Balcary Bay and Loch Mackie, Galloway

The route begins from a small car park beside the Balcary Bay Country House Hotel, which sits near the end of Shore Road, two miles southeast of Auchencairn. Facing the hotel, turn R along Shore Road but, as it swings L, go through a gate on the R and walk along a track to another gate. Beyond this, go L and keep along a field edge, following an indistinct track east above Balcary Bay, to reach two gates at the edge of a wood (NX824494).

Take the L gate into attractive woodland from where a clear path passes several houses. In a while it rises out of the wood and passes through a gate to Balcary Point (NX829493).

Now follow the path as it sweeps R away from Balcary Point, to travel south and then southwest, climbing high above the rocky coastline and underneath Balcary Hill. In due course the gradient eases and a superb high-level cliff walk ensues. The path runs close to the cliff edge and so care should be taken. A steepish descent then reaches Airds Point (NX821483).

A grassy path now heads west above the shore and as Rascarrel Bay is approached it broadens out to a rough track, which then runs across the stony shore beneath a steep embankment to a fork. Keep R, follow the path through bracken before turning R onto a grassy track. When this splits, just before the conspicuous wooden houses at the eastern end of Rascarrel Bay (NX810483), go R, walk around the back of the houses to a gate beside wooded Rascarrel Moss.

Once through, another broad track runs north, to the R of a small conifer plantation, passing through another gate, soon gaining the scenic and tranquil setting of Loch Mackie (NX808488).

At the southern edge of the loch go through a gate then turn R from where a track follows a field edge northeast (there may be livestock grazing here so keep any dogs on leads), in due course passing through two more gates. Beyond a ruined cottage and farmhouse go through another two gates onto a rough, single-track road, which travels across farmland all the way back to Shore Road (NX820495). Turn R and walk the short distance back to the start.