Murray’s Monument is one very iconic spot in Galloway Forest Park, and truly impressive to see!
A Bit of History
The monument is dedicated to the memory of Arthur Murray. He was a young shepherd, who later became a Professor of Oriental Languages at the University of Edinburgh.
If you are lucky enough to visit on a clear day, from the monument, you can see Dunkitterick Cottage, where Murray was born!
The Walk
You can visit Murray’s Monument without walking this route. However, if you have the time, and fancy getting out to stretch your legs for an hour or so, I honestly couldn’t recommend this walk enough, especially in autumn!
The walk is just under 3 miles (4.8 km) long and nothing too strenuous! If you have kids who love walking, they will probably love this one too!
Location
Murray’s Monument is located just outside Newton Stewart, along the A712, in the heart of Galloway Forest National Park.
Parking
There is a small car park at the start of the traihead.
SatNav: Murray’s Monument, Newton Stewart, DG7 3SH
The Route
Follow this map as you walk the route, and you shouldn’t get lost! Make sure your location is turned on and you should be able to see exactly where you are on this map. Or if you prefer, download the GPX file and use it on your choice of route tracker.
Follow this route anti-clockwise!
1.
Starting from the car park, head to your left-hand side onto the A712 for a very short distance. Very shortly, you should see a path going off to your left-hand side.
2.
Take the path and follow it up the hillside, passing a path going off to your left-hand side.
3.
Eventually, you will reach a crossroads. Take the Old Edinburgh Road, going off to your right-hand side towards the cairn called ‘The Eye’, at the Black Loch.
The Eye is an art installation by artist Colin Rose. It’s an impressive 10-meter-high (33 feet) cone sculpture, which sits at the bottom end of Black Loch.
4.
After enjoying your time at the Black Loch and admiring The Eye, retrace your steps back along the Old Edinburgh Road, passing the path junction from earlier. Continue, until you see a footpath going off to your left-hand side.
If you are unsure at all, please check the map!
5.
Take the footpath over what’s called Heartbreak Hill until you see a path going off to your left-hand side.
6.
Take the path and follow it until you reach a path junction. At the path junction, turn to your right-hand side and follow it up to Murray’s Monument.
7.
Once you’ve finished with your time at Murray’s Moment, retrace your steps back down to the path junction. At the path junction, take the path going forward, and follow it down to the car park, where you started the route from.
Want to see the route in action? Here’s a little vlog of us on the walk: https://youtu.be/5efQ4TMBw7o
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Further Reading
Enjoyed this walk? Why not check out some of my other hiking guides in the area: https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/category/galloway-forest-park/
