The Waterloo Monument – A Tower above New Abbey
About 2.2 miles on foot.
Above the village of New Abbey, a stone tower stands on a wooded hill with one of the best views of the Nith estuary.
The walk up starts beside the red ruin of Sweetheart Abbey and finishes on a long flight of steps through the trees. It's short and steep, 3.5 km there and back, and takes about an hour and a half.
- Time
- About an hour and a half: 3.5 km there and back from the car park beside Sweetheart Abbey, with about 175 m of climbing. A short, steep walk.
- The path
- A village street and a minor road, then a field path and a long flight of steps.
- Where to start
- The car park beside Sweetheart Abbey in New Abbey; no charge.
- Set off
- From November to January, start by 1.30pm to be down in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight, best on a clear day for the view. From November to January start by 1.30pm.
- Dogs
- Under close control: the path crosses farmland.
- Children
- Short but steep, with many steps; no pushchairs.
- Toilets
- Public toilets beside the car park.
- Before you set out
- A strenuous climb with steps and gates.
The walk
Park in the free car park beside Sweetheart Abbey in New Abbey, which has public toilets. The council's walk to the Waterloo Monument is 3.5 km there and back by the same way, and takes about an hour and a half. The council grades it strenuous, with about 175 metres of climbing. The way is by the millpond at the edge of the village, a lane walled with dykes of round granite boulders, a field path and a long flight of steps up through the trees.
The tower remembers the British, Belgian and Prussian soldiers who won at Waterloo under Wellington and Blücher. From the hilltop the view runs over New Abbey and Loch Kindar, with its crannog (an old loch dwelling) and island, to the Nith estuary, the Solway and the hills of the Lake District. Back at the car park, the red sandstone ruin beside you is the abbey Lady Devorgilla founded in 1273 in memory of her husband, John Balliol. She carried his embalmed heart with her in a casket and was buried with it here.
Wear boots, and keep dogs under close control, as the path crosses farmland. From November to January, start by 1.30pm to be down in daylight.
If it rains
A short walk, so a shower matters little, but the steps are slippery when wet and the view is the point: pick a clear day.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
None of ours is close by: the nearest is The Scullery in Yarrow, 44 miles away. Sleeps 2; next free Fri 13 Nov to Sun 15 Nov.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Davie McCrae via Google