Bennan Hill
5miles - 2.5-3 hours, 396m, grade 2
An excellent circuit over the hills overlooking one of Scotland's favourite villages, located in what is known as Ayrshire's 'Rambling Territory'.
Terrain
Grass and earth footpaths and surfaced road.
Stage 1
In common with most of the waymarked walks in Ayrshire, there is an information board in the car park indicating a selection of walks in the area. This walk must surely be the finest, offering panoramic views over the village and surrounding countryside. From the car park return to the road and turn right, crossing the burn via a separate wooden footbridge to pass 16th century St Cuthbert's Church with colourful stained-glass windows and a crow-stepped gable. Enter the village and continue along the pavement passing McCandlish Hall and The Black Bull Hotel. Straiton was created by Thomas Kennedy, Earl of Cassilis as a model village in the mid-18th century, with a wide main street and single storey cottages that focuses attention on the war memorial at the far end. Head towards this and continue out the other end of the village towards Newton Stewart.
Stage 2
There is a former toll cottage strategically placed at the start of the Newton Stewart Hill Road and behind it an elegant 18th century manse. Just beyond the school is a gate offering access to farmland and the path to Traboyack Wood. Follow the grass path through the field to reach a gate in the field boundary into the wood. Head up this and through the shady woodland to reach a ladder stile over a drystane dyke. Cross this and begin the steep ascent up Craigengower (Hill of the Goats in Gaelic) towards the summit obelisk.
Stage 3
This impressive structure is a monument to Lt. Col. James Hunter Blair, mortally wounded at the Battle of Inkerman in 1854. After the steep ascent the views offer the perfect excuse for a lingering break, especially on a clear day when Ben Lomond, Arran and Ailsa Craig may be visible. From the summit follow the wooden waymarkers south across the bleak grassy moorland before dropping down to the road north of Craig. Cross the road and head through the field along the path running roughly parallel to the river and up to the road bridge below Craigifad. This section of path can be quite overgrown depending upon the season and recent footfall.
Turn right at the bridge along the minor road before branching right as the main road turns sharply left. A grassy path leads onwards towards Berman Wood. Follow this and take the left fork where indicated by a wooden waymarker post. This new footpath is narrowed and very pleasant as it heads into the woods, offering views of primroses and violets as well as long-tailed tits, red squirrels, deer and badgers. At the next junction is a marker for Bennan Hill. Turn left to follow this, followed by a further left turn to ascend steeply via a switchback to a viewpoint overlooking Straiton. The path peters out towards the summit but do not cross the fence into the field, instead turn left and a wooden platform will be visible through the trees.
Descend back to the forest track, turn right and then left at the next junction. This path eventually exits the wood onto a farm track which passes through Bennan Farm, before a footpath leaves the road on the right to cross the river via a footbridge and return to the car-park.
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