Lock Skerrow Halt, seen in the picture above, was a water stop on the Portpatrick Railway, the so-called "Paddy Line" build to serve the steamer crossing to Ireland. Steam locomotives need a good supply of water and a ready source was found here. Large holding tanks and a steam pump were set up when the line was built in the 1860's. Several houses for the signalman and other railway staff were also built, though the station was never connected to anywhere else by road. After closure the buildings fell into disrepair and were finally believed to have been demolished by an army unit on exercises. The beautiful Little Water of Fleet viaduct was blown up at the same time and all its masonry removed. Standing today on the ruined platform one can imaging what a lonely existence the railwaymen must have led in this barren, remote and isolated place. The sound of the night "Paddy" on its way to the coast must have raised their spirits with the prospect of a few minutes crack with the train crew as they waited for their tender to fill. This spot can be reached by walking the track-bed either from Gatehouse Station to the west, or Mossdale Station to the east. A fair day's walk, from either point, but well worth the effort.

Spanning the loch at Boat o' Rhone, the bowstring viaduct that took the line from Parton over to Mossdale, then on to Lock Skerrow and the west, looks rusted and forlorn in the afternoon sun. It's sad that such a scenic line was lost to the region. Had it survived, it would doubtless have been a tourist attraction in its own right. Access over the bridge is no longer possible, so the only way to access the route westwards is by making a long detour via New Galloway.