Stonehaugh Circular

The Long Drop at Stonehaugh was recommended to me many years ago and we've only just got around to visiting. I had not realised just how lovely the area is, so we made the most of it while we were there.

We started our walk in the car parking area and immediately spotted the Stonehaugh Totem Poles - a good start! Not far from there we could see the Stonehaugh Star Dome, which I'll be honest has seen better days. I can imagine this is a great place for stargazing at night though - it would be pitch black. From here we spotted a signpost for a public bridleway and Stonehaugh Shields and followed this path. It was pretty easy to follow and it took us through Stonehaugh campsite.

After the campsite, we walked until we came to a sign for Low Roses Bower, which was on our list of things to find. From here, the terrain got a little trickier. The ground became rockier and there were some hidden dips and sloping hills. Still, it was a pretty walk through woodland and there wasn't another soul about.

We eventually got to a bridge which crossed over the Wark Burn and headed upwards. This was a pretty steep part and I was glad to see Low Roses Bower on the horizon. I loved this part of the walk; The Long Drop is a proper little hidden gem. I mean, who wouldn't want to see the highest perched toilet in England?

We headed off on our walk again through a field alongside Linn Sike and joined up with the main road towards Stonehaugh. We turned left when we reached the crossroads and headed back to the car park. Typically, this didn't satisfy my urge for a long walk, so we headed off into Wark Forest and followed the Warksburn Walking Trail.

Further around the circular route we did a bit of foraging for Wood Sorrel. (Foraging is only recommended if you're confident of what you're picking - personally, I wasn't!) The Wood Sorrel looked absolutely beautiful on the forest floor surrounded by moss and fallen leaves. I always think there is something a bit magical about an empty forest, but maybe that's just me.

Our route then headed down to the Wark Burn again and this was a stunning area - probably helped by the fact that we had glorious sunshine too. We continued to follow the obvious path and eventually re-joined the route back to the car park. Afterwards we took a short walk up to the waterfall on Middle Burn, just passed the totem poles and enjoyed a few minutes here watching the impressive falls.

I loved this walk. I wasn't really expecting it to be so lovely and there was lots to see all the way round. I'd give it a solid 9 out of 10!