Castle Semple Trail
Date: 19 July 2026
Leader: Gerry
Grade: C+
Number on walk: 17.
Length: 12.6 km. Ascent: 216 m.
Hills climbed: None.
Click here for GPX track of the walk
Crossing the Blackditch Burn as we headed to the grotto
After visiting the grotto and a small art installation near Park Hill we had our morning tea break at the Park Hill viewpoint
Our next point of interest was the ice house associated with the Castle Semple Estate
This mid-19th century building was used to store ice for food preservation
After visiting the ice house, the cascades and the collegiate Church we walked along the old railway/cycle track to this modern sculpture
It was installed as part of the Sustrans Art & Architecture programme during the 1990s
Our lunch stop was at the foot of Kenmure Hill with the folly or temple visible on the skyline
The globe is another modern artwork but appears to be a private installation to mark the entrance to the Kenmure Hill farm track
After lunch we climbed to the folly/temple
Very little is known about the Temple, other than that it was built around 1760. There are many local stories but very little fact. A folly, a house for a sick child, a viewing platform for ladies to watch stag hunting, a masonic temple or just somewhere for the landowner to survey his lands – who knows? The building had a roof until 1830 when a lightning strike and subsequent fire destroyed the roof. Access to the first floor was via an exterior staircase all trace of which has now been lost.
The view looking towards Castle Semple Loch from Kenmure Hill
Our return path took us along the shore of Castle Semple Loch where we could admire the meadowsweet, purple loosestrife and bindweed flowers