Wigtownshire Ramblers Portpatrick September 2011

It's Saturday the 10th of September 2011. Today's walk is out at Portpatrick and I think the BBC got the weather forecast wrong.It was supposed to be dry by 10am.

It was a walk of two halves really.A fairly wet first half,then after lunch it was dry.

There's another report of this same walk on my pal from Ayr's blog.

This is the link to his page.

 Gordon's Blog

The report for the local press will be after the pics.

A wet Portpatrick.Where are the tourists now ?

The path down to Port Mora

Seal in Lairds Bay (Port Kale)

Waterfall Dunskey Glen

Nicely put !

Dunskey Estate road

Dunskey Home Farm Bell Tower

I seem to remember linking this before.I should be on commision.

Ben Ma Cree

Dunskey Castle.....

................means lunchtime

No more mud after Craigoch Bridge now.

Dunskey Castle 

Morroch Bay.

(This is the bay with the 'Private' sign at the entrance road.They also give the impression on their website that the bay is completely private.

I think we need to organise a walk along this beach at the height of the holiday season.I'll see what I can do.)

Our rugged Galloway  coastline will rival any other in the country

Belted Galloways on the way to Eagle View

Hush-Hush

(In a previous post I said that this had been converted to a holiday home.Sorry !)

Heading back towards Portpatrick

The old railway above Portree Bridge

Above the railway cutting

Back to the Port

Guess the profession of the owner of this house ?

You might well be right !

Wigtownshire Ramblers Walk Report

Saturday the 10th of September 2011

Wind and showers greeted the fourteen walkers who gathered at Portpatrick's South Car Park for the walk.

The walk began by going north through the village to the start of the Southern Upland Way.The harbour was quiet.

Gaining the cliff path via the steps up to the Portpatrick Hotel,keen golfers were spotted on the Dunskey course.

From the coastguard station the path continued past Yellow Isle to reach the zig-zag descent to Port Mora.A seal was spotted occasionally surfacing.

As squally showers continued care was taken descending to the caves below.After crossing the short sandy beach,the cliff path now led round to Lairds Bay aka Port Kale.

Here a second seal was observed with head high out of the water, unconcerned with the disturbance to it's solitude.

At Port Kale the odd looking Coastal Interpretation Centre was observed. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was the cable hut for the terminus of telegraph and telephone cables from Scotland to Ireland.

Now the coastal path was abandoned for the path up Dunskey Glen.

This followed the route of the Dunskey burn through mature woodland,over wooden bridges and over a scenic waterfall.

Reaching Dunskey Home Farm with it's unique bell tower a farm track was followed back towards Portpatrick.

A short walk down Main Street led to Portree Terrace, the road to Portpatrick's numerous caravan parks.After passing the first of these,a farm track led back to the coastal path and the atmospheric Dunskey Castle.

By now the rain had stopped and lunch was taken beside the castle.Having been built in 1510,the castle fell into ruin in 1684.The current owner is thought to be a Danish millionaire who wanted to buy a part of Scotland.

After lunch the coastal path was again followed.Out to sea,herring gulls and gannets were seen.High winds whipped up the waves and sent them crashing spectacularly onto the rocks. 

Upon reaching the Craigoch burn a pleasant surprise was in store. Previous walks climbing up from the bridge was always a muddy,slippy, sliding affair.Repairs to the path and extensive laying of stone and steps have totally eradicated the problem.

Now the higher ground of Craigoch Park Moor brought the group to the clifftops of the beautiful Morroch Bay.

After rounding the bay a change of direction took the walkers inland to the former radar station known as Hush Hush.A rectangular brick building with a concrete roof this remnant of WW2 having been refused planning permission for conversion awaits it's destiny.

A tarmac road now took the walkers back towards Portpatrick.

Upon reaching Portree Bridge the old railway line was accessed to take the group back to the coastal path and the steps back down to the car park and walk finish.

Tea and cakes and occasional glimpses of the sun concluded another lovely walk.

The next walk, on Saturday the 17th of September will be a nine and a half mile ' A ' grade walk of the "Five Lochs" in the Galloway Hills. 

Meet at the Riverside car park Newton Stewart at 9.30 am,the Breastworks, Stranraer at 9.00 am for car sharing, or at the walk start at Bruce's Stone Car Park (NX 416 805) at 10.00am.

New members are always welcome, for more information or if going to the walk start, contact the walk leader on 01671 820527