I keep hearing that the area round The Merrick is a beautiful bit of country and that I should take my bike up that way. This is from non-cyclists. I've had a look at the maps and am not feeling huge cycling love for the area. Is it worth a bit of an explore or is it better on foot?

Not done it but it is in the Bikefax book for the area.

CHeers for that. No sure i'm curious to the price of £15 tho'!

I'll summarise for ya. start at Buchan monument at Loch Trool. Take path to Culsharg bothy then up to Benyellary then Merrick. Suggests 3-5 hours total. Describes it as one of the best 'natural' descents in the Borders.

Cheers for that steven. Not at all what I expected; I'll have to have a closer look at the maps

Beware the weather in that area, has it`s own micro climate and low cloud/fog can and had caught many people out. Also easy to mistake sheep tracks for footpath 🙄
Prepare for hike a bike
Only time I have walked it we had the compass in our hands all the way during our walk, it rained, it was windy, it was foggy and on some tracks the water was running ankle deep ❗
Decided then not to bother with the bike, but it still niggles and may have to be done before auld age & retirement beckons

It's a slog and a push up, turn around and belt it down. Take extra jackets as the descent can get phenominally cold. Not hugely technical, old skool screaming descent. tee hee……..

oh and don't take the advice of a guide book that doesn't even know what county it's in. The Merrick is a very long way from the Borders in Dumfries and Galloway!

Sorry that was my fault/laziness. Quite a good book actually.

Thanks that for that everyone. I was warned that it's pretty wild round there – my dad (who walked round there for years) said he felt as exposed there as in the Torridons. Which piqued my interest.

One to remember – probably on a similar basis to trekster's plans!

Take a tent and spend the night watching the skies. That area is a "dark sky park" or something along those lines.

If i don't get blown away that sounds like a great idea – I'm not keen on out'n'backs so if there's a purpose at the end/start that'll make it all worthwhile.

Did the Merrick on my first rigid mtb back in 1986, I was living in london blew a months wages on a Saracen at £500 then got the overnight sleeper up to Scotland, stayed at parents then drove down to the merrick next day, carried the bike all the way up, bar the ridge from Benyellary to the Merrick.
Then had the time of my life coming back down, arse over bars time after time.
Beware the grass on the descent from Benyellary its full of hidden holes.
It gets a bit technical further down as well were the paths been worn away by water.

Went back twenty years later with a full sus and had as much fun as I did way back.

You also have the Glentrool Visitor centre nearby for a nice bit of cake.

I'm a local to the Galloway area and the Merrick climb/descent used to be one of my regular routes (once a month), although it is little more than a grassy hill compared to the highlands do not be under any illusion that the route will be straightforward as i've left the carpark at Bruces Stone (Loch Trool) in glorious weather and by the time i've reached the false summit of Benyellary i've been through everything from rain…fog….hail…sleet…snow…blizzards…total whiteout to "oh **** i'm going to die up here" conditions. I like to think i know the Galloway Hills pretty well and can read prevailing conditions but i've been caught out in fog/mist that's came from nowhere along with howling wind that physically rips the bike from your arms and throws it from your grasp with you tumbling after it – especially along the Nieve of the Spit from Benyellary summit to the start of the actual Merrick climb, all you can do is hunker down behind the stone dyke and hopefully find shelter till it passes then make your way back down, as to carry on is stupid/foolish and i've only made that mistake once in late may a good few years ago when i got totally lost in mist so thick i could barely see my bike under me.

And on other times you get clear views which stretch to the horizon in every direction which makes it all worth while, especially on a clear summers night with a decent bivvy bag, bottle of whisky and perhaps a "J" or two to while away the night looking at the stars play cosmic pinball above.

View of Benyellary above which you descend down along the dyke (nieve of the spit) to start the Merrick climb, with dyke for shelter should you need it. There's two folk you can just make out in the bottom r/hand corner of the pic walking along the path nr the dyke to give you a sense of scale.

Pic zoomed in on the two folk in case you didn't spot them ;o)

Pic from the top of Merrick looking toward the south, from left to right Loch Arron – Loch Neldricken, the corner of it is known as the murder hole, so named by S.R. Crockett (galloway novelist) in his book "The Raiders" – Loch Valley and Loch Glenhead.

View of Loch Trool on way up Merrick Path via Culsharg Bothy/Benyellary, this section of the path is littered with massive boulders that necessitates carrying up but "almost" rideable on way down with liberal dabs.

I thought i had more pics uploaded to flickr but they must be on disc somewhere, might get them hunted out and uploaded.

Anyway….it's well worth the ride, it's possible to get up and down within two hours if your fit but when the weathers fine and clear it's a shame not to sit awhile at the top and admire the view.

That's awesome somafunk. Thanks very much for that.

As an alternative, park at the Glentrool visitor centre and ride up the 7-Stanes trails and then forest roads to the summit of Bennan. From there make your way across to the Merrick path just below the summit of Benyellary (it's a bit tussocky but mostly ridable). Ride up and down the Merrick and then return via the path on the east side of Loch Trool to the car park.