Hill Road to New Luce and Stranraer Show path on map
Start location: old bridge, Ballantrae ( NX 086 822 )
End location: A77, north of Innermessan ( NX 085 637 )
Geographical area: Arran and Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway
Path type: Rural Path
Path distance: 27km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
Leave Ballantrae southwards via its old bridge at NX086822. Cross the A77 by a new pedestrian crossing, and follow the minor road south to Garleffin. At NX088817, turn left up a lane between houses (signposted Smyrton and Heronford) and follow it eastwards to reach the A77. Cross carefully to reach the minor road which is followed east for 1.5km to Auchairne Bridge (NX107816). Just after this bridge, at a junction take the signposted route southeast uphill passing Kilwhannel. After a gate, fork left at NX119806. Follow an old path across the northeast shoulder of Smyrton Hill (west of Benawhirter) and over the south of Beneraird at a height of 424m. Continue south downhill past Lagafater Lodge, and cross the bridge opposite to head down the Main Water of Luce on a minor road to NX141742*. Here, take the right (southwest) fork to go by Barnvannoch and High Mark to a road junction (just north of the filter station) at NX134696. From there a choice is possible:
(a) To reach New Luce (26km), take the road on the left/southeast still following the Main Water of Luce by a quiet road to New Luce. *An alternative (24km) route to New Luce is at NX141742 to instead take the left fork and follow the track southeast and over the Cross Water of Luce by a bridge some 700m south of Glenwhilly, thence by minor road 7km to New Luce.
(b) To reach Stranraer (27km), take the road on the right which runs south of Penwhirn Reservoir and continue southwest over Braid Fell to reach Innermessan, 4km by the A77 from Stranraer.
OS Landranger 76 & 82
Heritage Information
Greene's map of Scotland (1679) shows a route ending at Innermessan, an important place before Stranraer grew during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This alternative route over the hills isn't mapped in its entirety until much later - the branch(es) to New Luce is marked first, then the Innermessan (Stranraer) variant appears too. This may relate to more detailed cartography over time, but improvements associated with the building of the lodge and changing land-use at Lagafater in the mid-nineteenth century could well be a factor.
Just south of Beneraird, at NX135781, there is a Memorial Cairn erected for James Henry, overcome by blizzard in 1891.
