The Club Walk: Walk 13 Colvend to Kippford:
Distance 8.3miles, Ascent 988ft.Descent 1090 ft Time 4h 40min. Leader Steven Wallace,
The start of the walk is along a country lane with access to local traffic. Care is needed.
After a short period the walk enters Dalbeattie forest, and later passes Barean Loch to the left. The route then turns right with a steep
up hill section to Smithland Hill. Thereafter the route travels through Forest tracks and some open landscape to the A710 road which is 3 miles into the walk.
Then we enter the main A710 road, and walk about 200m WSW (no pavement/single file required). before turning left onto another country lane which is road access to more housing, 3 3/4 miles into the walk. We meet the tourist coastline path to Rockcliffe. This is on a mixture of single path and open grass fields with some docile cattle.
Some care to be taken in certain points due to barbed/electric wire fences, and two sections where there is no fence/barrier on single path, (very low risk). The paths from Rockcliffe to Kippford are along, either nice well-maintained path, some minor roads, or along the rocky shoreline. Overall, the paths have some loose stones/roots and small burn(s) were noted.
The Extended Walk: Walk 13 Barnbarroch to Kippford Ext.
Distance 9.3miles, Ascent 1126ft.Descent 1247 ft Time 4h 45mins. Leader May Trescowthick
First 4 miles are mostly on Land Rover Track (LRT) through a variety of woodland with occasional views of a loch or two. Then we enter the main A710 road, and walk about 200m WSW (no pavement/single file required) to turn left onto an unclassified minor road.
This takes us towards High Portling, where we have a short uphill climb on a good grass path with cut steps in places. It’s then through broom bushes and finally into open fields, with the Cumbrian coast on our left-hand side, thereafter superb views out to sea.
The Solway Coastal path now undulates as expected and includes two short sections where the path is close to unguarded steep drops.Care will be required at both, and your Leader will remind all in the group at the start of those walk sections, so with full concentration, this should not be an issue. We then pass through Rockcliffe with its picturesque seafront (free toilets, plus ice cream van (not guaranteed & not free😊)). The final 1.5 miles is on flat ground with lots of tree roots through seashore trees, with our 9 mile walk along the coastal path of the Solway Estuary, with the walk finishing in the picturesque sailing centre of Kippford