Plantain Loch – A Forest Walk at Dalbeattie
About 1.8 miles on foot.
Dalbeattie Forest covers the granite hills on the south side of the town, pine and spruce with oak and beech among them.
Plantain Loch is tucked into it, a small quiet loch that comes into view all at once through the trees, and a waymarked trail of under two miles goes round to it from the Town Wood car park. Red squirrels live in the forest.
- Time
- About an hour: Forestry and Land Scotland's Plantain Loch Trail, a 2.9 km loop. The Quarry Trail adds 3.7 km and an hour and a half. A short forest walk with a rough, rooty stretch.
- The path
- Mostly firm gravel, with a short rough rocky section, exposed tree roots and several short steep slopes. The Birch Trail (1.6 km) is wide firm gravel with gentle slopes.
- Where to start
- Dalbeattie Town Wood car park on the A710, about half a mile from Dalbeattie: £1 for up to an hour, £2 for up to three hours, £3 all day; coin, card or RingGo; Blue Badge holders free. DG5 4QU is the nearest postcode.
- Set off
- From November to January, start by 2.30pm to be back in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January start by 2.30pm. Dragonflies on the loch in summer.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- Children who manage roots and short steep slopes; the Birch Trail is the easy one.
- Toilets
- None at Town Wood; public toilets in Dalbeattie.
The walk
Park at Dalbeattie Town Wood car park, on the A710 about half a mile out of Dalbeattie on the Colvend road. It comes before the 7stanes mountain bike car park, which is a different place. Parking is £1 for an hour, £2 for up to three hours and £3 for the day, by coin, card or RingGo, and DG5 4QU is the nearest postcode. The Plantain Loch Trail is a 2.9 km loop of about an hour. Forestry and Land Scotland grades it strenuous for a short, rough, rocky stretch with tree roots and several short steep slopes, but most of it is firm gravel.
It winds between the conifers until the loch appears through the trees, and there's a viewpoint on the shore for watching the water. Look for red squirrels and grey herons, and for dragonflies in summer. If you'd like more, the Quarry Trail from the same car park is 3.7 km and an hour and a half, up to the old granite quarry at the top of the forest, now thick with moss and fern. Dalbeattie granite was known around the world for its hardness and went into streets and buildings across Britain. The Birch Trail is the gentle one, 1.6 km on wide firm gravel past granite sculptures.
Keep dogs under close control. There are no toilets at Town Wood, and the public toilets and places to eat are in Dalbeattie. From November to January, start by 2.30pm to be out of the trees in daylight.
If it rains
A short walk under trees, so a shower matters little, but the rocky stretch and the tree roots by the loch are slippery when wet. The Birch Trail is the firm one for a wet day.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Raymie B via Google