Garroch Burn/Coom Burn/Waterside Hill/Glenlee

Start Point: Stone Bridge on Glenlee Road OR Dalry Town Hall
Grade: Moderate
Distance: 4 miles
Description: Mainly fields along riverside, ascent over Waterside Hill, then Glenlee road.
Download: Download PDF

If driving fork left off the A762 from New Galloway on to a minor road to Glenlee. Beyond the Glenlee Power station and the farm track to Glenlee Mains, you will reach a stone bridge crossing the burn.  Immediately before the bridge it is possible to park on a muddy lay by on the right. Alternatively park on right 100 yards up farm track to the Walled garden, as signed.

(If starting this walk from Dalry, proceed past Town Hall on your left and down the lane past an ancient Motte to the footbridge).

Adjacent to the stone bridge are two pedestrian gates, the one on the right leads to a path following the Coom burn to the A762 road from New Galloway and if you cross this road there is a gate on the right into a field where the path follows the flood bank & River Ken upstream to Dalry.


At a break in the flood bank pass through a pedestrian gate and turn right into a field.


Stay on the track through scrubland closest to the river.


Cross the pedestrian bridge to enter Dalry for refreshment.


You can return to your starting point by following the Southern Upland Way route back over the footbridge and turn right to follow the river and cross over the A762 towards the Earlston Power station where a path goes up the right side of the fence and through a metal gate into a field with a path leading over Waterside Hill. The path as you reach the burn at the Glenlee side of Waterside hill close to the road can often be very wet; use the boardwalks provided.


Go up a steep ramp to cross the wooden bridge, follow the burn upstream and up the bank to reach the metalled road, turn left downhill to your starting point by the stone bridge.
Note: if you prefer to start this walk in Dalry, proceed past Town Hall & Police Station and down the lane past an ancient Motte to the footbridge mentioned above. You can then follow this circular route anti clockwise as described or clockwise.
If you want a longer walk you could link it with one of the walks described on the Garroch Estate.