A walk in the Parish of St Connel

Hill: Kirkland Hill
Category: Sub2k/Marilyn
Height: 511
An interesting and educational short walk today with the KOIR.

Choose your walk

Our walk began in the village of Kirkconnel, named after St Connel. You can just imagine this village as a one street throughway connecting Ayrshire to the Solway coast.

Near the start Kirkland Hill in sight

The walk starts in the town and we walked via Bakers Burn which almost immediately leaving the village is a beautiful grassy valley walk, twisting and turning always something to keep you interested. 

This size of burn capable of driving a mill wheel

Nearby a sluice links the burn to the old mill site where the water was diverted to power the wheel, amazing such small burns supported industrial mills.
Once away from the burn the route goes cross country to the remains of St Connel’s church, one of the oldest church sites in Scotland dating back to the 9th century. 

St Connel's kirk, the miners cairn and Kirkland Hill

The current ruined site is circa 12th century (albeit rebuilt by the local miners in the 1920’s) and a pleasant place to shelter from the wind for a tea break. The notice board gives more detail of the various graves and tombs discovered at the site.

Keep to the right of the gorge

Our path goes around the side of the hill initially following the old drove road to Lanarkshire, hardy people these drovers, steeply climbing as we meander. You can walk from here to Wanlockhead circa 14 miles, if you are up to it.
The mast at Todholes Hill is prominent and as we climb the radar masts on the Lowthers appear. The Churn burn below meanders constantly changing direction in such a short space.
The wind is now strong and cold, yip it is still September, another layer on, as we turn and climb to the top.

Tinto behind trig

Soon we reach the trig at the summit of Kirkland Hill. The views do not disappoint and include: Cairn Table; Tinto; The Lowthers; Culter Fell and Cairnkinna. The flat lands of the Nith valley and west to Ayrshire and Arran, not bad at all.
However, too cold so back down the western slopes, heading to Glenwharrie, finding a wall to shelter behind for lunch.

Surfaceman and poet

Finally a short stroll back to the village where I spot this plaque to ‘Alexander Anderson aka Surfaceman. I assumed this was to do with its mining heritage but it turns out he was a poet. Also turned out he only lived here for a  very short time as an infant, still it counts.
Another good day out.

Wildlife: Raven, Goldfinch,
Time: 3.56
Ascent: 1220ft (532m)
Distance: 7.4m (12.1k)