Burn of Sorrow circular

A high level circuit taking in Bank Hill (Dollar Hill), Kingseat, Tarmangie Hill, Whitewisp and Saddle Hill. Most of the walk is on grassy paths though the descent off Saddle Hill is a bit steep and pathless. If proceeding beyond Bank Hill ensure you are properly equipped for a hill walk and have some basic navigation skills,

Distance: 9.5 km / 6 miles

Ascent: 700 m / 2300 feet

Start / finish: Dollar. parking available at the Castle Campbell car park or lower down on Castle Road,

Route Map

The walk can be started from the high car park for Castle Campbell or alternatively accessed from lower down by walking up Dollar Glen. There is a large car park for the Glen on Castle Road or if starting from the village, walk up the Mill Green beside Dollar Burn to reach the Glen.

From the high car park proceed downhill towards the 15th century Castle Campbell on the tarmac road. After crossing the Burn of Care continue to close to the top of the hill where an obvious path leaves the road on the right across the bracken covered hillside. If approaching from the Glen, go past the Castle and take a path on your left across the hillside which will join the path above. Keep to the main path, the path heading up the hill to your right is your return route, to reach the wooded glen and the Burn of Sorrow. Turn right on the glen path above the burn passing through a pedestrian gate. Walk alongside the deep gorge on a well made path. After the path crosses the burn on a footbridge, again keep right heading upstream to pass through a small gate onto the open hillside.

From here follow the obvious path beside the fence to your left, that takes you up Bank Hill (Dollar Hill). The grassy path will take you directly to the summit with its small cairn or you can bypass the summit to the right. On the way up look back behind you for views of Castle Campbell. The ascent of this wee hill is a popular outing for locals and can often be busy.

Beyond Bank Hill the grass path rises before descending to a dip where a fence is crossed. The ground now becomes rather hummocky as it crosses the Banks of Dollar. When the gradient smooths out a memorial to a second World War Spitfire crash is passesd. The path then continues its gradual ascent to reach the substantial “summit” cairn. The actual summit at 648m is a further 350m north west and is marked by a pile of rocks.

After the summit descend in a northerly direction to the coll between Kingseat and Tarmangie. At the collcross a couple of small burns and start the 200m ascent of Tarmangie Hill. At the summit area cross the stile to reach the twin cairns of the summit. After the summit follow the fence/wall in an easterly direction for about 200m to reach a gate. Cross to the other side of the wall and continue for about 650m to reach a fence. After crossing the fence the path turns away from the wall to head for the flat summit of Whitewisp Hill marked by a small cairn.

Leave the summit in a southerly direction on the obvious path aiming for Saddle Hill. The path splits and if you keep right you can include the 522m summit. Beyon the summit the path becomes a bit feinter until it peters out as the ground becomes a bit steeper. Pick an easy line down the steep grassy hillside, zig zagging if the direct descent is too steep. When the groundstarts to flatten out you may be able to pick up a feint path leading to a gate in the fence ahead of you. Once through the gate a rough path aims for the hillock in front of you, crossing a burn. The path crosses the hillock to the right of a large rock then starts to go downhill towards Castle Campbell. It soon joins the path that you used earlier to cross the hillside at the back of the castle. Once back at the tarmac road turn left if heading for the high csr park or right towards the castle if descending through Dollar Glen.