Holystone Circular Walk

While the Holystone Circular Walk largely follows established pathways and quiet country roads, you will still want to wear proper walking shoes with good support. Additionally, parking in the village can be hard to come by, so try to arrive early so find a spot. Lastly, the woodland portions of the trail can close seasonally for tree felling operations, so keep an eye out for any posted signs.

For those who want a relatively quick and easy walk through the woods with a few interesting highlights sprinkled in between, the Holystone Circular Walk will be a great option. In addition to the tranquil forests and charming village, you can stop by the Lady’s Well, a quaint pond that is supposedly linked with Saint Ninian. This is a perfect trail to simply get outside and enjoy nature without too much fuss.

Setting out from the trailhead, you will make your way to the north and leave the village of Holystone behind, eventually arriving at a gated path in 0.1mi that will take you to the Lady’s Well. It is said that the Anglo-Saxon St Ninian used to baptise early christians in these waters; however, the large stone cross in the pond was added later on during the Victorian Era.

Continuing on to the west, the trail will begin climbing uphill, and you will quickly enter into the cover of the forest. This section of the route can sometimes be closed due to forestry operations, so please take extra care and obey any posted signs in the area.

Arriving at a junction, turn right and follow the path to the northwest for 0.7mi before breaking off to the west along the edge of a clearing. After 0.4mi, you will turn left onto a dirt track and follow it south through the forest for 0.9mi.

Turning left here, you will follow the track southeast until it meets up with a paved road. Head left and follow Burma Road to the northeast for 1.1mi, where you will eventually arrive back at the starting point of your adventure having completed the Holystone Circular Walk.

Trail Highlights

Lady’s Well

Surrounded by a grove of trees just outside of the charming village of Holystone, the Lady’s Well is an atmospheric pool of water that is rumoured to have connections to St Ninian. It is said that the Anglo-Saxon Saint used the pool and its holy water to baptise many early christians.