Brodick Castle, Arran

A few weeks ago, my walking friend from Cumnock was down my way visiting family.

As a follow up to Culzean Castle we'd decided on a trip over to Arran and visit Brodick Castle.

As it turned out it was a bit of a whistle stop day. Traffic delays and bad roads meant we ended up spending six hours travelling, and just under three hours on the island.  

We just made the ferry at Ardrossan in time, and the crossing was pleasant enough.

Closing in on the island we could see the castle nestling in the trees under Goat Fell.

I zoomed in for a shot.

Sitting just outside Brodick is the Chemtrans Oste an oil/chemical tanker.

Looking at it's details it left here for Dublin and is now in Pembroke.

We disembark at Brodick. I get a picture of our ferry, the Caledonian Isles.

We board a bus which will take us to the castle gates.

Brodick was the home for 400 years of the Hamilton family, the Earls of Arran.

This from Scottish Places explains the family crest.

The crest of the dukes of Hamilton, an oak tree with a saw through it, commemorates his escape in the disguise of a woodcutter, whilst the motto 'Through' was Sir Gilbert' exclamation on seeing his pursuers ride unsuspectingly past the place where he and his servant were in the act of sawing through an oak tree.

There's a comprehensive map of the grounds...........

.........and some lovely gardens.

We had lunch overlooking the gardens and the bay with the company of a few finches.

Lady Jean Fforde, a cousin of Prince Rainier of Monaco.

There's some scaffolding up on one corner of the castle.

I had to stitch a couple of pictures together to get the whole castle in.

As usual with National Trust properties I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside.

 Inside however is an impressive collections of period furniture, silverware, porcelain, paintings and sporting trophies.(The sporting trophies are mainly horse racing trophies, they won almost every major classic at one time or another.)

After visiting the castle we began walking back towards Brodick for the ferry. Reaching Arran Aromatics we waited for a bus.

The ferry was much busier on the return.

We stopped to eat at the Lauriston Hotel Ardrossan. Great food great prices.

 The road between Girvan and Newton Stewart isn't a very pleasurable drive in the dark and we were glad to see the end of it. A nice outing, but spoiled somewhat with all the travelling. Early and late boats might make a better day.  

Wigtownshire Ramblers New Luce Circular October 2012

Sunday the 28th of October 2012

Today's walk is a circular walk from New Luce. This Sunday walk came about because of the cancellation of the training weekend originally planned.

Today's leader is Shorty, I'm deputy walk leader and we recce-id this walk on Wednesday.

Because of the poor weather today, I'll be putting in some pictures from the recce.

Shorty's report will follow.

We're a group of eight intrepid walkers on this wet morning. (It looked like we'd be a group of nine, but that dropped to eight before we began.)   

Bully just outside New Luce on the recce (He was in the same place today)

A partridge holding pen.

Above is Balmurray, Artfield Fell Windfarm, and a filled in mine shaft.

The rain eased occasionally, but my camera stayed much of the time in it's case.

Another picture from the recce. There are definite markings on this stone.

Again on the recce, I could zoom across to the Mull of Galloway.

Today it is wet as we look around the mine ruins.

Atop one of our half a dozen small summits.

This is the steel bridge over to Quarter Farm. 

On the recce I'd been looking for the makers of this steel bridge.....today I found it. It was built in Scotland by the Lanarkshire Steel Co Ltd

To shelter from the wind and rain we'll lunch somewhere among these ruins.

I was nicely sheltered for lunch, but we need to move on again. There's not much information about this ruin ?

From now on the going gets much easier. We came across these feeding blocks. I guess they'll soon be antiques. "WALTER GREGORY & CO LTD Crawley, West Sussex 

History: Walter Gregory & Co Ltd was established in Crawley, West Sussex, during the late nineteenth century to supply animal health products to farmers in the west of England. The company was acquired by Upjohn Ltd in 1966 and dissolved in 1993. 

Records: Pharmacia & Upjohn Ltd, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8PH "

More pictures from the recce.

After passing an old cairn we pass by Barlure farm.................

.............a couple of fields later we've an awkward drystone wall and the lovely Ward Burn to cross.

This train was photographed on the recce, we saw it today but from a distance and just a fleeting glimpse.

Back in New Luce i spot a few curios............

...............................an interesting knocker and a flush bracket number 11886

We finish the day with a warm welcome for tea/coffee, scones and cake at the Kenmuir Arms

Here's Shorty's report.

Wigtownshire Ramblers – Sunday 28 October 2012

Nine ramblers met at the New Luce village hall just as the kirk bell was ringing.  It was a dreich morning with low scudding clouds and desultory rain.  One member decided that he believed the weather forecasts and set off homewards.  The remaining group walked through the village and turned up the farm road leading to Barnshangan farm.  A few finches hopped around the roadside hedges and sheep grazed unconcerned in the fields.  Otherwise the group had the world to themselves.

At Barnshangan they turned northwards up the old track leading to the old lead mines.  As they progressed the track became wetter and less well defined but the group soon reached the remnants of the mines.  A series of banks, ditches and pits covered a wide area.  The workings extended to the top of the low hill.  From there there were views over the valley of the Cross Water of Luce and the surrounding countryside.  The large windmills at Artfield Fell to the East and Arecleoch to the North were turning in the steady breeze.  It was noted that the proposed windfarms at Glenchamber, Carsecreugh and Glenkitten would soon form a complete arc around the horizon.

The group then zig zagged northwards over the moors, avoiding the worst of the bogs over the low hills of Craigiegower and Big Milldown.  They continued following cattle tracks over squelchy mires and low hills until they could look down on Quarter Farm, once known as the Dougaries, on the far bank of the Cross Water of Luce.  They descended steeply to the Quarter Bridge.  This turned out to be constructed from Bailey Bridge sections made from Lanarkshire steel, probably of post war origin.  The river was pouring forcefully below the bridge with some dramatic eddies pulling at the banks.

After a short pause the ramblers set off up the farm track towards the Barrhill road. They turned northwards up the road and crossed a cattle grid.  When they reached the next area of firm ground they turned off the road and made their way up to the ruined house at Cairn Side where they sought shelter below the walls to have their lunch.  Cairn Side had been a substantial house with well-built outbuildings and a garden but old maps indicated that it had been derelict for more than a century but some walls stood up to the top of a second storey.  There was speculation as to why it had been abandoned as it had apparently only been in use for about fifty years.

Once lunch was completed the group made their way up to the top of Craigbirnoch Fell.  The views from here were dramatic in spite of the weather.  To the north they could see Beneraird, the objective of next week’s walk, and Knockdolian, another favourite hill.  Southwards they could make out the sea in Luce Bay and just the suggestion of the Mull of Galloway.  After a brief pause they descended the fell and made their way across the very soft ground towards Barlure farm.  With some relief they soon reached the hard ground above the farm and continued through the fields past the farm and southwards towards the railway.  A train trundled southwards towards Stranraer; a rare event.  After traversing a dyke and crossing a small burn they clambered back up to the fields which they followed, under the stern gaze of a flock of sheep, back to the county road.  A short walk down the road brought them back to the village.  The group repaired to the Kenmuir Arms where they were made very welcome in spite of their damp condition by the host and staff.  The group enjoyed excellent tea and cakes and a warm fire before dispersing.

The next walk will be on Saturday 3^rd November.  It will be a fairly strenuous walk in the South Ayrshire hills between Ballantrae and Glenapp. Meet at the Riverside Car Park in Newton Stewart at 9:00 a.m. or the Breastworks Car Park in Stranraer at 9:30 a.m. to share transport.  The walk will start from the crossroads on the A77 above Glenapp (NX 095 790) at 10:00 a.m.  If meeting at the start or for any other queries, please contact the walk leader on 01292 441268. New walkers will be made most welcome.

A landscape walk in Galloway

Tuesday the 23rd of October 2012

It's a lovely day today so I'm heading out on a circular walk from my house in Newton Stewart. It looks perfect for taking landscape pictures.

I begin by crossing the fields above Douglas Ewart High School and Old Hall Farm.

My first picture is a zoom across to the golf course. The 'Doocot' built 1719 is the structure to the left.

To the right of the radio/satellite mast is Monigaff Church. The woods beyond encompass Cumloden and towering above to the right are Millfore, Red Gairy and Drigmorn.

A panorama from the slopes of Curleywee to the left to the slopes of Cairnsmore to the right.

A contented cow.

A shheepish view over to Blackcraig.

McMillan Hall and the meandering Cree. A closer look will pick out a spire of Machermore Castle. 

A zoom in on Craignelder.

Back to the golf course.

Blue Faced Leicester sheep with Millfore behind again.

A pylon view of Drigmorn and Millfore

After descending to the river via Duncree I take time out on the river.

This heron waited patiently.

After crossing the Penkiln Burn I head out past Cumloden.

It's October, but there's late colour. Most foxgloves have long gone, but here's some hanging on.

The Autumn sun brings out the colours in the woods opposite New Galloway Lodge.

A couple of years ago I saw an alien on this drystane wall. Looks like a hawk this time.

The view over to Glenshalloch.

Another view of the Minnigaff Hills.

There's a wary deer at Glenhoise.

Colourful trees towards Glenshalloch.

I never did find Murdoch's cave. It's in here to the right somewhere.

Who needs an extra zoom lens when the one on the camera can get this close. Auchinleck House is two miles away.

Risk Farm. Just beyond (not in the picture) are the ruins of Old Risk Castle associated with Murdoch of Cumloden and the legend of the two ravens with one arrow in Robert the Bruce's time.

Still looking towards Glenshalloch only from a little further east.

Having reached the most northerly point of my walk at Risk, the road begins to turn south-east and I see the bulk of Cairnsmore of Fleet. Fresh silage bales add to the scene.

Now inaccessible because of the undergrowth the Old Edinburgh Road is plainly outlined.

More bales and Barncaughla.

Barncaughla Farm was the birthplace in 1669 of John McMillan,a well known member of the cloth during the days of the Covenanters.

As the day clouded over I made my way back along the New Galloway Road and back into town via Kirroughtree house. There was little else to photograph.

Some interesting cattle, someone's been having fun with a rubber glove and a wonderful rose to finish.

Living here in Newton Stewart, we have some wonderful scenery on our doorstep. That was a lovely walk.