Murray's Monument – An Obelisk above the Queen's Way
About 1.8 miles on foot.
Murray's Monument stands on a hilltop above the Queen's Way in Galloway Forest Park, an obelisk to a shepherd's son who became a professor.
A short, steep forest trail climbs to it from the roadside and comes back by a waterfall and a set of old sheep pens with stone faces in the walls. It's under two miles, and you'll want boots.
- Time
- About an hour to an hour and a half: Forestry and Land Scotland's Talnotry Trail, a 2.9 km loop with about 144 m of climbing. A short, steep walk.
- Where to start
- The Grey Mare's Tail car park on the north side of the A712; no charge. DG8 7BL is the nearest postcode.
- Set off
- From November to January, start by 2pm to be down in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January start by 2pm. Steep and muddy after rain.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- Steep and muddy: school-age children who walk well; no pushchairs.
- Toilets
- None at the car park.
- Before you set out
- Narrow, uneven grassy paths with rough, muddy and rocky sections and some long steep slopes.
The walk
Park at the Grey Mare's Tail car park on the north side of the A712, the Queen's Way, between Newton Stewart and New Galloway. There's no charge, and DG8 7BL is the nearest postcode. Forestry and Land Scotland's Talnotry Trail from here is a 2.9 km loop, graded strenuous. Forestry and Land Scotland allows an hour and the council's leaflet an hour and a half, with about 144 metres of climbing.
It's short but steep, on narrow grassy paths that are rough, rocky and muddy in places, so wear boots. The trail climbs through the forest to Murray's Monument, a granite obelisk on the top of Big Doon, with a view over the valley to the northern slopes of Cairnsmore of Fleet. It was raised in 1835 to Alexander Murray, a shepherd's son born in 1775 at Dunkitterick, along the road, who became a professor of languages at Edinburgh University. The way back passes the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall and the old sheep pens where stone faces look out of the walls, an artwork called The Quorum by Matt Baker.
A short stretch is shared with a mountain bike trail. There are no toilets here, and dogs should be under close control. From November to January, start by 2pm to be down in daylight.
If it rains
A short walk, so a shower matters little, but the paths are steep and slippery when wet and the view goes in low cloud.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
For further reading, before you go.