Morton Castle & Kettleton
NX889990 The first 1 part of the walk is signposted as the Morton Nature & Heritage Trail. Take the grass track to the castle ruin above its small loch. After exploring the castle, pass down to right of it to cross the dam. The path heads up through woods to a field gate. Turn left before this gate, below a fence, to another kissing gate with signpost at the start of a track. Follow the track down to a field gate and kissing gate, then uphill to where it fades. Contour along the top of a band of trees, passing above a small pool, to join a green track emerging from Morton Mains farm. The track runs to a gateway gap in a young hedge.
NX887999 At the 2 three-way signpost, turn up right to a field gate with kissing gate, then right to a kissing gate into the corner of a wood. Occasional waymarks show the way up through the wood, near its left edge, to a kissing gate at the top left corner onto open hill. Head uphill, with some waymarks, to the ridgeline above Kettleton reservoir. Turn left on quad bike path up to the top of Morton Mains Hill.
NS892006 There’s 3 an interpretation board here about the Iron Age settlement. Its grass ditches can still be seen among the patches of rushes. Continue ahead down into a saddle with gate, and up East Morton Hill ahead. Bear round right to descend eastwards, with no path, steeply into another saddle with gate.
NS901015 Head 4 up the opposite slope. The hill at the top has three summits. Left is Nether Hill, with good views to Durisdeer and down into Ballyan hollow. Right is Ashycleuch Hill, a few metres higher. The two are separated by the most minor named col anywhere, Ballyan Hass, with 10m of ascent on either side. Pass through the shallow saddle to a tiny peat pool at the top of Linn Cleuch, the stream trickle running down to the right. (Ignore the third summit, Rottencraig Head, still ahead.) Descend south, on the spur to left of Linn Cleuch, to partridge pens and the end of a track. This runs left to a gate onto a wider, smoother and reddishcoloured one.
5 NS911019 A short diversion 150m left is Kettleton Byre bothy. But the main route turns right for 400m, at the shuttered-up Kettleton house. Here fork down right on a track. Keep left at a fork to cross a stream, as the track rises along the slope-top high above Kettleton Burn. Ignore short side tracks leading to partridge processing pens. High above Kettleton Reservoir the track rounds the corner of the hill and slants downhill above the dam.
NX899995 At the 6 valley floor the track reaches the corner of the tarmac access lane of the waterworks. Follow this out ahead, below a house. After 1km you pass Burn farm with its decorative turret. At the minor road beyond, turn right to cross Kettleton Burn, then uphill to a track on the right. This leads to Morton Castle.