The Lowther Hills - A Walker's Guidebook

The guidebook describes some of the best walking in Southern Scotland’s Lowther hills. Covers the Lowther hills, Nithsdale, Carsphairn Hills and the hills of the Solway coast, Cairnsmore of Fleet, Tinto and Cauldcleuch Head.

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Walk 2.7: **Kettleton and Cample

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Distance: 9 ½ miles, 1300ft (15km, 400m)
Map: Landranger 78 (Nithsdale) or Harveys Lowther Hills
Start/Finish: Grass verge at or near the bottom of the Burn farm track (GR 903982)

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Short section of rough moorland; narrow path across steep slope in Cample Cleuch; low grassy hills, path and track: mod/hard

While the main ridge of the Southern Lowthers is grass with fences, streams flowing into Nithsdale have carved the western slopes into the steep-sided stream valleys called ‘cleuchs’. The most interesting ground is here. At 381m, East Morton Hill is roughly half the height of Queensberry, but could still be reckoned as the better hill. Kettleton harbours a little loch, and Cample Cleuch harbours wild goats.

The tarred farm lane leads past Burn farm to the Water Board cottages at the Shaw. Go through the lower of two gates ahead, and take the track northwards through a small wood to the dam of the Kettleton Reservoir. The dam was built in the last century by men with wheelbarrows, and the paths they made to dig building stone can be seen on the hillside across the stream. Given a hundred years to settle in, the reservoir has blended into its surroundings; it helps that it is almost always full, so shows no scarred shoreline.

At the dam end is a hard standing used by fishers who’ve driven up the rough track.

Cross the dam to a stile. Here one could continue up the steep slope ahead onto the hill with the ancient settlement, but lakeside walks are so rare hereabouts that we prefer to turn north along the reservoir side. A small path above the fence leads along the foot of the steep slope of the Settlement Hill. After the tumbledown boathouse, the path becomes a mere sheep trod alongside the fence.

At the head of the reservoir, the way may be obstructed by bracken in July and August. Here a stream runs down the slope of East Morton Hill on the left. Turn up this stream’s small slot. This cuts back into the slope, giving a sheltered and less steep ascent. At the top, turn right up grassy slopes. East Morton’s summit is a tuft of rushes.

The steepness of the slope conceals the col leading onwards towards Nether Hill. The col is due east, further right than you’d expect, and lies below a dark heathery knoll on the opposite slope. Go through the gate in the col and ascend over, or to the left of, the heathery knoll. Now the ridge turn north (left), to circle the head of another deepcut stream. Wheelmarks of quad bikes make an easy path.

It’s hard to say where may be the top of Nether Hill – the Ordnance Survey thinks it’s the northwestern knoll, Harveys disagrees. But surely it’s beneath us to go bagging a 393m peak, and better is to circle the left-hand, northern edge. This gives a view down into the cleuch of Glenaggart to Durisdeer. Descend off the plateau eastwards, down a short steep slope. At the top of the pass stand a ruined house and a shelter shed, but these are hidden under the curve of the slope. The parish boundary fence descending the opposite slope gives the point to aim for.

At the bottom of the slope turn right, above a fence, to a gate. This opens onto the track through the Glanaggart pass.

Turn right along the track. You look down into the deep Kettleton valley, and reach another ruined house. (Here a branch-track on the right gives a short return to the walk’s start-point.) After another 600yds (½ km) the track turns left, uphill. Ignore the branch-track on the right, and continue up the main track for another 200yds, before turning off right. The new track drops to cross the Glenleith Burn near a metal shed, and then, after another ½ mile (¾ km) reaches the Berry Grain at a stream junction.

Turn off down the right bank of the Berry Grain, staying beside the water as it enters its deep valley to reach the junction with the Glenleith Burn. These two streams have carved out between them a deep secluded hollow in the hill. Here you are likely to meet the Lowther herd of wild goats. Particularly impressive are the high-leaping, high-scented, highly hairy billies. They’re unafraid, and let you get just not quite close enough for a decent photo. Trick them by taking a telephoto lens…