The Galloway Forest Park has a couple of forest roads that are open to cars in the summer months. We took a trip along the “Raider’s Road” in September. It goes for about 10 miles from near Mossdale/Loch Ken through the Galloway Forest to emerge near Clatteringshaws Loch and visitor centre. There are a number of places to stop off and take a walk or enjoy the views. At Stroan Loch, there is a viaduct from the disused railway line that used to run from Castle Douglas to Portpatrick and Stranraer. Here’s a picture looking through the viaduct towards Stroan Loch and Cairn Edward Hill

A wider view of the loch with Cairnsmore of Dee in the background.

Further along the road is the “Otter Pool”, where the Black Water of Dee flows over a series of granite ledges. A good place for a lunch stop.

Here’s the otter, keeping an eye on the pool.

Close to the Otter Pool, we found quite a few specimens of this large, black fungus. We think it was probably Craterellus cornucopioides

There is a set of Rosnes Benches near the Otter Pool. Here are Gabrielle and Betty, trying out one of them.

Close to the western end of the Raider’s Road there is an earthwork called “the Labyrinth”. It’s about 50 feet in diameter and consists of a winding path leading to a central point where it looks like there used to be some kind of fountain or water feature that fed into the channels between the raised walkways.