This is the big scenery day, and the one that surprises people. Twenty minutes from a seaside town you are on a single-track road at 1,280 feet with the Galloway hills spread out in front of you and not another car in sight. It takes in the site of one of Robert the Bruce's first victories, the largest forest park in Britain, and — if you can stay out late enough — a night sky as dark as any in Europe.
It is a loop, so you see different country all the way round: over the hills on the way out, back down the Stinchar valley in the evening.
Notes on the route
Barr is the prettiest village in Carrick and the last certain coffee before the hills, though opening in a village this size varies.
The Nick of the Balloch is the centrepiece of the drive: a single-track road climbing to around 1,280 feet over the shoulder of the hills, with passing places, sheep, and a view from the top that justifies the whole day. It is not a road for a wide vehicle, and in winter it can be blocked by snow. Use the passing places properly — this is a working road for farm and timber traffic.
Bruce's Stone above Loch Trool marks the Battle of Glen Trool in 1307, where Bruce's men rolled boulders down onto an English column on the loch-side path below. The view down the loch from the stone is one of the finest in southern Scotland, and it is a two-minute walk from the car park.
Loch Trool offers either the full circuit — around five miles and three hours, with some rough ground — or a short walk at the loch head. Glentrool visitor centre has a café, a shop and waymarked trails, and is one of the 7stanes mountain-biking centres. Parking is charged.
Newton Stewart or Wigtown make the afternoon: the former for Kirroughtree's forest trails and red squirrels, the latter, twenty-five minutes further, for Scotland's National Book Town and its second-hand bookshops.
Staying for the stars
Galloway Forest Park was Britain's first Dark Sky Park, and on a clear moonless night the Milky Way is plainly visible to the naked eye. You do not need a viewpoint or a telescope — a lay-by away from trees will do. Dress far more warmly than you expect, take a red torch to save your night vision, and give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust. See stargazing.
Practical notes
Fill up with fuel in Girvan: there is none on the pass, none at Glentrool and none until Newton Stewart. Mobile signal is unreliable across the whole route, so download maps before you leave. Take food — the café options are few and seasonal. Midges can be serious at Loch Trool on still summer evenings, which is worth knowing before you commit to stargazing there.
