Day 1 Portpatrick to Castle Kennedy

Had breakfast, made butties and then down to the harbour with Noelene and the start. Ominously, the Coastguards/Mountain Rescue team were practising right outside our hotel room window, which felt like a touch more foreshadowing than strictly necessary. At the harbour, the starting point of the SUW, I posed for the now traditional ‘setting off’ photos and videos and then set off on the supposed 14 miles to Castle Kennedy, t’other side of Stranraer.

The first half was delightful, first taking me right back up the cliffs beside the Portpatrick Hotel and then following the coast along a well-trodden path down into small coves and beaches.  I came across a wonderful looking, ultra-modern house set into the cliff top with a grass roof.  They must have wonderful views (and a lot of money – or a big mortgage!).

I walked alongside a golf course, passing and following several other walkers to Black Head, where there is a very impressive looking lighthouse (unmanned, presumably; it certainly wasn’t waving). Then inland along a lovely grassy path to Knockquhassen Reservoir, where there was an ULTREIA metal plaque attached to one of the marker posts indicating that there was ‘treasure’ nearby. Hoards or kists are supposedly hidden in plain sight so walkers can take a coin-like object as a memento of the walk. Look as I might, neither I nor the guy from London, who was doing a series of day walks from Stranraer, could find it. We gave up, which is often the most efficient treasure-hunting strategy, walked on and chatted for a bit until he stopped to decide which route to follow back to Stranraer whilst I carried on.

The route continued along tarmac after tarmac road, which was a bit disappointing, but eventually I reached the grounds of Castle Kennedy where I met Noelene for a very welcome cuppa and a lift back to Portpatrick to check into our new room, clean boots and get organised for the next day’s walking.

After a very welcome shower we went back to the Crown Hotel for dinner again (curry night for me! 😊) I had lamb madras and a couple of very welcome pints of one of the local pale ales and Noelene had fish which also looked very good. After a day of noble exertion, it seemed only right to promptly undo some of the health benefits.

The official SUW guidebook reckons that Portpatrick to Castle Kennedy is 13.5 miles, my GPS plot said 13.8 and I actually did 14.96 – including a short walk to the Castle Kennedy tearoom.

It was a pleasant walk in fine weather and once away from the coast I saw just one other walker.

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Click HERE to download the .gpx file of today’s walk

Some Photos From Day 1