Bluebells and Gorse

This is a lovely spring walk of about 3 miles there and back (or as much or as little as you wish to do!).  Park the car at the public road end by the entrance to Glecknabae (Grid Reference NS005684).   Alternatively catch the bus to Ettrick Bay (late March to late October only) from where it is an attractive two and a half mile walk along the road to Glecknabae, much of this walk also being rich in roadside wildflowers.

From Glecknabae, and to get a feel of what lies in store, start by following the little path that leads down to the shore, beside the information sign.  Here by the burn you can see Lesser Celandines and patches of the beautiful Golden Saxifrage.  There are purple Dog-violets and, near the top of the path on the right, the delicate flowers of Wood-sorrel and the blue Ground-ivy.  Beside the burn, and not yet in flower, are the distinctive leaves of Yellow Flag Iris, Foxgloves and Hemlock Water-dropwort.

Back on the road to Kilmichael, there are Bluebells and Primroses in abundance.  You can also see Greater Stitchwort (white) and Red Campion, with occasional glimpses of Marsh-marigold in wetter areas.  In a pool in the ditch on the right, a few hundred yards beyond the somewhat untidy farm dumps, there are the broad  floating leaves of Bog Pondweed with tadpoles darting around among them.  Further still along the road, look out for the Yellow Pimpernel flowers on the ditch bank.

Many of the species listed below have, of course, not yet come in to flower but all have sufficient leaves showing to be recognisable.   All can be seen without leaving the road.