A quiet stretch of the Galloway Solway, with low wooded hills, red-rock shore and a rare round tower, well off the tourist track
The Solway coast of Dumfries and Galloway rarely gets crowded, and this 96-square-kilometre National Scenic Area is a good example of why the people who know it keep coming back. Low hills roll down to a shore of red rock and saltmarsh, with Bengairn and Bainloch Hill for modest climbs and wide views out over the firth.
Near the water stands Orchardton Tower, an unusual round tower house from the fifteenth century, worth the short detour. This is gentle, out-of-the-way country rather than dramatic mountain ground, best on a bright day when the tide is up and the light is on the water. There isn’t much in the way of facilities out here, so bring what you need.
