One notice had suggested a diversion (with no details) but we found that the original route was easy enough to negotiate, although we had to step over a couple of low barbed wire fences at the short section involved. From here we had nearly four miles of fairly fast road with no verge, and we had to have our wits about us to keep safe, particularly near corners. Dalswinton was very nice, with a cute church, nice (but short) woods and a pretty street, with a café and bus stop. After a short section of the busy A76, with a safe pavement, we started the climb up a quiet lane with almost no vehicles. This was mostly a very good (though long) route, but the slight issues with the embankment section, and particularly the long, long, fast road from Kirkton to Dalswinton easily knocked off a star for me....

Mary Oz

Lovely views, lovely sunshine, lots of wildlife, babbling river sounds. Leaving the castle and its manicured grounds we followed more quiet roads until reaching the A702, which was a fast, fairly busy road without much verge, but with good sightlines. I’d like to have given this route four and a half stars, it was all lovely except for the (unfortunate) detour and the short section of fast road....

Mary Oz

From Carnshalloch House the route crosses a ditch (using a footbridge) to a smaller embankment which is followed all the way to Wellington Bridge. After Wellington Bridge, the route passes through another field and emerges near the centre of Kirkton village. The next part of the route (from Kirkton to Dalswinton Barony Church) is almost entirely along a fairly narrow road with quite a lot of traffic (at least as far as Duncow), no pavement and high verges. From there, the route again follows a (less busy) road, but quite quickly veers off onto a quiet track at Glenfoot....

wellchoughed

I walked this route with one other person on a lovely, sunny day in September 2024. Thereafter the route continues along a quiet road which stays fairly close to the river except for a diversion inland to cross Burnsands Burn at Burnmouth Bridge (at which point the metalled surface is temporarily replaced by a tractor track through pasture fields populated by numerous pheasants and a few turkeys). There are wonderful views down to the river as the route passes through lovely, wooded scenery on its way into the Drumlanrig Estate....

wellchoughed

We continued through the grounds onto the road into Thornhill – there is a small section of road without a verge when you cross the river but sightlines are good....

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson

Via the route as mapped, you cross a railway line across an overgrown bridge – which is still passable. After this section, the route joins up with the A76 and there is a pavement however it’s a busy and noisy road so not the most pleasant to walk along....

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson

On crossing the railway line, the route goes through a section of thick trees, which has a wire fence at both ends that we needed to climb over (it looked like it had been put up very recently)....

Cressida P

We walked south from Sanquhar via lanes until joining up with a track that runs alongside the River Nith, which included some woodland with good shady cover on the hot day....

Cressida P

A good route let down by one very short tricky section. After this, the route does follow the A76 on a pavement for a short section into Auldgirth....

Sarah

Right at the end, there is one small 200m section on a road without a verge, but the sightlines are good enough for it to be safe....

Sarah

Good route, mostly off road on well marked paths. Will be further improved when the planned Penpont to Thornhill path is available....

Skyerib