07 The Kirconnell flow is a Scottish Natural History Reserve. You gain access to the road that takes you to Kirconnell Flow from the A701 just after you start to climb the hill from the access road to Mabie Forest. It is well signposted. There is plenty of parking at the Flow. There are really two separate walks from the car park. One goes off to the left immediately you enter the wood from the car park and this is a short and pleasant circular walk through woodland. The other is the walk round the outskirts of the Flow itself. The path round the Flow can be very muddy in places and since bits of tree have been put down to form the path it can be very slippy in wet conditions. You should not be walking on the Flow itself.

Above is a view across the Flow with the hill of Mabie Forest in the distance near the right edge of the picture. Page 05 has panoramic views over the Flow from that hill. From path level the Flow itself is perhaps not so visually interesting as the Silver Flowe which you can walk across and where you are surrounded by the dramatic Galloway hills on all sides. The Kirconnel Flow is surrounded by trees and the whole feeling of the place is much more one of intimate enclosure. It is also very much a place for the naturalist with its interesting flora and fauna.

There is an extravagant collection of fungi around the path as you go as you can see in the pictures below.

When you leave the Flow you don't have to go back the way you came to get onto the A701. You can carry on along the single track road past Kirconnell House all the way to New Abbey. The final picture on this page was taken from that road as you approach New Abbey. It shows Sweetheart Abbey with Criffel and Knockendoch beyond.