In Review: Sandyhills to Kippford

The Sandyhills to Kippford coastal walk.

One of my favourite walks in Galloway; it’s just hard to beat at any time of year.

In Winter, Spring, Summer, or Autumn, it’s a different feeling every time; a different seascape, a different sky, different colours.

On gloriously clear days, especially in winter when the air is crisp, the views over the Solway to Cumbria and the mountains in the Lake District are amazing. 

But even on those days when the sea mist rolls in, it just has such an atmosphere. 

So, OK, you get it, I love this walk!

Well then, you can imagine it was with regret that I decided on Sunday evening, based on the weather forecast, to cancel the small group Scheduled Walk for today, July 21^st,  which was planned for this section of the Galloway coast. 

It's been a mixed bag of weather all week; warm and humid (great for the weeds!), and very changeable.  I use the Met Office forecast, and for the most part, I find them pretty good. I like that they have a Specialist Forecast page, and I use their Mountain Weather forecast if I am heading out into the hills.

Understanding Mountain Weather Forecasts

Whereas the regular weather forecast provides information at ground level i.e. in the glen/valley floor, the Mountain Forecast provides additional information such as wind speed, temperature, visibility and precipitation at various altitudes e.g. 300m, 600m, above 800m.  

What may be a nice day in the valley could be an entirely different scenario at higher altitudes.

Always best to check, so you can be prepared, and change your planned route if necessary.

About Last Tuesday

The forecast was certainly right on Tuesday last week when I headed out with my hiking buddies for a ramble around Cally Woods, and I planned to walk out to explore Girthon Old Kirk and Kirkyard.

It was forecasted for warm (18c), overcast conditions with rain starting at about 10:30 a.m. and continuing for most of the day, with heavy showers coming through at about noon and 2.00 p.m.

My Tuesday walking buddies don’t believe in cancelling walks just because it’s raining (as the adage goes, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!’), so we expected it to rain and to get a bit wet, so we went prepared.

Navigating Cally Woods in the Rain

We set off from Gatehouse of Fleet car park, following a myriad of trails through Cally Woods. Not long into the walk, we stopped to put rain jackets on and took shelter using the pedestrian underpass under the A75 for our morning coffee stop.

The rain then became heavier and heavier. Once at the ‘Temple’, a late 18^th-century Gothic tower or folly, we pondered our folly of continuing on in the heavy rain. (The Temple, Cally House, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries & Galloway – The Folly Flaneuse).

The forecast proving to be correct about the very heavy showers at noon, we decided to head back to Gatehouse in the relatively ‘light’ rain before the next downpour forecasted for 2 p.m. With 6 miles under our belt, lunch was enjoyed sitting in the shelter of the gazebo in the Gatehouse car park. 

About Last Saturday

The forecast for last Saturday was for 17 to 18 °C, next to no wind, overcast with light rain to start at about 1 p.m., then heavy rain by 3 p.m. Interestingly, it said ‘Very Good’ visibility.

Planning the Criffell Hike

I had arranged to meet a long-time girlfriend and hiking buddy at 9.00 a.m. at Ardwall Farm near New Abbey, as she wanted to go up Criffell. Having lived in Cumbria most of her life, she has lived with Criffell as the iconic and recognisable mountain on the northern shore of the Solway, and seen it from many a peak in the Lake District.  So when I learned that she had never been up, we just had to make a plan to get this done. 

It had been on our to-do list for some time, but we just never got around to it, so a few weeks ago we agreed to put the date in the diary.  Based on the forecast, our plan was to do the shorter up/down route from Ardwall rather than the 10+mile circular from New Abbey, and be up and down before the forecasted rain started.

Setting Off from Ardwall Farm

As I waited for her to arrive at Ardwall Farm, it was already warm, the sky was clear, just a few clouds, and I could see the entire ridge of Criffell from Drumburn Hill at the south end to Knochendoc at the northern end.  All was well.

After friendly greetings and hello hugs, followed by a good self-spray with Avon Skin so Soft to keep the bugs at bay (yes, I use this instead of regular bug spray – works well for me, try it!), we set off up the trail through the trees.

Dealing with Insects on the Trail

I did think there would be midges and/or cleggs on this section of the trail in the trees, given so little air movement (hence the use of the Skin so Soft), but no.

However, when we exited the forest onto the open hillside, there were lots of flies. A young couple coming down the hill had their hoodies done up tight and were using a bracken frond to flick away the flies. Happy to say, they were not bothering us, so ‘thank you, Avon!’ 

Unexpected Encounters and Changing Weather

The trail was quiet, the only other person we met on our way up was a lady I have seen every time I have been on the Criffell path; she apparently trains on the hill, going up and down 4-times each time she is out (yes, she passed us twice more!) and she told us she had already been up Criffell over 500 times in 2025 – wow!  

As we shook our heads in awe, we turned to look at the view over the Solway and were disappointed to see that the sea mist was now rolling in thick and fast and the view becoming shorter and shorter into the distance.

Summit in the Mist

By the time the path was levelling off just before the summit, visibility was about 100m, we needed to stop and put our rain jackets on as the mist was starting to soak our clothes.

We had the summit to ourselves and stopped, despite no view, to have drinks and snacks in the mist, and the obligatory jelly baby to celebrate the ascent.

We did not sit for too long; having sweated a good deal on the way up, we were starting to cool down sitting still. So after a photo to commemorate my girlfriend’s first Criffell ascent, although with no distinguishing landmarks to see, the photo could have been taken anywhere! 

Descent and Clearing Views

Once we dropped down a few hundred feet, we stopped to take our rain jackets off, and the mist cleared somewhat, so at least we could see Loch Kindar below us, New Abbey and as far as Glencaple on the other side of the Nith River.  Cumbria was not to be seen today. 

Reflections on Today's Cancellation

As we parked at New Abbey to go to the café there for a cuppa (all good walks should end in a cuppa or a pint!), the rain started just as the forecast had predicted. 

The Value of Weather Forecasts

So having faith in the Met Office forecast, given that they had Yellow Warnings for Heavy Rain and Thunder Storms for Sunday night (and the heavy rain had already started about 5 p.m.) with the Thunder Storm warning continuing throughout the day on Monday I decided it would be best to cancel the Scheduled Walk along the coast; there is no shelter on the section from Sandyhills to Rockcliffe.

If I have to cancel a walk, I like to make the decision the night before so that you get as much notice as possible and can then go ahead and make other plans for your day; your time is precious.

The Unpredictable Nature of Outdoor Activities

Of course, I got up this morning and wondered if I’d made the right decision; there was a thick mist, but the air was much clearer after the rain. Could there be thunderstorms?

Absolutely, no point in second-guessing my decision.

I use the best information available at the time, combined with my own experience and knowledge of the trail, to make an informed decision; it’s vital to stay safe, but I also want you to enjoy your experience on the trail.

So, sadly, the iconic Sandyhills to Kippford walk was cancelled – sorry folks – but it is being rescheduled for September 2025.

Tailor Your Own Walk Your Way

If you’d like to tailor this walk to meet your own personal needs, such as a different day, different time, or make it shorter, perhaps Sandyhills to Rockcliffe, contact me by email, or call me to discuss your requirements.

Also, if you’d like to visit The Temple in Cally Woods, then I invite you to join my small group (max. 8) Scheduled Walk to Sandgreen, exploring Cally Woods on Monday, August 18^th, 2025. 

Other upcoming walks include:

28th July 2025 - Clints of Dromore
4th August 2025 - Queenshill Walk
11th August 2025 - The Dornells