Tramping

Way back in 2003 I was in New Zealand,and the word for hiking,rambling or just walking was 'Tramping'.
Since this particular set of pictures have no definitive occasion, I thought 'Tramping' would do.

Above is one of the new flyers for the 2011 Newton Stewart Walking Festival.
That looks a nice picture on the back...wonder who took that.(they've chopped off the atmospheric sky)


A few badly damaged trees still clinging to life.

This is White Hill,just above West Knockbrex, west of Newton Stewart.


This picture taken from White Hill shows Moor Park of Barr with Knockbrex Toll in the foreground.


Also from White Hill a picture of Merton Hall.First built in 1767 and now a private house.In it's chequered history it was once a school for wayward boys from Glasgow.

I JUST GOT MENTIONED ON SIMON MAYO'S DRIVETIME RADIO SHOW FOR REQUESTING THE BIG O's 'BLUE BAYOU'.


Here,not far from White Hill is Black Hill.


A panorama from Black Hill showing White Hill round to Barnkirk.


As walk leader I've had to change the route of this Saturday's Wigtownshire Ramblers walk.The next four pictures therefore are what we wont see this weekend.
I honestly expected to see pixies,elfs and leprechauns under this toadstool.



A copiously flowing Black Water of Dee under Shaw Hill.


The Black Water of Dee at Marions Isle.


A wet outlook from Clatteringshaws Fell.

Sixty Minute Man

Here's a piece of nostalgia from 1951 that I just had to link.
It's by Billy Ward and His Dominoes
Look at those lyrics !




Sixty-minute man, sixty-minute man

Look a here girls I'm telling you now
They call me "Lovin' Dan"
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man

If you don't believe I'mm all that I say
Come up and take my hand
When I let you go you'll cry "Oh yes,"
"He's a sixty-minute man

There'll be 15 minutes of kissing
Then you'll holler "please don't stop"
There'll be 15 minutes of teasing
And 15 minutes of squeezing
And 15 minutes of blowing my top

If your man ain't treating you right
Come up and see ol' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man

Sixty-minute man
They call me Lovin' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man

Sixty-minute man
They call me Lovin' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man

There'll be 15 minutes of kissing
Then you'll holler "please don't stop"
There'll be 15 minutes of teasing
And 15 minutes of squeezing
And 15 minutes of blowing my top

If your man ain't treating you right
Come up and see ol' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man, oh yeah
SIXTY-MINUTE MAN

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Whitefield Loch to Knock Fell September 2010

It's Saturday the 25th of September 2010
Todays walk is one we've done before with a slight difference.
2008 Walk
My thanks to my fellow snapper Scoop for a number of todays photographs.
As is my usual practise when I've written the walk report,I'll use that for the blog.

A cold but sunny morning greeted the twenty ramblers meeting at the car park of Whitefield Loch for the walk to Knock Fell.

They began by heading east following the tarmac road running along the southern edge of the loch.
It's the start of the pike fishing season,and a number of anglers were already out looking for the early bite.

I don't know the story behind this memorial,but Brian Chapman will be remembered.


Reaching the end of the wooded area around the loch,they now took to the farm track towards Machermore and the Knock of Luce.Beyond Machermore a small flock of dyed Scottish Blackface sheep eyed the group with some curiosity.A knowledgeable group member explained the various reasons for dyeing sheep.

Behind them the sun glinted off Luce Bay and the Mull of Galloway lighthouse.

A recce on Thursday saw myself and the Stationmaster trying to change the route and make it into a circular.We'd taken the farm/forest track up to Craigenveoch and took to the moors over towards Loch Robin.Long sections over the moors had remnants of farm tracks,but equally lots of boggy ground.A cairn,possibly a shepherds, sits on a piece of raised ground.
We'd almost abandoned the possibility of crossing this way with the group when our mind was made up for us.We'd reached a drystone wall with a three stranded barbed wire fence at either side.We both surmounted the obstacle on the recce,but it's doubtful we'd have got the group over without incident.

They continued on a steady incline passing Knock of Luce cottage and a water pumping station.

Next they reached Knock of Luce where a good many horses,fowl and water birds were admired.

Piles of stones to the south were identified as the ruins of St Johns Chapel and St Johns Well.An artefact from here showing a Maltese Cross carved in relief is in the museum in Stranraer.

Just beyond Knock of Luce the farm track ended and they entered a field of horses and turned north.

The horses were a colourful mix of Shetland Dartmoor and Pure Bred ponies,and were very friendly and entrancing.They seemed to welcome the intrusion.Many photographs were taken.

We hung about this field for a short while.The horses were enjoying our company as we were theirs.

Now they turned back west for the steady climb to the summit of Knock Fell.

Below us is a covered reservoir built around the 1950's,I can't find any information on the net about it,but it's to do with Port William's water supply I'm reliable informed.

This is the only real effort we'll expend today.

And we're up and 'Mr Know It All' is pointing out landmarks.

Knock Fell is only 175 metres high,but commands amazing views in clear weather.
Places identified on this clear autumn day included the Ayrshire Hills,the Mountains of Mourne,the Isle of Man and the Cumbrian Mountains.Skiddaw was easily identifiable.

A benchmark on the trigpoint.A fellow walker had another name besides benchmark,and that's Flush Brackets
Apparently trig baggers know all about flush brackets,take pictures of them and upload them to the Ordnance Survey's Bench Mark pages.
See here Benchmarks and Flush Brackets

We'd two lovely dogs with us today.Here's Bella trying to coax some food from her master.

A lunch break was taken just below the summit and looking towards Mochrum and Black lochs.

A background of the Galloway Hills.

Artfield Fell windfarm (The new one near Barrhill was also visible),a cairn or barrow,and Loch Robin in front of Craigenveoch farmstead.

After an extended break they descended to the farmtrack and retraced their route back to Whitefield loch.

Now they took the forest road to the north of the loch heading towards Craigenveoch.Leaving the main track they made their way through the forest to reach the ruins of the walled gardens of the former baronial mansion of Craigenveoch House.With three walls and parts of the potting sheds still standing, the group explored the area.Now mostly overgrown there were still reminders of it's former glory,and group member took away saplings of Irish Yew to replant.

The foundations of Craigenveoch House were next to be explored.During the walk one group member produced rare photographs of the house.

There's still a few remnants around...maybe I'll do some more exploration.

A nearby information board explains that due to a series of events the house was abandoned and eventually razed to the ground in the 1950's.

Next they returned to the lochside to the sensory garden built by the National Schizophrenia Fellowship where another short break was taken.

Monty's our other guest quadruped today.
We passed the time of day with some anglers fishing for pike.
The sun's still shining brightly as we leisurely make our way back to the cars.We couldn't have asked for nicer weather.Today was good.

Next week, Saturday the 2nd of October,the walk is a circular taking in the summits of Cairnsmore of Dee and Benniguinea. Meet for car sharing at the Breastworks, Stranraer, 9.00am,the Riverside, Newton Stewart, 9.30am, or the walk start at the Raiders Road North car park (NX 547 752) at 10am. All welcome, new members or anyone going directly to the start, please phone the walk leader 01671403351.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Portpatrick Circular September 2010

It's Saturday the 18th of September 2010 and todays walk is a circular walk starting at Portpatrick.
It was a nice warm morning in Newton Stewart,but arriving at Portpatrick more clothes had to be donned...very cold and breezy.
The weather forecast I'd looked at had made me optimistic of a nice dry walk.As it happened it was blustery and rainy for most of the walk...once again Galloway weather pleasing itself.

There were 21 of us as we began the walk from the south end car park.

The first section was along the track of the old railway line,the back of Dunskey Castle and the caravan parks before leaving the village in an easterly direction.
The car and tree above were the most photogenic things on this section.I daren't upload a certain ramblers facial contortions I snapped...more than my life's worth.

Moving through the Dunskey Estate we come to the listed buildings of Dunskey home farm.Is that a bell tower ?

A short break allows the back markers to catch up.This is the main entrance to the Dunskey estate.Next we crossed the B738 and headed northwards on a farm track towards Dinvin and Auchenree.
While moving up this track,an estate land-rover with two gamekeepers or something of that ilk stopped us to enquire our reasons for heading this way.Our walk leader calmly told them of our route and the permission she'd received from a particular farmer.If they'd approached me with the same menacing tone,I doubt that I'd been as calm...you know my thoughts on this subject,too many people are trying to challenge Scotlands 'Right to Roam' law and too many 'Private No Entry' signs are going up.

My main camera stayed in it's case throughout todays walk,hence no great pictures.
Now we're heading to the North Rhins Windfarm at Craigenlee Fell.

We take lots of pictures up here...

...thanks to Scoop for the above.

To show the perspective,I had to stitch (not very well either) two pictures together.
These are 70 metres high with the blades having a 40 metre diameter revolution.

A bleak granite quarry near Craigskelly allows us some relief from the weather for our first break.

Back on the move and the weather's not improving.

Proof that the windfarm is in production.I've no idea why this sign tickles me !

Now we're overlooking Knockquhassen reservoir.I erroneously pointed out a hill to the left as being Slewtrain Hill.I was wrong it's the one at the other side in the above picture.
It's significance in this blog is that it began a trend.Isn't that right Slew ?


At this point we now join the SUW,the Southern Upland Way.We were along this section back in January.
January Walk
Above is one of last years 'Waymerks',this year another batch have gone out.
See here Waymerks

We're again heading west.As well as beef stock,frogs and sheep we get lucky and see Peregrine falcons.

Beyond Knock and Maize now we again come to the A738.These horses I do believe are Clydesdale.

Now heading towards Killantringan Lighthouse.
Killantringan Fell is to the south,and it's quite astonishing that our group have never been up to it's trigpoint.
Watch this space!


Now we're on the coastal path with the wreck of the Craigantlet showing prominently.
Thanks to http://www.scran.ac.uk for the small original thumbnail.

After climbing back up to the clifftop above Portavaddie we had our second break.A short break in the bad weather was much appreciated.Still no sign of basking sharks though.
Thanks again to Scoop for the above picture.

We're nearing the headland at Catebraid now.

Now we're coming to Lairds Bay.

The chained walkway is slippy from the rain and progress is steady and safe.These bays are Port Kale and Port Mora on the OS map,but locally known as Lairds and Sandeel Bays.

I've blogged these caves before.
2008 Visit
There's no sign of the weather improving.Large black clouds are looming and the group are now in a haste to finish the walk.

There's been nothing strenuous about todays walk,but we're a stretched out group as we get back to a rather deserted Portpatrick.
A longish walk of which better weather would have enhanced,but the company was as usual the best.