Heritage Path of the Month.
Enterkin Pass is our Heritage Path of the Month for May 2024, click here to view the details.
More about Enterkin Pass:
On the east side of Wanlockhead, a Southern Upland Way signpost indicates a route leading southeast round the west side of Stake Hill. In 1km it joins the road to the radar station and leaves the road again after 500m to continue due south to the Enterkin Pass between Lowther Hill and East Mount Lowther. Descend by the west bank of the Enterkin Burn for 3km until it turns west at Glenvalentine. From there, climb south up the track from the burn to the ridge ahead. Then keep going south down this ridge (with spectacular views of Enterkin Glen) to join the metalled road near Inglestone. Continue by the public road via Muiryhill, turning west to the A76 Nithsdale road and Enterkinfoot. To reach Durisdeermill, turn east immediately on reaching the road near Inglestone and take the track past Eastside to join the A702 Dalveen Pass road.
OS Landranger 78 (Nithsdale & Annandale area)
The Enterkin Pass is an old route north, crossing the Lowthers to Leadhills, and so onwards to Glasgow. There is some debate about its age, it is often referred to as being medieval in date. One theory is that it was specially made to carry lead from the mines to Dumfries and may date to the early sixteenth century. It appears to have been the main route between Douglas and Dumfries by 1646.
On 29th July 1684, the Enterkin Pass was the scene of a dramatic rescue. Soldiers escorting prisoners from Dumfries via Thornhill to Edinburgh were ambushed at Glenvalentine by Covenanters. It is reported that there were casualties on both sides and most of the prisoners escaped. Five of the Covenanters involved were caught soon after; within three weeks they had been executed in Edinburgh.
Daniel Defoe in “A Tour Thro’ the Whole Island of Great Britain” (1726) described the pass thus: “Enterkin, the frightfullest pass, and most dangerous that I met with, between that and Penmenmuir in North Wales”.
More about Heritage Paths:
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