LOCAL WALKS
Some great walks around Crocketford
Walk 1: The Fir Cone
Craigadam Woodland is a very peaceful and quiet area with just birds and red squirrel for company. A feature of this walk is ‘The Fir Cone’ built by Joe Smith, a local artist who builds structures like this in the most remote places.
The entrance to Craigadam Woodland is via a stile by the gate at NX 809740 where there is parking for several cars, but please leave access in case forestry or fire vehicles need to get through.
Just follow the track until you come to a junction, take the turning to the right which takes you up to what appears to be a turning circle for forestry vehicles.
The cairn cannot be seen from this point, so you will need to head roughly due north for about 300 yards over fairly rough steep ground until you come to it.
The total round trip from the car to the cairn and back is about one and three quarter miles and, apart from the last 500 yards, the terrain is easy.
Walk 2: The Martyr’s Monument
This is a very short walk which takes you to the spot where several Covenanters were found and shot. The walk starts at the second Craigadam Woodland entrance at NX 814755.
The total distance is about 1.5 miles and the going is pretty easy.
Climb the stile at the gate and follow the track as far as you can go, keeping to the left at a junction.
When you reach the end of the track, there is a faint footpath leading off to the right that can be quite overgrown in the summer.
Follow the path up a slight hill and you will come to the monument.
From the monument, you can see the grave which is in a circular enclosure about 500 yards away.
Walk down to the grave and from there, make to the track which can be seen just to the south east about 20 yards.
Walk 3: The Sphere
The Sphere is located quite close to the Pine Cone in Craigadam Woodland and it could be incorporated into the same walk (NX 8013674974).
Coming up the track from the start of the walk, follow the route as if going to the Pine Cone; at the last turn right in the track, head up the fire break (this is the second fire break), keep heading in a north westerly direction up the fire break until you come to a stone wall.
At the wall, if you look straight ahead, you will see a rocky bit of ground about five hundred yards away.
This is where The Sphere is, just head towards these rocks over quite wet soggy ground to reach it.
