Wigtownshire Ramblers-Barhobble

It's Saturday the 10th of October 2009.
Todays walk is virtually a repeat of the walk we did on the 8th of August.
Here's the shortcut to that blog.
Walk from Chapel Finian
The only difference from that walk will be the final section,where we'll walk back to our start point rather than cars ferrying drivers back to the start.

There's a turnout of twenty one walkers today.Our canine friend Curly is in attendance.There's one or two less regular walkers.The weather's a bit misty and overcast.Corwall point is again the start.

A steady climb gets us up onto Low Moor and along to Corwall.It's a bit hazy to get good pictures.

There's quite a number of Hut Circles,Cairns and Field Systems on these moors,but we never seem to have the time to investigate.I'll have to get myself up here for a leisurely look round.

Copied and pasted from the last blog.
We continue in northerly direction until we reach the B7005 to Wigtown.
Here we follow the road east and past Culshabbin before turning back southwards via a farm track at the old schoolhouse.
Someone's been keeping the grass mowed at the old schoolhouse.It needs some work to keep it habitable though.
We're quite a colourful group today,one particular male walker being beautifully co-ordinated in red.
From Culshabbin we're heading south via Gallows Hill(Wouldn't i just love to have £1 sterling for every Gallows Hill there are).This is an inscribed stone to someones pet.I didn't have time to decipher it.
Approaching Airylick and Elrig House we encounter a squabbling family of ducks.

Circling Elrig house now.Last time i put a link to Gavin Maxwells Wikipedia Page...
...then there's this book.
This is the personal story of Gavin Maxwell's boyhood, most of which he spent at the House of Elrig, a lonely, windswept house on the moorlands of Galloway. This is the house which, together with the influence of his relations, shaped his interest in living creatures and his love of wild country and wilderness.

Bully had his ladies and babies close by.His glare was becoming more pronounced as I dallied to get a picture.I prudently moved on as a fellow walker suggested he'd probably be able to scale the drystane dyke.

We reach Barhobble...
...i put this picture up the last time,so i'm repeating myself now.It's just in case anyone is interested in the layout of this 'Medieval and Dark Age' church,they can click and enlarge the picture to read it.
Over in Elrig House grounds the 'Gunnera'or gunnera manicata grows big.
This is an ideal spot for lunch,the ruins make ideal benches.
Look out!there's a mad rambler on the loose.
On the move again.We're heading South West via Airyolland and Changue...

...an interesting item i've found concerns the names of fields we're crossing.this is a passage from a Roots Web page.

From: FrancesABlack@aol.com
Subject: [WIG LIST] Old Map Airyolland
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:50:40 EDT

It is interesting what you find clearing cupboards! Found an old map of Airyolland farm, Port William which at that time was rented by my grandfather Robert Skimming. The map had been traced in 1915 and the farm had been surveyed in the autumn of 1889 by James Christison. What I found interesting were the names of the fields! Some of the names: High Liquorice, Laigh Liquorice, Back Feg, Delfin, Hanging Fauld, Lady Creichan, Spout and Clays Bog to name a few. Wonder where the names came from! There were some obviously named ones such as five acre, six acre, bog, and rough field which were self explanatory!
Frances


It's at this point our route changes from the previous walk.
As Luce bay starts to reflect a little sunlight...
...we're heading northwards towards Chippermore Farm...
...where the trees are shaped by the predominant wind coming up from the bay.
It's all downhill and tarmac back to the cars now.Again this has been quite a pleasant walk,and as usual in the best of company.And although it's been quite dull for much of the walk,it stayed fair today.