Walks
Gatehouse of Fleet offers unrivalled opportunities for all sorts of walks. There are easily accessed walks starting from the town centre car park and from historic Cardoness Castle. There are trails of varying length through the beautiful Cally Oak Woods and Carstramon Wood. There are walks to the sea and across open country within the Fleet Valley National Scenic Area, as well as longer walks in the surrounding hills.
Walks in and around Gatehouse of Fleet
Gatehouse of fleet offers a wide variety of walks at all times of the year. In February snowdrops carpet the Cally Oak Woods and are a foretaste of spring. Soon there will be daffodils and bluebells, when Carstramon Wood is a sea of shimmering blue. On summer’s days the woodlands provide shady walks and the hills are fragrant with the scent of heather. Autumn brings a riot of colour and in winter new vistas open up.
Short Walks
From the car park in the town centre there are easy access walks offering views of the wildlife around the river Fleet. A new walk to Cardoness Castle from Port McAdam along the riverside is also suitable for wheel chair access.
Slightly longer walks
From the Car Park and from the Murray Information Centre in Cally Oak Woods signed trails lead through the woods. There are also longer walks up the Fleet Valley and through Carstramon Wood. Longer walks also lead to the sea at Sandgreen and Carrick shore.
Hill Walks
The Clints of Dromore, in the words of Dorothy L Sayers; “the gate of the wilderness and the guardian barrier of the Fleet” offer spectacular views down the valley of the Fleet and access to the rugged Cairnsmore of Fleet. This area is best accessed from the Dromore Visitor Centre managed by Scottish Natural Heritage.
The Gatehouse Walks Booklet
A brand new booklet has been produced with details of a series of walks in and about Gatehouse of Fleet. The booklet, which contains maps, photographs and accompanying text on 7 different walks, is available locally at the Mill on the Fleet and the Kiosk. It can also be downloaded from here as a pdf document.
The National Scenic Area has published two small brochures for the viewpoints at Knockbrex and Knocktinkle. They can be downloaded as pdfs here.
Walkhighlands
For further walking information with detailed itineraries for walks around Gatehouse and across Galloway (and indeed the whole of Scotland), check out the excellent walkhighlands site:
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There are almost endless opportunities for walking and cycling in the woods and forests around Gatehouse. More... |
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Mid Valley Trails Carstramon Wood. |
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Gatehouse of Fleet can offer a wide selection of accommodation ranging from hotels such as the Cally Palace Hotel on the edge of the town, with its own sports club and 18 hole golf course, to the Murray Arms, Bank of Fleet and Ship Inn hotels in the town itself. The Bobbin Guesthouse and Fleet Farmhouse, both in the town provide B and B, and there are many holiday cottages in and around the town. There are several caravan parks along the coast outside the town, and one in the town. The hotels all provide meals and in addition, the Masonic Arms in Ann Street, the Riverside Café at the Mill on the Fleet, and Galloway Country Style provide meals and refreshments. More... |
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There are exhibition centres, activity centres, wildlife parks and wildlife viewing opportunities, historic houses, castles, and abbeys, beautiful gardens and speciality shopping, cafés and restaurants, all within a near radius of Gatehouse. More... |
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There are two golf courses at Gatehouse. One, an 18 hole course, is owned by McMillan Hotels Ltd, and only available to those stopping in the Cally Palace Hotel, or its sister hotels. The Gatehouse Golf Course is a sporting 9-hole course with some of the finest views in Galloway, owned by the Gatehouse Golf Club. It is not suitable for buggies. Its SSS is 66, and its LGU SSS 68. More... |
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Gatehouse of Fleet is the perfect base for a wide range of holiday activities. Within the space of about 6 miles, the valley of the Fleet moves from the high moorland at the top of the valley through the pastoral landscape of the mid valley, to the beaches and open estuary of the bay. More... |