Galloway Forest - can you actually walk through the woods?

[greenfish]

or are the trees' branches too low? can you get "lost in the woods" at Galloway? Many thanks.

 

[gsfgaz]

You could get lost no problem, some of the woods are so dense and branches that low you cant get through ..

 

[Puddock]

Aye you can get lost The mountain rescue team are kept busy all year round

The forest is difficult to actually walk through, under the canopy so to speak. This is because it is reasonably densely planted pine forest. However there is a huge network of paths and unmade roads which criss cross throughout the forest.

There are plenty of places to pitch a tent or tarp and unlimited possibilities for hammocks. Some of the views are spectacular and sometimes you can go for days without seeing someone.

There are two downsides. The wet climate and midges - thousands of them

 

[Puddock]

There is also a long distance path - The Southern Upland Way that runs straight through the forest

Check out this map and zoom in to get close to some of the paths and routes in the park.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=55.079989552085955~-4.433047918376792&lvl=11&dir=0&sty=s&eo=0&form=LMLTCC

 

[Barn Owl]

There are plenty deciduous woods nearby too.

Rspb has a lot of those as a reserve,e,g Wood of Cree.

But as Dan says there is still plenty of walks.

 

[greenfish]

Paddoc - i'm gonna cut to the chase mate, is it like the Blair Witch - childish, I know, but we really want the sense of being deep within a dense, claustraphobic forest! we even wanted to avoid designated, well-thought out paths...your help is beyond invaluable! cheers.

 

[greenfish]

or, can you recommend anywhere like that? we want somewhere that is totally isolated, wooded, and slighltly foreboding...we want to avoid openess...open planes, fields, hills, etc...and preferbly somewhere where you can get off the beaten, laid out paths...again, thanks if you can help!

 

[Puddock]

No mate it's nothing like the Blair Witch..........it's Scotland.

The nearest huge expanse of broadleaf forests I would think would be on the continent - maybe Germany?

 

[greenfish]

this sort of thing, but will keep going for two or three days:

 

[Puddock]

owe want somewhere that is totally isolated, wooded, and slighltly foreboding...we want to avoid openess...open planes, fields, hills, etc...and preferbly somewhere where you can get off the beaten, laid out paths...

All sounding a bit too weird now?

 

[greenfish]

No mate it's nothing like the Blair Witch..........it's Scotland.

The nearest huge expanse of broadleaf forests I would think would be on the continent - maybe Germany?

ah, i see - that's what most have told me as well...

 

[greenfish]

All sounding a bit too weird now?

lol, not weird mate - we're just after the ultimate "walk in the woods" experience - can see it's got burying dead bodies written all over it! no, just three city lads trying to do our research before our trip...

 

[Puddock]

we're just after the ultimate "walk in the woods" experience

Scotland is a bit more "a walk beside the woods"

 

[khimbar]

Paddoc - i'm gonna cut to the chase mate, is it like the Blair Witch - childish, I know, but we really want the sense of being deep within a dense, claustraphobic forest! we even wanted to avoid designated, well-thought out paths...your help is beyond invaluable! cheers.

There's pretty much nowhere like that in this country. Europe however is full of that kind of thing.

 

[spartacus]

Hiya, Bulgaria as far as I can say has the longest uninterrupted expanse of woodland in Europe and it is pretty uninhabited. I live here and can go for ages without seeing a soul and you are free to walk wherever.
I should say I used to live near the Galloway Forest and I'm a native Scot and my surname is actually Cree lol. Still a great place to walk.

 

[uncleboo]

Black Woods and South Rannoch woods. Caley pine and deciduous. Might fit you're bill?

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Paddoc - i'm gonna cut to the chase mate, is it like the Blair Witch - childish, I know, but we really want the sense of being deep within a dense, claustraphobic forest! we even wanted to avoid designated, well-thought out paths...your help is beyond invaluable! cheers.

If it's Blair Witch you're after try Epping forrest,

 

[greenfish]

Black Woods and South Rannoch woods. Caley pine and deciduous. Might fit you're bill?

uncleboo - thanks. do you think they would keep us in walking for three or four days?

 

[dpowyslybbe]

I've done a couple of mountain marathons in the Galloway forest and also followed the Southern Upland Way through it.

To cut a long story short, it is incredibly boggy, some of the woods are almost impassable, and when venturing off-track the going is particularly difficult. In the main the area is either man-made forestry block or recently felled forestry block (which therefore means there is a whole world of tree stumps and debris underfoot).

In summary, it is not the best area to walk through, that said there are at least 2 bothys in the area so you can at least guarantee a couple of good nights sleep there.

Hopw this is at least food for thought.


Dom

 

[Large Sack]

LOL...The further you go in Eastern Europe the more likely you are to be un interrupted, however...then my mind would start to wander away from 'The Blair Witch project' and start to move more towards 'Severance', 'Hostel' and 'The Train' :aargh4:

I wish you well
Sack