Waterfalls,Mountain Bikers,Goats and Alexander Murray

It's Friday the 23rd of September.I'd been for a short tryout walk yesterday to see if I'm mending enough to walk with the ramblers on Saturday.Felt pretty rough after a few miles and went home.

What a difference a day makes.I'm still getting rough twinges in my bad knee,but the painkillers help.

I took myself up the Queensway ,parked up at Talnotry and walked down to the Palnure.

There's been quite a bit of wet weather so there was plenty of water in the Palnure.

A short way on I came to McMoab.See here
Kirroughtree 7stanes mountain biking scotland

As I climbed up to take a few pictures I saw a group of Mountain Bikers heading towards the slab.

One of the group by the name of Paul was only one of two who braved the final roll off,and he did it twice.

I'm not sure that these pictures do it justice,it's quite a drop.The other guy to come down was glad he did it for the 'Rush' it gave him.Another member of the group said he'd rather have a part of his anatomy tightened in a vice than come over the top.

A few decided to take a break and pictures.

Hope you all enjoyed the trail guys.

I took the forest track to the east from McMoab.It travels parallel to the Palnure.
Across on Craigdews Crag a couple of  big ravens flew off.

Behind me stands Murray's Monument.

The forest track comes to an end and the last section to Dunkitterick Cottage is a scramble through a section of forest.

There's a comprehensive write up about Alexander Murray on Electric Scotland.
See here Significant Scots

For the son of a shepherd with very little opportunity for learning he achieved much.In his day the main thoroughfare,the Old Edinburgh Road was the other side of Craigdews Crag and only smugglers and law breakers would pass by Dunkitterick.His real education began when one such person recognizing his intelligence dropped off some books for him.
Sadly he died of consumption at the age of 37.

Now I head back to the Queensway and recross the Palnure.

A short walk back along the Queensway brings me to the Wild Goat Park.There's roughly between 60 and 70 in this controlled park,but there are hundreds more all around the Galloway Hills.

I watched for a while as King Billy stood no nonsense from the herd or other males.


I took some video,here's a short clip.

Now I'm climbing up to Murrays Monument and the knee seems to be holding up.

I wonder how many man hours went into building this back in 1835.

Now,rather than go back down the road I came up I make my way down through the trees to the west of the monument.

Reaching the Well Burn of Talnotry it's a short walk back to my car.
I might well walk tomorrow (Saturday)