Shalloch on Minnoch, 15th March 2026

 I've managed to get a hill of some sort in every weekend in 2026 so far, except for one in January where I decided road running was a better idea (what was I thinking?). With my winter boots still away for repair, I've not been able to get up any more Munros, but with some better weather and longer days arriving, I've been dreaming of going fast and light in the hills again.

I had a good opportunity this weekend to head back to Galloway for a Corbett I've been thinking about ever since we visited the Merrick in January.

I dropped Isa at yoga at 0830 and headed down the M77, feeling a bit surprised to see some snow at the side of the road over the Fenwick Moor, then it was down past Ayr and Straiton and then out towards Stinchar Bridge. The last 3 miles saw the road covered in what looked like snow or ice, but once I got parked up, it turned out to be hail that had frozen and been flattened (or graupel). The van thermometer said 2C, so it was quite cold.

Graupel or frozen hail (not sure!)

I got my kit ready, changed shoes and then headed off down the road a wee bit to where I would head onto the hill proper. I left the van at 0950.

Stinchar Bridge

Once I left the road, the terrain was horrible - some semblance of a path, but mostly a bog and some slippy snow in there too. I thought it would get better as the gradient increased, but it didn't.

Still, I was happy to be out despite wet feet from the first 2km.

In the hills again

It was a slog heading uphill in bog, but once it levelled out a bit at 650m, I got a view of Shalloch on Minnoch

Views

...Or maybe not - cloud was coming and going and the sun was occasionally appearing. I added my buff and hat about this point as the wind was picking up a bit too.

I made the summit trig point at 1110, and I couldn't see a thing in the mist. I saw two walkers coming towards me, but I didn't say hello, just gave them a wave and headed off on a bearing to the slope leading to Nick of Carclach, the low point between Shalloch on Minnoch and Tarfessock.

I dropped a bit and finally got a view of Tarfessock, then in a few short minutes, I was on the top.

Tarfessock

Views over Galloway

Tarfessock

I got out of the wind a bit and took a look over at Kirriereoch Hill which I had planned on doing next. I didn't really fancy the climb and the forecast for later was for rain, so I decided to sack it there and head back over the way I'd come initially. This worked out well because the cloud had cleared and so on my second visit to the summit of Shalloch on Minnoch, I got a view!

Looking back to Tarfessock and Kirriereoch Hill

Shalloch on Minnoch trig

My silence, protecting evil.

From the summit I pretty much followed my tracks in the snow back down. By the time I'd gotten back to the road, the snow at lower levels had gone and it was a short run back to the van. I got there at 1250, and headed home.

Run Distance: 15.25km

Hike Time: 3h 0m

Ascent: 730m

Corbetts Completed: 15