Wigtownshire Ramblers-Balloch Craig Creetown 2009

It's Saturday the 17th of October 2009.
It's a beautiful sunny morning as i wait in the Riverside car park.The Cree has a gentle flow about it today.
Myself and a couple of other walkers pile into the walk leader and deputy's car.
Todays walk start is the main car park in Creetown.It's an eight mile circular through forest and over rolling countryside
With guest walkers from Stirling,Ayrshire and locally,we're a group of twenty today.The first part of todays walk takes us up through Balloch Wood,which was part of a circular back in May.
May Walk
Heading past Kirkmabreck Church we come to a brand new display.

It's a poetry stone circle.More info here.
Creetown Walks
The inscriptions are haiku poems written by local schoolchildren.It's obviously not quite finished yet-they'll probably grass it over,but what a great idea,and with lovely views.

Heading on through the woods,the few pictures i took weren't as good quality as the previous blog.I was concentrating on my conversation with a fellow walker.I think we were saving the world.
On reaching Garrochar Wildlife Ponds we take a short break.
I think a few of todays walkers would have stayed here all day given the chance...
...and although the colour from August has gone
Wild Flowers ,it really is a beautiful place.

Now we head north east through the woods for about half a mile...
...emerging on the Glenquicken road.A hundred yards east we join this tarmac road heading towards Mark Farm.To the north the 'Knee of Cairnsmore'is prominent.(Sorry boss,i should always bow to superior geographic knowledge)
As we continue in an north easterly direction the tarmac turns to farm track.This breed of sheep is apparently known as 'Jacob'
At Mark,we veer east towards Pibble...
...then north.I've missed two walks up Pibble Hill.Beyond Pibble farm we get a view over the trees of the remnants of Pibble Mine.I think i'm going to have to have a closer look sometime.It's a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is also classified as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).Pibble Mine

Heading over Fore Moor now...
...we reach the road that heads to the old Gatehouse of Fleet station and Big Water of Fleet viaduct.
Here on the bridge is Hitlers coffin,carved by a Polish stonemason during the war.Going by the date,it seems he was a little premature.
Now heading south west,it's time for lunch.we stop here at Craig Bridge.I wonder how many seventy plus year olds can cross a gate like this.
I have a look in the burn.I'm imagining i can still 'Guddle' a troot,but there's no suitable pools or big rocks.I wonder if i can!
Continuing back towards Creetown,one of our sheep knowledgable walkers suggests these are Swaledale.Having looked at a few pictures,can i suggest possibly Dalesbred ?
At Falbae we leave the road again.We're following the track of the old 'Paddy Line'.This section must have been such a joy to rail travellers.Lots of pictures on this site.
The Paddy Line
Back on tarmac at Greenburn bridge now...
...where i once talked to the local farmer.I'd asked him about the exotic look to the grass verges.He explained it had begun years before when his wife decided to get rid of some house plants.He decided to start planting them out,and if they grew then fine.Now several hundred yards have a look of the Logan Botanical gardens.
Now we're approaching Kilwhirn,where a panorama of Creetown and Wigtown Bay opens up.
Down to the junction at Barholm.I haven't figured these bulls out yet.Are they really fierce,or just posing for the camera.
The last few hundred yards are on the main road,hence the single file.
This has been a very enjoyable walk,and as always in such amiable company.