The Glenkens

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Published on Wednesday, 04 January 2012 02:38

Written by Super User

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The Glenkens,

The wildest and largest glen in Galloway; as the name implies, it is the Valley of the Ken. The rivers rise in the hills. The River Deugh running down from the east to join the Ken and together they flow into the River Dee at the southern end of Loch Ken. The Dee, known before it joins the Ken as the Black Water of Dee, originates in Loch Dee and flows into the sea at Kirkcudbright. The Glenkens is situated to the north the county of Kirkcudbrightshire and to the south of the Ayrshire border. Originally, including the parishes of Dalry, Kells, Balmaclellan, Carsphairn and sometimes Parton, other villages along the upper part of the Ken-Dee are here included.

The upper part of the Glenkens is described as a wide V-shaped valley surrounded by hills and moorland, the lower part as V-shaped with a narrow valley floor. The landscape was shaped by glaciers with rocky ridges, eroded sloped and glacial deposits, in the shape of ‘drumlins’ are evident in the lower areas. Much of the geology of the area is Ordovician and Silurian rocks that were once sea-floor sands and mud, deposited about 450 million years ago. Although there has always been a loch, it was enlarged when the Hydro Scheme was built in the 1930s/

This has long been a forgotten part of Scotland and is therefore relatively unspoiled with a wide variety of fantastic wildlife and spectacular landscape ranging from the mountains and moorland; woodland and forest; burns, river, lochs and farmland.

To get here:

Travelling from the south you take the M6 as far as Gretna, turn left onto the A75 heading for Stranraer. When you reach Castle Douglas, take the bypass. About a 1/2mile along this see a signpost for Ayr, the A 713, turn right here on to the slip road and turn left at the T junction (this is still for Ayr). Drive for about 6 miles; you are now at the south end of the Glenkens.

From the north, you follow the A713 south from Ayr passing through Patna and Dalmellington until you cross the border by Loch Doon. You are now in the Glenkens.