellary on the ascent route to The Merrick

Culsharg bothy

 beneath Benyellary

 on the ascent route to The Merrick



The Merrick ( 843m, 2,766ft ) from Benyellary

The Merrick ( 843m, 2,766ft )

 from Benyellary



The Corbett Shalloch on Minnoch from the trig point on The Merrick

The Corbett Shalloch on Minnoch

from the trig point

on
The Merrick ( 843m, 2,766ft )

The Merrick is the highest summit

 in the Southern Uplands

and the highest in Scotland

south of Ben Lomond


Views also extend
from the summit
 
to Ailsa Craig
 and the Isle of Arran
in the Firth of Clyde
and south to the Solway Firth






Kirrieroch Hill

The Merrick from Kirrieroch Hill

The " Awful Hand " range

runs from 
The Merrick

to
Shalloch on Minnoch






Galloway Hills and Lochs from The Merrick

Galloway Hills and Lochs

 from 
The Merrick





Galloway Hills and Lochs from The Merrick

Galloway Hills and Lochs

 from 
The Merrick




Redstone Rig on The Merrick

Redstone Rig on The Merrick

an alternative ascent / descent route

 via the "Old Grey Man" rock outcrop





Grey Man on The Merrick

"Old Grey Man" rock outcrop







Map of The Merrick

Map of The Merrick

( Note: Click here or on map for larger copy )



Route Map of The Merrick

Route Map of The Merrick


MERRICK - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:


Location: North of Newton Stewart.
Dumfries and Galloway
Map: OS Landranger 77 ( GR 427 855 )
Distance: 8 miles ( 13km )
Time: 3 hrs 45 mins
Terrain: Paths and open hillside

Despite their modest height, the Galloway hills have a reputation for rough going thanks to the granite at their heart, a landscape of bare rock, boulders and tussocky grass interspersed with lochans and pools.
The highest hill in the area, however. exhibits few of these characteristics. Merrick lies at the very edge of the granite and offers a long. broad, grassy ridge right to the summit. The initial section of path does pass over the granite and is pretty rocky and wet as a consequence, but things improve once you arere on the open hillside.
The road beside Loch Tool, off the A714 north of Newton Stewart, ends at a car park beside Bruce’s Stone, commemorating Robert the Bruces 1307 victory at the battle of Glen Trool.
From the far side of the car park follow the path on the left to gain the Buchan Burn and ascend beside it until a signpost directs you onto a higher path. Forestry leads to the old bothy at Culsharg, where the path ascends beside the Whiteland Burn to a track.
Turn right over the burn, then left following the sign and back into conifers. Emerge to open hillside and continue on the path up and right to gain the southern flanks of Benyellary, where a path continues alongside a wall to the summit.
The wall is followed for much of the way until it diverges left and the path heads right to the summit and trig point.
On a good day the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland can be seen to the west and the Lake District to the south.
The east is dominated by the rounded tops of Broad Law and Hart Fell above Moffat and the north by Goat Fell on Arran and the Paps of Jura.
You can either return from here, or for a slightly more adventurous route descend east from the summit down the broad rocky ridge of Redstone Rig towards the southern tip of Loch Enoch. The going here is wet and rocky but not too steep.
From the loch follow the wall onto the northern end of Rig of Loch Enoch and follow the high ground south over Craignine to the top of Buchan Hill and fine views over Glen Trool. Continue south west to the lower top from where a descent can be made west of the frontal crags to the Buchan Burn and the road back to the car park.





Route Map of The Merrick

Route Map for The Merrick



MERRICK - ROUTE DESCRIPTION 2:

Location: Dumfries & Galloway
Map: OS Landranger 77
Distance: 10 miles / 16km
Time: 5-6 hours
Terrain: Moderate hill walk

The Range of the Awful Hand, it's a wonderful name for a wonderful little grouping of southern hills, the highest of which, The Merrick at 2764ft / 843m dominates the hills around Loch Trool.
Merrick, the “branched finger" of the Awful
Hand, is the highest summit in Galloway.
The route approaches the Merrick via the four lochs ( or maybe five: the largest island on Loch Enoch has a loch of its own ) to the east of the hill and then
follows the hill‘s long eastern ridge, Redstone Rig, to the summit.
The monumental Bruce’s Stone at the start of the walk commemorates a clash with English forces in 1307 when Robert the Bruce was beginning his campaign for Scottish independence.
This was an
area he knew well and the broken hillsides and scattered woodland of Glcn Trool were ideal for his style of guerilla warfare.
From the Bruce's Stone car park, the road drops downhill towards a bridge at the bottom, where a sign indicates the Buchan Burn.
Ignore this sign and
instead cross another stile on the left where a sign points towards Loch Valley and the Gairlant Burn.
The route gains height quickly now as it diagonally crosses a field on the face of Buchan Hill, towards a gate in the wall at the top of the field.
Once over
the gate you find yourself in a hanging valley that contains the Gairland Burn with the path following the tumbling waters of the burn as it chuckles its
way between the old glacial moraines, rising steadily to the outflow from Loch Valley.
Here lies a different world, harsher and more open. From the outflow follow the western shore of the loch on a good path which then continues
to climb onto a new level, one which contains the waters of Loch Neldricken.
A wet and indistinct path follows the south-west shores of the loch and crosses a wall by the area known as the Murder Hole.
This area of deep water
in Loch Neldricken features in SR Crockett's book The Reivers a novel of cattle reiving and murder.
Apparently, this stretch of water never freezes over.
The path now runs alongside a wall which follows the western slopes of Ewe Rig to the smaller Loch Arron, the next in our rosary of lochs.
Continuing steadily upwards, the route
leads to a small col which overlooks the dark and brooding Loch Enoch, complete with its reflections of Mullwharchar which rises beyond.
A curious
name in an area of curious names, Mullwharchar is apparently derived from the Gaelic Maol Adhairce, meaning the Hill ofthe Huntsman's Horn.
The waters of Loch Enoch lie in a high granite basin which caress the 500m contour. Beyond its southwestern shores, the long line of Redstone Rig
can be seen rising steadily to the Merrick's summit.
At 2764ft / 843m, the Merrick is the highest hill in Scotland south of Ben Lomond and all the effort of the ascent is worthwhile with wide views in all directions.
A grassy descent contours the Neive of the Spit and a short rise leads to the cairm on Benyeilary, the eagle's hill.
Follow the path steadily downhill
beside the Whitehead Burn to the bothy at Culsharg.
From here a path and forestry track
heads south, alongside the Buchan Burn, back to the car park in Glen Trool.



Map and route description for Glen Trool

Map and route description for Glen Trool







Map of the Solway Firth

Map of the Solway Firth




Galloway Hills Gallery Photo Gallery

<< BackSouthern Highlands : Next >>



Scotland Index :: The Scottish Peaks

Isle of Skye :: Isle of Arran

Knoydart :: Glencoe :: Ben Nevis :: NW Highlands :: Eastern Highlands :: Central Highlands


Worldwide Mountaineering :: Adventure Travel :: Site Index

fb icon  google+ icon Linkedin icon  twitter











Guide Books & Maps - Scotland:-


Arrochar Alps - Map Glasgow Popular Hills - Map West Highland Way - Map Loch Lomond North - Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Arrochar - OS Explorer Map Loch Lomond and Inverary OS Landranger Map

Isle of Arran OS Explorer Map Isle of Arran OS Landranger Map Arran - Official Tourist MapIona & Mull MapWestern Scotland & the Western Isles OS Road Map Northern Scotland OS Road MapSouthern Scotland OS Road Map



The Islands  The Isle of Arran Hill Walking on the Isle of Arran Island Walks - Southern Hebrides and Arran Ayrshire & Arran - 25 Walks

The Scottish IslandsAn Island Odyssey IslayScotland from the AirScotland's Coast

The High Mountains of Britain & Ireland  Munros Tables SMC  The Munros - Scotland's Highest Mountains  Scotland - Lonely Planet  NW Highlands - SMC Guide  Exploring the Far NW of Scotland  Guide to Walks in NW Highlands

Walking in Scotland - Lonely Planet Mountain: Exploring Britain's High Places  National 3 Peaks Walk Scottish Highlands Hillwalking Guide The Scottish Islands Bouldering in Scotland

Central Highlands: Six Long Distance Walks West Highland Way: Official GuideWest Highland Way: Rucksac ReadersWest Highland Way: TrailblazerThe West Highland WayWest Highland Way: Footprint MapWest Highland Way - Map West Highland Way - Map 100 Hillwalks around Glasgow

Pathfinder Guide: Fort William and Glen Coe Walks Rambler's Guide: Ben Nevis and Glen CoeGlencoe Rock & Ice Climbing The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club The Munros and Tops The Corbetts - SMC Munros & Corbetts Chart The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland Munro Almanac

The Munros - Scotland's highest mountains Call of the Corbetts Magic of the Munros Hamish's Mountain WalkThe Munros in WinterMy Scotland by Hamish MacInnes

Scottish Mountains - 50 Classic Routes50 More Routes on Scottish Mountains The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland Scotlands 100 Best Walks Scottish Mountains - 100 Best RoutesBig Walks of Great Britain Classic Walks in Britain & Ireland

Scottish Hill & Mountain Names Classic Mountain Scrambles in Scotland Classic Climbs - Central & Southern Highlands Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland by W.H.MurrayMore Wilderness Walks Wilderness Walks Wilderness Walks 2 - Video Ski Mountaineering in Scotland

Ski Touring in ScotlandScrambles in Lochaber Rock Climbing in Scotland Rock Climbing SkillsThe FACE: Six Great Climbing Adventures Ben Nevis: Rock & Ice ClimbsGreat Snow & Ice Climbs of the British Isles100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains One Man's Mountains - Tom Patey

A Mountaineer's Tale - W.H.MurrayDougal Haston: Philosophy of RiskThe Glens of Rannoch Southern Highlands - MapNorthern Highlands Central Highlands West Highlands Central Highlands SMCNW Highlands SMC

Scotland - Lonely PlanetScotland's Highlands & Islands - Lonley Planet Scotland's Highlands & Islands - Rough Guide Highlands & Islands of Scotland - Hidden Places Rough Guide ScotlandScottish Highlands & Islands - Rough Guide Rough Guide: Scotland Lonely Planet, Walking in ScotlandLonely Planet - Walking in Britain

50 Walks in the Scottish Highlands & Islands 100 Walks in ScotlandVisit Scotland - Touring Guide Scotland: Where to Stay - Hotels & Guest Houses Scotland: Where to Stay - Bed & Breakfast Hillwalker: The MunrosHillwalker: The Corbetts

Weather for Hillwakers & Climbers Mountain Weather Guide to the Weather Weather: Collins Gem Hillwalking Handbook for Mountain Leaders Hillwalkers Manual Hillwalkers Guide to Mountaineering First Aid on Mountains








Google Analytics







Google Analytics 

extremetracking
 eXTReMe Tracker


extremetracking
Sitelock caingram.com
SiteLock
Sitelock
Sitelock caingram.info
SiteLock
Sitelock