Loch Doon, Dalmellington

Great walking trails....very peaceful but think it would be horrifically busy on a lovely summer day. Dog had great fun though

We were lucky with spectacular weather, my 8yr old son and I wild camped for two nights. The surroundings and views are stunning, very peaceful and quiet despite being close to the road. We camped on a well used plot which was fairly litter free, the ground is very rocky I was glad i had brought heavy duty pegs. We had a fire pit and enjoyed dinner cooked on it before opening it up and enjoying the fire and atmosphere as the sun set. Midges were actually not bad, we did use a couple of cans of insect repellent. During the day we explored the waters edge and fished for the local trout / perch. We did land a perch on day 2 which made my sons day, and thats from a novice with minimal kit. There is an osprey observation post at the 'roadhouse' cafe we popped by on way home for a hot chocolate and enjoyed the historical info on the loch. Theres a castle on the south of the loch, not much left to see, and what is there has been fenced off for safety reasons. The only real disappointment was the amount of discarded used toilet paper as soon as you wander any distance from the camping area, disgusting and inconsiderate. This really took a bit away from the stay, I didnt feel comfortable to allow my son to explore the woods safely. The area was visited by a ranger who was friendly relaxed as he checked for excessive littering etc.