Get Lost Mountaineering

Meikle Millyea, Milldown, Millfire & Corserine clockwise

from Forrest Lodge

Start/Finish

Public car park at end of road to Forrest Lodge. This minor road leaves the A713 at Polharrow Bridge which is just to the north of Earlstown Loch which, itself, is just to the north of St. John's Town of Dalry. Polharrow Bridge is about 6 miles to the south of the village of Carspahairn. There are public toilets on the A713 at the north end of Carsphairn. It is about 3.5 miles from Polharrow Bridge to the car park.

Distance/Time

18 – 20 km.    About 6 – 7 hours.

Peaks

Meikle Millyea, 748 m, NX 516 825. Moved in 2015.

Milldown, 738 m, NX 511 839.

Millfire, 716 m, NX 508 848.

Corserine, 814 m, NX 497 870.

(Carlin's Cairn, 807 m, NX 497 883. - optional extension)

OS Explorer sheet 318, Galloway Forest North

Introduction

Corserine is the highest point on a long ridge known as the Rhinns of Kells which stretches from Corran of Portmark in the north to Meikle Millyea in the south with Corserine roughly halfway. With suitable transport arrangements, it is possible to walk the whole ridge but with just one car it is better to split the ridge into two sections. This route covers the southern part of the ridge with an optional extension to Carlin's Cairn which, if needed to be climbed, is best included in this round. The whole ridge contains nine distinct tops but Corserine is the only Corbett and there are no Grahams on the ridge as all the other tops have less than 150 m drop on all sides. However, the ridge contains many Donalds. This is a pleasant walk which is mainly on grassy paths once the forestry is left. The paths are distinct enough to follow but it would not take much snow to hide them; they can also be quite boggy in wet weather. The route is fairly easy to follow in mist apart from on the summit of Corserine where more care is needed as the paths are not obvious from the summit. The only short steep section is on the lower ridge when ascending Meikle Millyea where care is needed on slippery ground with some exposed rock but there is nothing technical. The forestry has many more tracks than are shown on the OS map. An accurate map is displayed in the car park at the start and this has been included in the photos for those who wish to enlarge and print it. All the tracks seem to have names and there are useful signs in a few places. On a clear day, one can see the Merrick range, Craignaw, Dungeon Hill, Mullwharchar and the Cairnsmore of Carsphairn. Note that, following a survey in 2015, it was found that the highest point on Meikle Millyea is no longer the trig point but an embedded rock about 400 m to the south south west. For those who prefer to walk the route in the opposite direction, that route is also posted. Both routes are identical apart from being in opposite directions. If photos are important, this route is probably the better one as the Sun will be mainly behind you.

Route

(1) From the car park, walk up the signed Prof. Hans Heiberg Road. Soon emerge from the forest and pass the house at Burnhead. Soon after, re-enter a short section of forest and cross the bridge over Mid Burn. Emerge from the forest and continue ahead, ignoring all turnings. Further on is another sign confirming you are still on Prof. Hans Heiberg Road. Cross Kristin Olsen Road just before entering more forestry. The track now goes around several bends before a minor track forks off left. Take this and, almost immediately, reach a firebreak on the left which has some slate chippings at its start. Go through the short but boggy firebreak to reach a stile which gives access to the open hillside below Meikle Lump. A path leads up with a wall well to the left. The path has a few steep sections and some exposed eroded rock but there are no technical difficulties. Eventually the path meets the wall and follows it up with the odd small detour around some boggy spots. Reach the wall coming from the N. The “old” large summit cairn and trig point are close by. The “new” summit appears to be further S so follow the wall across a very shallow dip up to the next rise, about 400 m, then look for a medium and small cairn about 80 m to the NW which are the obvious candidates for the highest point of Meikle Millyea, 748 m. There are a few embedded rocks nearby which might be higher than the bases of either cairn!

(2) Retrace to the wall junction near to the old summit/trig point then descend, NNW, by the wall down to the col containing the Lochans of Auchniebut where the path makes a few minor diversions to avoid wet ground. Continue up the other side still by the stone wall, to reach a medium cairn, on the E side of the wall, which is the summit of Milldown, 738 m.

(3) Continue along the crest, soon losing the wall, descend to a col then up to a level section where there are two cairned tops, about 100 m apart and of similar height although the S one may be the higher and its medium cairn is the summit of Millfire, 716 m.

(4) It is over 2 km to Corserine but there is a reasonable path which stays on the crest to reach the summit plateau. There is a medium cairn and trig point to mark the summit of Corserine, 814 m. In thick mist, this may take some finding although it isn't a huge plateau.

(5) To include Carlin's Cairn, descend NE, not N, from the summit to reach a path on the edge of the corrie. Follow this down to the 708 bealach then up to the very large cairn, with a shelter cairn built in, which is the summit of Carlin's Cairn, 807 m. A herd of wild goats may be seen on this hill.

(6) There is little option but to retrace back to the trig point on Corserine. Once there, put your back to the trig point plaque and walk away from it, roughly ESE. A path, with the odd small cairn, is soon found which leads along the broad crest towards Scar of the Fork. In clear weather, the crest is very obvious with good views to Carlin's Cairn off to the left across the corrie. After the ridge turns NE, make sure you can see what is on its right side. Look for a very large cairn, after about 1 km from the trig point, as it indicates where the descent path starts. If you were following the path along the crest, you should arrive here naturally. The descent path drops off the right of the crest here with the odd small cairn to begin with. It isn't that obvious but is the only path and once on it, the route is fairly obvious as it weaves below the isolated crags to the NW of the Folk Burn. The path can be boggy in places and there are a few abrupt changes of direction as it heads towards the vast forest below. Note that there is no obvious firebreak to aim for so don't lose the path which leads down to a stile just before the forest. Enter the forest and follow the path. In places it is more open, in other places the trees encroach a bit and there are a few boggy sections. Continue down and reach a “bridge” over a stream which is more of a large plastic pipe covered with earth. Cross over, turn left and follow the boggy path which gradually improves and becomes a track. After some distance, a major track is reached. Turn right and follow this, almost straight and ignoring all junctions, to pass the house at Forebush in another 2 km. Continue for another 1 km to reach Burnhead Bridge car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 20^th October, 2016.

(b) Omitting the detour to Carlin's Cairn would save about an hour.

(c) The whole ridge was walked about 20 years ago in the early 1990's.