Big Water of Fleet Viaduct to Loch Fleet

Thursday the 6th of January.
Todays forecast is cold but bright.
I'm going to have a look at Loch Fleet.

The sun's just up as I park at the Big Water of Fleet viaduct.I think there's probably a track over the viaduct,but I'll take a look at that another time.

It's all forest track I'll walk today,and after passing Cullendoch I take a right turn.I'm not taking the shortest route.

Over to the west the Cairnsmore has had a fall of snow overnight.

There's still a lot of ice and snow in the forest.

This bridge takes me over the Little Water of Fleet.
This burn drains from Loch Fleet,while the Big Water of Fleet comes from the eastern slopes of Cairnsmore.

Reaching Darncree there's evidence of a car rally,and a zoomed in bird that may be a buzzard.

The burn looks and sounds beautiful.

Now I'm at the road up to Loch Fleet.It's a steady climb up to 340 Mtrs and most of the track is iced up.There's a nice clear view of Blackcraig (Cairnsmore) of Dee.

This is my first view of the loch.Loch Fleet is a small upland lake in the hills of Galloway in southwest Scotland. In the 1970s the waters of the loch became more acidic and a brown trout fishery failed.
More on this can be found here.Loch Fleet

This wooden bridge doesn't look all that safe,but if I want to have my lunch in sunshine I've got to cross it.My fears were unfounded,it was ok.

After I'd eaten I took a couple of panoramas.Most of the loch's still frozen over.The summit of the Fell of Fleet is only another 130 Mtrs up.

There's weather measuring instruments around the loch.Perhaps those are light meters on the far bank ?
It's suddenly got very cold.Time I was on my way back.

I'm going back past Benmeal.There's an interesting feature close by by the name of 'Nick of the Dead Man's Banes'. I'll have to look at that sometime too.

These logs are too big for my new Dowling Stove.

The same frozen puddle from different angles.
I get back to the car before dark anyway.

Here's an arty collage.

This walk worked out at just over ten miles,all on forest road.

If I add the Fell of Fleet and Loch Grannoch it's only another mile.

A possibility for a ramblers summer walk.