A Windy and Wintery Wigtownshire

All ferry sailings in Loch Ryan were cancelled due to high winds.

As well as stopping the ferries,the high winds also kept the fishing boats in the harbour today.Here's a couple of pictures on this last day of January 2008.

The wintery weather did produce some lovely views of the Galloway hills though,and between the blustery snow showers i managed to get a few pictures.

I nearly got blown off a bridge taking this one.

Holy Socks

Here's an interesting item from the Stranraer-Freepress.
FIRM SOCKS IT TO TRADERS AT CANADIAN EXHIBITION

A NEWTON Stewart company
that designs socks featuring
Biblical motifs is in Canada
this week to launch its latest
range — Holy Kilt Socks.

Company founder Marga-
ret Wyllie will be exhibiting at
Marketsquare International
hosted by the Christian Trade
Association.

The trade fair is at the
Delta Meadowvale Resort and
Conference Centre in Mississ-
auga. Greater Toronto from
today (Thursday) to Saturday.

Margaret, who runs her
business from Newton Stew-
art, founded Holy Socks more
than seven years ago.

Since then her designs —
and accompanying stories —
have been sent around the
world and are favourites at
cathedral shops and Christian
outlets throughout the United
Kingdom.

All the designs are inspired
by Biblical verses, characters
or stories — from Pharaoh's
Fat and Thin Cows, and Crook
and Sheep, to the original
Holy Socks Cross design.

It was only a matter of time
before kilt socks were added
to the range.

She said: "I don't know how
many times we've been asked
for kilt socks over the years
and now we have our first
design.

"The arrival of the kilt
socks has coincided with the
Marketsquare International in
Canada. We felt it was a great
opportunity to launch the
socks in a country which has
close ties with Scotland."

The new kilt sock design is
produced by Ladkin of Leices-
ter — one of the UK's leading
hosiery manufactuers — and
shows a Crown embroidered
on the turn-down of the sock.

The new socks were mod-
elled by Margaret's minister,
Reverend Edward Lyons of
Penninghame St John's, New-
ton Stewart, along with resi-
dents Vie Pitcher and Johnny
Johnstone.

Margaret's Canadian trip is
being supported by Scottish
Enterprise, Dumfries and
Galloway.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Meikle Galdenoch Circular

Not having slept well on Friday night and taking the miserable weather into consideration I decided against Saturdays walk,a climb to the summit of Cairnsmore.
Fifteen walkers braved it through the mist,the mud and the rain to reach the summit.It was apparently good for the soul.
Sunday being a much better day weatherwise i met up with fellow ramblers and we proceeded to the start of the walk at Meikle Galdenoch.(Walkers meet up at various rendezvous points and use the least number of vehicles necessary to get to the start point.Great for the environment.)

We arrived at the start just as these horses were being led to or from pasture.


There were nineteen walkers today,and just like on my first walk,all very enthusiastic.Some of todays group members i'd met at Loch Trool,others i met for the first time.My memory for names is my biggest problem,but the more i go the more i'll remember.


The walk took us through the Lochnaw and Meikle Galdenoch estates.Lochnaw Castle,still in use,is the ancestral seat of the Agnews,one-time hereditary sheriffs of Galloway.Galdenoch Tower,in ruins, was the one time home of a ghost dating back to the Covenanters days.Apparently successfully exorcised by one Reverend Marshall.


As on a lot of large estates in Scotland ,deer are farmed and the ones we encountered were very tame.A lot of the walkers stopped to take photographs.


Other animals encoutered were Highland Cattle

A very large hare who seemed momentarily confused and began running towards us,and a herd of goats.I wasn't quick enough to take pictures of these.

Lots of birds around the lochs and lochans

The walk continued over Galdenoch Moors where we had beautiful views over to Ireland and the Mull of Kintyre.
We stopped to refuel overlooking Salt Pans Bay,so named from the procedure of extracting salt from seawater by means of evaporation.Apparently this place has also been the watery grave of a number of vessels,and at low tide the remains of shipwrecks can be seen.I'll be doing a leisurely return here to confirm this fact.


After Salt Pans Bay the walk then followed the rugged coastline in a southerly direction before turning back inland towards the start point.

I was starting to feel it on the last leg of the walk which was a steady slight incline.I wasn't on my own.The walk may have been a mile longer than was first thought,depending on which pedometer was the more accurate.A very enjoyable outing with very good company.
I still have to get myself some decent walking gear,but i will be back for next Saturdays walk whatever the weather.Look out for my St Ninians to the Isle of Whithorn blog.

Fairest Maid on Devon Banks-The Banks of the Devon

Most Burns Night Suppers tonight will be reciting the more popular of Burns poetry,a lot of which will mean nothing to a lot of people without a Glossary of Scottish words.
A very old book given to me by my father says that this first poem was probably Robert Burns last,he sent it to his editor a week before his death.



Fairest maid on Devon banks,
Crystal Devon, winding Devon,
Wilt thou lay that frown aside,
And smile as thou wert wont to do?

Full well thou know'st I love thee dear,
Couldst thou to malice lend an ear!
O did not Love exclaim: "Forbear,
Nor use a faithful lover so."

Fairest maid on Devon banks,
Crystal Devon, winding Devon,
Wilt thou lay that frown aside,
And smile as thou wert wont to do?

Then come, thou fairest of the fair,
Those wonted smiles, O let me share;
And by thy beauteous self I swear,
No love but thine my heart shall know.

Fairest maid on Devon banks,
Crystal Devon, winding Devon,
Wilt thou lay that frown aside,
And smile as thou wert wont to do?

This next one written in 1787 was about a young lady living on the banks of the river Devon in Clackmananshire-but whose earlier years were spent in Ayrshire.

How pleasant the banks of the clear winding Devon,
With green spreading bushes and flow'rs blooming fair!
But the bonniest flow'r on the banks of the Devon
Was once a sweet bud on the braes of the Ayr.

Mild be the sun on this sweet blushing flower,
In the gay rosy morn, as it bathes in the dew;
And gentle the fall of the soft vernal shower,
That steals on the evening each leaf to renew!

O spare the dear blossom, ye orient breezes,
With chill hoary wing as ye usher the dawn;
And far be thou distant, thou reptile that seizes
The verdure and pride of the garden or lawn!

Let Bourbon exult in his gay gilded lilies,
And England triumphant display her proud rose:
A fairer than either adorns the green valleys,
Where Devon, sweet Devon, meandering flows.

Scotview (6)

Scotview (6)
Originally uploaded by jimdeans

A view of Cairnsmore from Princes Street Newton Stewart.

Tomorrow is Burns Night

Tae A Fart.

Oh whit a sleekit horrible beastie
Lurks in yer belly efter the feastie
Jist as ye sit doon among yer kin
There sterts tae stir an enormous win'.



The neeps 'n' tatties 'n' mushy peas
Sterts workin' like a gentle breeze
But soon the puddin' wi' the sauncie face
Will hae ye blawin' a' ower the place.



Nae maiter whit the hell ye dae
A'bodys gonnae hiv tae pay
Even if ye try tae stifle
It's like a bullet
oot a rifle.



Hawd yer bum ticht tae the chair
Tae try an' stop the leakin' air
Shift yersel' fae cheek tae cheek
Pray tae God it disnae reek!



But aw yer efforts go asunder
Oot it comes like a clap o' thunder
Ricochets aroon the room
Michty me a sonic boom.



God almichty it fairly reeks
Hope a huvnae shit ma breeks
Tae the bog a better scurry
Aw whit the hell, it's no ma worry.



A'body roon aboot me chokin'
Wan or twa are nearly boakin'
A'll feel better for a while
Cannae help but raise a smile.



Wis him! A shout wi' accusin' glower
Alas too late, he's jist keeled ower
Ye dirty bugger they shout and stare
A dinnae feel welcome ony mair.



Where e'er ye be let yer wind gang free
Sounds like jist the job fur me
Whit a fuss at Rabbies party
Ower the sake o' wan wee farty.
(Anonymous)

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Loch Trool

The desire to get reasonably fit and to stay that way took a positive step today.I joined the Wigtownshire Ramblers.
There are three categories of walk.Easy-moderate-strenuous.Todays walk was classed as moderate.
The weather was fine if a little dull at times and this was apparently a good turn out.Twenty five people on the walk.

A very enjoyable circular six mile walk around Loch Trool followed,and although it wasn't too strenuous for me,i felt it in my legs later.
I wasn't able to take all the pictures i'd have liked to have taken,otherwise the group would still be waiting for me.Nonetheless i think managed to capture the enthusiasm of all the people on the walk.
Next weeks walk is a climb up Cairnsmore!

Cliffs of Moher

Took some pictures at the Cliffs of Moher while on a visit in 2006.Here's a collage.

The following text is from their own site at
http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/
The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's top Visitor attractions. The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O'Brien's Tower stands proudly on a headland of the majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South.

The Cliffs of Moher are home to one of the major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds in Ireland. The area was designated as a Refuge for Fauna in 1988 and as a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) under the EU Birds Directive in 1989. Included within the designated site are the cliffs, the cliff-top maritime grassland and heath, and a 200 metre zone of open water, directly in front of the cliffs to protect part of the birds' feeding area. The designation covers 200 hectares and highlights the area's importance for wildlife.

Canadian Rockies

Back in 2003 on my world trip,i got to visit Banff in the Canadian Rockies.The scenery is stunning,nearly as pretty as Scotland ha ha.
I took this picture from The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
Definitely worth a visit.

The Galloway Hills

Came back over the moors from Stranraer today via New Luce and Loch Ronald.Lovely views of the Galloway hills on this route.
Here's a couple i took.

Copyright Infringement.(Not this picture,it's mine)

I had a feeling after Prince told YouTube to get his music off their site,that others would follow.My Bladnoch Bottled video has been referred.I honestly thought my pictures and clips complimented the song 'The Celtic new year.I'll admit i used the song without their permission,but i believe the images i put to the music constitutes the lions share of the presentation.I like to put music to my pictures and clips,so it looks like in future(thats if there's a mad rush of artistes claiming copyright infringements)i shall have to use non copyright material and music thats in the public domain.
I've just looked on YouTube under Van Morrison,and theclips are coming off in their droves.
Well thats no more free publicity for Van Morrison from me.
I will upload Bladnoch Bottled again,but they wont be able to take it off this time.

Hope you like todays picture.Just as the sun was setting on a very cold South West Scotland winters day,i walked through the woods at the back of my house.Climbed up the wee brae to look at the views and this one caught my eye.

Galloway Forest Park via Wood of Cree

Today was a nicer day to take pictures.
In the Wood of Cree there is a fairly high waterfall.Pictures never seem to do it justice,and in dry periods it looks rather anaemic.The other pictures in the collage were taken at the western fringes of the Gallway Forest Park.The river is the Water of Minnoch before it joins the Cree.

Kirkmabreck

Kirkmabreck is a great place for taking pictures.
The following passage is copied from Gen Uki's pages.
The quarry is now disused.

"The parish of Kirkmabreck is formed of the old parish of this name, and the largest portion of the old parish of Kirkdale...
The general aspect of the parish is mountainous, and may be said to be formed of a succession of hills and valleys; and the ridges of mountains, which rise rapidly from the shore and intersect the parish, have a very picturesque effect, particularly from Wigtownshire....
There are several fisheries in this parish upon the Cree, and in the bay, principally for Salmon, spirlings, founders, herring, &c.; and the nets employed for taking them are stake-nets, bag-nets, draught-nets...
The situation of Creetown is very picturesque. It is built between two rivulets or burns and four bridges. The gardens are so abundantly stocked with fruit trees, that in spring, when the blossoms are exuberant, the village appears as if it had been built in an orchard...
It was erected into a burgh of barony through the influence of John M'Culloch, Esq. of Barholm, on the 13 December 1791...
The nearest market town is Newton Stewart, and is only six miles distant from Creetown.
The population has increased considerably since 1831, in consequence of the Liverpool Dock Company having opened a very large granite quarry in this parish, at which they have from 60 to 450 men occasionally employed...
The united parish of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale is of an irregular shape, and is about 9 miles long, and 5 miles broad. It is bounded on the north by Minnigaff; on the east by Girthon; on the south, by Anworth; and on the west, by the Cree and Wigton Bay. "(Rev. John Muir, Minister) New Statistical Account, Blackwood

Happy New Year

I'm now back in the Glebe after spending a lovely Christmas and New Year break with my YouTube collaborator Celticsam3.
Enjoyed catching up with mine and Celticsam3 families-and a good time was had by all.
Great to be back though and this picture is for shed lovers everywhere.