[15th JANUARY 2026]
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Scotland… it’s a place I’ve always loved going to, be it for work or for a wild adventure. I’ve been to some areas like Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Glen Kinglass but for the most part it’s an area I’ve not hiked in much due to the distance away from home. Still, someone needs to make the effort here and the Scots are in no rush to move the mountains closer to me SO here we are, making a 4 hour trek up to the southern wilderness of the Galloways. While it’s not the highlands, it truly doesn’t disappoint. I parked the car and was immediately presented with the stunning Big Water Of Fleet Viaduct. When you learn they had to strengthen it you can clearly see how it was done and, make out how slender it was initially built as just peering out of the top of the brick pillars is the remnants of the granite structure. I’d read you couldn’t actually get onto the bridge as it was blocked off by railings but someone, at some point has removed them. I couldn’t resist a walk over and a fly of the drone though, the wind did get up at points taking my lovely shot off course. Typical ey! Anyway, I headed back to the car, grabbed my pack and began my journey into the forest.
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The weather was considerably nice given the time of year. Once in the woods the ambience dropped to a mere distant breath through the coniferous tree tops. If I’d stopped just 5 minutes into the walk, I would still have been in paradise BUT we’re here of an adventure. Of course, I see little intriguing nooks here and there but one I couldn’t resist as the sun highlighted it so beautifully, almost guiding me in. I’m so glad it did. Here I was presented with an epic landscape called Little Cullendoch Moss. It was completely surrounded by trees and had a fast-flowing river straight through it. All it was missing was some towering mountains but this was enough to drop my jaw as it was just so picturesque. Again, this was another area I could quite happy pitch up in and it was very difficult to walk away from but I had an appointment I needed to make with a local legend. She couldn’t be given a rain check. So I reluctantly returned to the main track and left Little Cullendoch Moss behind.
I continued along the trail, spoiled with a new view with every turn until I reached my turn off point for Loch Grannoch. It was here I was absolutely spoiled with an example of what Scotland has to offer. Here was the rugged mountainous landscape of the Cairnsmore Of Fleet range with a stunning carpet of forest from my position right over to the lower fells. Now, I felt out there! Getting the drone up only amplified its beauty. No angle disappointed here. This is what I get out for and this is what makes the lengthy journeys all the more worth it. As the sun began to set I needed to continue on the beaten trail and finally meet up with someone known all to well to the people of Gatehouse Of Fleet. After a fairly steep ascent past the Domins and up the Cleugh Of Eglon, all of a sudden there she was… Maggie The Packhorse.
Maggie served the people of The Gatehouse Of Fleet by carrying hunters and their gear along a 12 mile journey from The Gatehouse Of Fleet, past the Big Water Of Fleet Viaduct, along the route I’d been following and up to a lodge nestled alongside Loch Grannoch. Once the hunters had their kills they’d load up the trap with everything and Maggie would return back to Gatehouse, essentially feeding the people who lived there. She did this for 28 years of her life until she sadly passed away in 1906 at the age of 30 just shy of the lodge at the top of the hill. A monument now stands there with metal letters attached to it’s face simply reading, In Memory Of Maggie. Some say the monument merely marks where Maggie died where others say she’s actually buried there. Either way, it’s a nice acknowledgement to an animal that gave the people so much in her life. She also marked a crucial point in Gatehouse Of Fleet’s history as she was the final packhorse used in this manor as the motor vehicle took over the role. I continued on the final half a mile journey Maggie sadly couldn’t make up to Loch Grannoch Lodge. This area is just something else!
Maggie served the people of The Gatehouse Of Fleet by carrying hunters and their gear along a 12 mile journey from The Gatehouse Of Fleet, past the Big Water Of Fleet Viaduct, along the route I’d been following and up to a lodge nestled alongside Loch Grannoch. Once the hunters had their kills they’d load up the trap with everything and Maggie would return back to Gatehouse, essentially feeding the people who lived there. She did this for 28 years of her life until she sadly passed away in 1906 at the age of 30 just shy of the lodge at the top of the hill. A monument now stands there with metal letters attached to it’s face simply reading, In Memory Of Maggie. Some say the monument merely marks where Maggie died where others say she’s actually buried there. Either way, it’s a nice acknowledgement to an animal that gave the people so much in her life. She also marked a crucial point in Gatehouse Of Fleet’s history as she was the final packhorse used in this manor as the motor vehicle took over the role. I continued on the final half a mile journey Maggie sadly couldn’t make up to Loch Grannoch Lodge. This area is just something else!
The Loch is absolutely huge and is towered over by Craigronald summit, peaking at 512 meters directly behind the lodge. After a quick look around I continued north and began following animal tracks, hoping to locate a nice pitch for the night. Unfortunately the ground up here instantly turned to bog but I soldiered on hoping for change. It didn’t. The sun had now set and things were getting dark so I needed to make a decision, fast. To my right there was an intriguing elevated patch that looked like it was right beside the loch so in a last ditch attempt I headed over to check it out. The view up here was absolutely perfect however the ground, while not boggy, was so uneven it was impossible to even bivvy on it, let alone pitch a tent. So I had to call it a day and head back towards the lodge where I saw a great spot beside an old boathouse. After 25 minutes I was there and my god, the relief once I got the pack off my shoulders was amazing I even make an unfortunate noise in the video.
I checked the ground and found an area that had no rocks, no bulges from babies heads (solid mounds of grass, not a horror scene), nothing but flat ground… perfect! With the tent pitched and all my gear set up I could finally relax but now, it was completely dark. TIME TO EAT! I had a gorgeous beef stew and finally ate the chicken noodles I’d carried around with me from the very first camp. Sufficed to say they were in so many bits it wasn’t really fair to call them noodles anymore and more sufficed to say they weren’t worth the effort of carrying them around with me for so long. There’s more chicken flavouring in my big toe than those but still, it was extra fuel to keep me warm through the night. While I drank a coffee the cloud that had set in began to disperse and I saw the stars begin to come out. I closed up the tent and head through the darkness back to the top of the loch. While across the water was so still, sadly the cloud was still present to the north, so I couldn’t take advantage of the large mirror of water reflecting back the stars. I also took one other picture to the east but there was a haze of cloud still present. So I called it quits and began heading back to the tent when I turned back towards the east and had to quickly get the camera set up again. It was clear! The picture was breathtaking as what was captured was millions of stars. Thank you Loch Grannoch! I was lucky to get this as straight after the cloud rolled in again and didn’t move all night. I head back to camp, grabbed my beer, took some birch bark I’d collected earlier on and made myself a fire to warm up against the 0 degree temperature. I don’t feel comfortable lighting fires really unless I’m completely remote and unnoticeable but here, having seen no headtorches and no souls all day, here was the time I could make an exception. When splitting the pine wood the smell of the sap inside is one I absolutely adore. Slightly sweet and very rich it’s just addictive and, from a point of view of fire making, burns really well. It was wet but once I’d established the heart and had it burning strong for a while I soon dried it out and had it burning until bed.
I checked the ground and found an area that had no rocks, no bulges from babies heads (solid mounds of grass, not a horror scene), nothing but flat ground… perfect! With the tent pitched and all my gear set up I could finally relax but now, it was completely dark. TIME TO EAT! I had a gorgeous beef stew and finally ate the chicken noodles I’d carried around with me from the very first camp. Sufficed to say they were in so many bits it wasn’t really fair to call them noodles anymore and more sufficed to say they weren’t worth the effort of carrying them around with me for so long. There’s more chicken flavouring in my big toe than those but still, it was extra fuel to keep me warm through the night. While I drank a coffee the cloud that had set in began to disperse and I saw the stars begin to come out. I closed up the tent and head through the darkness back to the top of the loch. While across the water was so still, sadly the cloud was still present to the north, so I couldn’t take advantage of the large mirror of water reflecting back the stars. I also took one other picture to the east but there was a haze of cloud still present. So I called it quits and began heading back to the tent when I turned back towards the east and had to quickly get the camera set up again. It was clear! The picture was breathtaking as what was captured was millions of stars. Thank you Loch Grannoch! I was lucky to get this as straight after the cloud rolled in again and didn’t move all night. I head back to camp, grabbed my beer, took some birch bark I’d collected earlier on and made myself a fire to warm up against the 0 degree temperature. I don’t feel comfortable lighting fires really unless I’m completely remote and unnoticeable but here, having seen no headtorches and no souls all day, here was the time I could make an exception. When splitting the pine wood the smell of the sap inside is one I absolutely adore. Slightly sweet and very rich it’s just addictive and, from a point of view of fire making, burns really well. It was wet but once I’d established the heart and had it burning strong for a while I soon dried it out and had it burning until bed.
Morning, 07:00. All night all I could hear was the wind blowing through the tree tops, a distant stream trickling away and an owl hooting through forest. For the past hour the rain set in and added only more of this blissful ambience. This is peace and solitude at it’s finest but unfortunately all good things must come to an end. I head out to look out at Loch Grannoch before packing everything down, clearing up the pre-existing fire pits and covering them over so the ground can recover. No trace was left and all I wanted to do was pitch the tent again and absorb this truly stunning location. BUT I equally wanted to get back to my family and tell them about this adventure into the wild. I thanked my pitch as always, head back up the hill to Maggie and said goodbye and left Loch Grannoch in the fog, in the wake of my footsteps. Before I knew it I was back at the car which was absolutely fine other than I noticed there was a condom in front of it so god knows what my car got up to that night, but at least he was safe.
Here’s to the next ruck!
Here’s to the next ruck!
