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THE RHINS

The first stage of the SUW involves a crossing of the Rhins peninsula, properly known as the Rhins of Galloway. It has a very distinctive shape, an elongated hammerhead, a long and fairly narrow wedge of pastoral green countryside, which is only prevented from being an island by the low-lying isthmus between Loch Ryan to the north and Luce Bay to the south. The word ‘Rhins’ comes from the Old Irish word ‘Rind’ meaning a headland.

Bear right at the hilltop, down to a kissing gate onto the rushes and heather of Broad Moor. Follow a path eastward, now with a loch (Knockquhassen Reservoir) over to your left. This occasionally swampy path passes this loch, eventually emerging at a track. Turn right onto this track, which soon becomes a narrow metalled lane. Follow this gently downhill to cross Piltanton Burn at Greenfield Farm. The lane then bears left and climbs, later veering right to reach a minor road between Stranraer and Portpatrick. Turn left along this road, then after 250m, opposite Cottfield House, turn right onto a lane (there is a good view down to Stranraer and its sea loch, Loch Ryan, from here). The narrow lane runs dead straight for a kilometre before turning left. After about 100m, where the road bends sharply to the right, walk ahead on a grassy path between hedge and fence. This descends to a minor road where you should turn right (SUW fingerpost) uphill. You would turn left here if you wanted to divert into Stranraer.