A short walk from the door of your holiday cottage to a great view of the Urr valley and the Solway Firth.
This walk takes about 20 minutes from the South Gate of Kirkennan to the top of Raven's Craig from where you will get a great view of the Urr water as it winds its way past Palnackie to the Solway Coast. It is quite rough and steep in places and leads to the top of a rocky outcrop so good footwear and a head for heights are recommended. Children and dogs should be under close supervision near the top.
To find Raven's Craig leave Kirkennan Estate by the South Gate (the one near The Lodge - shown above) and walk along the road towards Palnackie for about 5 minutes until you find a gate into a field on the opposite side of the road to Kirkennan (photo below).
This field often has cows in, so bear this in mind if you are walking with a dog.
Walk diagonally across the field to the far corner where there is another gate. Raven's Craig is rocky outcrop you can see in the photo below.
Pass through this gate in the far corner of the field then follow the path up hill alongside the wall. Continue following the wall where it turns to the right (below).
At this point look out for the white house on the hill. This is reputed to have been a smugglers' lookout where the Excise Man would be plied with wine to be kept out of the way whilst good were unloaded from boats in the river below. Lights signalling from the windows could be seen for miles around and would indicate whether it was safe or not to proceed.
Continue following this wall, even when the path appears to be disappearing behind a clump of gorse, to find a style in the corner of the field. Note a recent visitor was unable to get their dog past this style - it was unable to climb over and too heavy to lift.
The path from here is very clear, but steep and slippy in places.
When you get to the top enjoy the view! Key things to look out for can be seen in the photos below.
The view from Raven's Craig looking towards Kirkennan:
The view from Raven's Craig looking towards Kippford, Palnackie and the Solway Firth:
Practicalities:
It takes about 20 minutes to get from Kirkennan to the top of Raven's Craig. It is rough and steep in places so suitable footwear is advised. There may be cows in the fields and there is a drop off from the cliff so dogs and children need to be carefully supervised. Not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or mobility scooters.
About the author:
My husband and I run Kirkennan Estate Holiday Cottages located just below Raven's Craig. We love the scenery of the local area and this is a great spot to appreciate it from - and only a few minutes walk from where we live. If you would like to find out more about our 3 holiday cottages please use the links below.
A great base for one or two couples wanting to walk in South West Scotland. The Mews can sleep up to 5 in 2 bedrooms and has a woodburning stove for cozy evenings in after a day exploring the hills, coastline and woods of the local area.
A comfortable cottage for families or small groups who love the outdoors. The Lodge sleeps 5 & 2 and stands on its own in a large garden overlooking fields and woodland. A great place to relax after a day's walking.
A self-catering cottage sleeping up to 5 with a cozy lounge with open fire. Woodsedge has level access throughout and an enclosed rear garden. A good holiday base for groups who want to combine relaxation with hiking.
