Curleywee

Rising sharply above the head of the Penkiln Burn, this is one of Galloway’s most distinctive and rugged hills. Its steep, rocky slopes and narrow summit ridge offer a mountain character that belies its modest height. It is frequently paired with Lamachan Hill for a classic Southern Uplands circuit.

• •The name is likely a corruption of the Gaelic 'Cor lathaighe', referring to the marshy ground at its base, though its sharp profile has led others to suggest 'Cor' (pointed hill) combined with a local Scots suffix.
• •From the narrow summit, you gain a clear view across the Silver Flowe—a rare and pristine blanket mire—towards the granite summits of the Range of the Awful Hand, including the Merrick.
• •The ascent from the 'Nick of the Curleywee' provides some of the steepest walking in the region, standing in stark contrast to the gentler, rolling profiles common in much of the Southern Uplands.
• •While it sits comfortably within the Donald classification for Scottish Lowland hills, its eastern side features surprisingly rugged crags and scree slopes that require careful navigation in mist.
• •The hill’s name sounds more like a description of a dizzy sheep than a rugged peak, but the steep, lung-bursting final pull from the Nick of the Curleywee usually stops any jokes about its stature.