Screel Hill
| Distance | Approximate Time | Height Gain | OS Map |
| 5.6 kms | 02:30 (hrs:mins) | 330 metres | Explorer 312 : Kirkcudbright & Castle Douglas |
Description
Follow the road uphill until the path leaves the track and enters the forest on the left. Here the ground gets rougher underfoot and the path gets steeper. Continue to follow the waymarkers and soon you come out of the forest into an area of heather and bracken with rocky outcrops.
Follow the well-worn path to the top of the hill where, on a clear day, you can get spectacular panoramic views.
From here, follow the path along to the Cairn at the other end where you can look across to Bengairn. Screel Hill and its neighbour Bengairn which dominate this part of the Solway coast.
The path then heads downhill into the forest, through a natural archway and soon joins a forest track that takes you back to the path you started on. You can then retrace your steps to the car park.
Access Info
Start point: The foot of Screel is located on a minor road between Gelston and Auchencairn, 10km south of Castle Douglas. Start from the small Forest Enterprise car park, the route is waymarked from there
Additional Info
To the north east is the Queensberry range and to the North West you can see Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and the Rhins of Kells.
There are also views over the Solway Firth. Auchencairn Bay and Orchardton Bay are in the foreground, Along with Hestan Island. This island lies midway between Almorness and Balcary Points and is joined to the mainland at Almorness by a causeway.
Looking across the Solway, see if you can pick out the towns of Silloth, Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven, which lie from left to right along the Cumbrian coastline?
You should also be able to pick out the high peaks of Skiddaw, Grasmoor, Great Gable and Scaffel Pike!
Listen for the distinctive croaking of ravens as they soar above you and watch out for red grouse, which you might come across along the way.
