Doon Valley in Galloway Forest Park is one very scenic valley! It is home to the beautiful Galloway Hills, the picturesque Loch Doon, and the ruins of Doon Castle. With plenty of trails to choose from, and a loch great for taking your paddle boards on, you could easily spend a few days here!
But if you only have time to do one walk, then this is the walk to do!
This family-friendly just over 2.5-mile (4 km) loop, takes you high enough above the tree line to see some incredible views over Loch Doon, but not too high that it becomes too strenuous! However, if you are feeling more adventurous, please feel free to adapt this route!
This route only takes you partway, up Wee Hill of Craigmulloch. But if you would like to head all the way up to the summit, you can do so. If you are feeling even more adventurous, you can continue on to Craiglee from Wee Hill. (I will add both summits in the step-by-step instructions below!)
Location
The valley is just 18 miles east of the town of Ayr, and 60 miles south of Glasgow, making it a great day trip for many, and a weekend away for others!
Even though a lot of Galloway Forest Park sites in Dumfries and Galloway, this part of the park is in the county of South Ayrshire!
Parking
There is a small car park located at Doon Castle.
SatNav: Doon Castle, Ayr, KA6 7QE
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 Doon Castle Car Park, cross over the road and lookout for the signpost marked the Castle Loop and the Wee Hill of Craigmulloch, near the ruins of Doon Castle. Take the path, and follow it as it leads you up the hillside.
2.
Eventually, you will come to a crossroads. Head across the dirt track and take the footpath, continuing uphill, following the two signposts: Castle Loop and Wee Hill.
3.
After a little while, you will reach a path junction. Here, take the footpath going off to your right-hand side, marked Wee Hill of Craigmulloch. Here is where you can make a decision, depending on how adventurous you are feeling!
If you are following my route, follow the footpath for a short distance up Wee Hill, until you reach a large rock. (If you are unsure what large rock, please check the map!)
If you want to summit Wee Hill, continue along the path until you reach the summit. You then have another option! You can stop here at Wee Hill, or you can continue on to Craiglee. (I haven’t summit either hill, so I cannot comment on what the path is like, or what the views are like!)
This is the photo of the rock with the great views you get on a clear day:
4.
Once you’ve finished enjoying the views at the rock (or on top of Wee Hill or Craiglee), make your way back down to the path junction. Take the path going off to your right-hand side, signposted the Castle Loop.
5.
Follow the path as it leads you along the valley, until you reach a path junction with a signpost marked viewpoint.
6.
Take the footpath to the viewpoint, where you will find a bench and some great views over Loch Doon.
7.
Once you’ve finished enjoying the views, head back along the path to the path junction. At the path junction, take the path going off to your right-hand side and follow it down to an unpaved road.
8.
At the unpaved road, take the 2nd road going off to your left-hand side, and follow it along the edge of Loch Doon, back to the car park. This is where you started the walk from.
If you are unsure which road to take, please check the map!
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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/
