Wigtownshire Ramblers Dailly Circular October 2011

A wet day as 14 of us gather at Dailly in South Ayrshire for todays walk.It's a bit wet so it'll be a different walk from what was originally planned.
For another view of this walk have a look at Gordon's Blog

Pictures will be poor as I'll only be using my little supermarket cheap camera.
The press report will be below.

A wet start at Dailly

A plaque on the nearby Dailly Parish Church

Curlingstone Waymarker

Alongside the Lindsayston Burn.

Through Kibbert Woods and fun crossing the burn

Friendly horses and retreating cattle.

Trotter Vision ?

Our first look at Dalquharran Castle.

Insurance Job ?

Bridge over the River Girvan

Old Dalquharran Castle.

The date refers to an extension,it was built earlier.
The motto below reads 'Ut Scriptura Sonat Finis Non Pugna Coronat.
It's a quote from a13th century book,"rhetorica novissima" by boncompagno da signa,published in 1235.
the quote means "when your writing sonnets,you're not fighting the crown" or something close.



More interesting features.

A handsome gatekeeper.

Tree lined avenue (I forgot to mention below there were quite a number of old Yew trees on the estate)

New Dalquharran Castle.

Fabulous stonework.

I've given the above picture the original title, "Through a brick"

Around the back.Autumn trees.

Magnificent.

View of Dailly, lodge house and cows in the mud.

Back into Dailly.

Wigtownshire Ramblers Walk Report.Wigtownshire Ramblers Walk Report.
Saturday the 29th of October 2011.

Fourteen intrepid walkers made the trip up to Dailly in South Ayrshire for the walk.
Wind and rain were the order of the day as the group set off eastwards from Dailly square.

After crossing the B741 Girvan road and passing the cemetery, the track followed the crystal waters of the Lindsayston Burn.Reaching Low Park a stile led to a path alongside the burn.Ornate walk markers in the shape of curling stones were seen at various stages.
A series of delightful waterfalls and pools graced this section.

The path now led through Kibbert and Lindsayston Woods.
A wide burn,a closed gate,a muddy path and a herd of cattle required some subtle manoevering before progress could be made.
Once through the gate a trio of friendly excited Clydesdale horses came up to the fence to say hello.

Reaching a minor tarmac road at Lindsayston the route now headed north.An outside piggery hut with a satellite dish attached intrigued and amused the group.
The original plan was to climb Barony Hill,but poor and sometimes worsening conditions prompted the walk leader to alter the route.
At Gettybeg a farm track now led back towards Dailly.
Stretches of standing water were carefully negotiated along here, and after passing Balcamie Farm they soon arrived back in Dailly.

Now,to make up for the abandoned climb it was decided to cross the River Girvan and walk to the old and new castles of Dalquharran.
After crossing a very fashionably designed footbridge the track followed the river bank until the ruins of the old castle of Dalquharran were reached.
Here the group had their lunch break.
Viewed during and after lunch, this 16th century ruin once the property of the Kennedys of Culzean proved to have some interesting points.
Coats of Arms,carved figures and a doorway lintel with the inscription "Ut Scriptura Sonat Finis Non Pugna Coronat" were found.

Moving north west 300 yards stood the magnificent 'New Dalquharran Castle'.
Last occupied in the early 1960's this Robert Adam designed country house stands on a bluff with a large area of open ground and was commissioned in 1781 by the husband of Adam's niece,Thomas Kennedy of Dunure.
 .
In 1967 the then owners of the house had the lead removed from the roof to avoid paying rates.Now only the masonry shell remains intact.
On the cards,there's a £20m project by Ritz-Carlton to turn the ruins into one of Britain's top hotels and golf complexes.Jack Nicklaus will be commissioned to design the new golf course.

Continuing through the estate grounds the group reached the north lodge house.A short road walk back to Dailly followed by tea,coffee and confectionery concluded a wet but very interesting day.
The next walk on Saturday the 5th of November is C + walk of 6.5 Miles in the Machars.Meet for car sharing at 9.00am at the  Breastworks,Stranraer, 9.30am at the Riverside, Newton Stewart or at the walk start at Kilsture North Car Park (NX 436 502) at 10am.New members are always welcome, for more information or if going to the walk start, contact the walk leader on 01988 840268.

Triangulation Points S8192,S8228 and Black Benwee Hill

We're still experiencing inclement weather here in South West Scotland,but I've managed to get out and about a bit this week.
Now I'm not a trigpoint collector,but I believe there are people that are.
The fact is there's one no more than a couple of hundred yards from my house.
I'll take a roundabout route to photograph it.

This is the scene directly out of my back garden.This is Doonhill Woods.
In the spring the dawn chorus in here is absolutely and beautifully on an orchestral scale.

There's a chaffinch on my neighbours feeder.

Leaf mould is building up.

This is Doonhill House.It's a listed building.You can see from the colour of the brickwork that the rear half is much newer than the front.It's just recently finished being rebuilt.I believe it suffered major structural damage in a fire.
I'm not sure when the fire was, but the house was on the market in 2001 for the sum of £330,000.
Here's the sellers description.

8 Aug 2001

Let it pay its own expenses LUXURY letting can be a smart move when it comes to maintaining a period property. As guests relax in a unique private home, the owners can put high maintenance worries to one side as their property generates a healthy income. A period home such as Doonhill House in Newton Stewart, Galloway, lends itself to a letting income. Set in three acres of ground on the edge of town, the property comes with two self-contained cottage flats in a cobbled courtyard. The house dates from 1870, and with a pillared portico, fine reception rooms, impressive entrance hall and broad staircase, was evidently built for a person of some means. Typical of the period, the dining room and drawing room have bay windows, deep skirting boards and ornate plasterwork. The proportions of the rooms are generous and they have been adapted to modern living. The entrance hall, with seating area and open fire, sets the tone for the rest of the house, spacious and welcoming. Off the hall are the dining room and drawing room and there is a separate sitting room, a home office and kitchen. Far from being the domain of servants, the kitchen is now at the heart of the home. Upstairs are five bedrooms, a dressing room and two bathrooms. Cellars run the length of the house and to the rear is a courtyard surrounded by storerooms. Beyond the house, screened by trees, the former stables on their cobbled courtyard have been converted into two flats, each with lounge, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. These can provide letting income, from holidaymakers or from longer term lets. In an area famed for its gardens, Doonhill can hold its own, with fine trees including Wellingtonians and Douglas Firs, some thought to be older even than the house itself. Newton Stewart lies just off the A75, which links the M74 via Dumfries to the ferry terminal for Ireland at Stranraer. 

There's a view of the front of the house here Simon Winstanley

And here perched on top of Doon Hill at a height of 79 Mtrs and at Grid Reference NX403653 is Trigpoint S8192 complete with flush bracket.

Moving on to another day I've parked just past Mains of Penninghame farm by the fishing pond.

The Bishop Burn has a copious flow. .N.B A 'gush' is a sudden copious flow.Got that ?

I'm heading south along farm and forest track towards the Wood of Auchleand.Seagulls are swooping.

After passing a field of running sheep (I don't think it was me who spooked them.Hen Harriers have been seen in the area though),I reach the forest and turn west.

Remnants of a little hardcore quarrying I think.

The forest track has one spur off it leading nowhere.The main track also comes to a dead end.
There are a few forest rides, but none that appear to be easily navigated.
Perhaps in dryer weather some walking routes may be discovered.

There's plenty fungi and weeds about.

Now a massive climb up through the woods to a height of  83 Mtrs ha ha, gets me on top of Wood Fell....

...to Trigpoint S8228 at Grid Reference NX401594 and again complete with Flush Bracket.

But there's a bonus here.

This one still retains its OSTS Spider Cap.I don't know who steals these but that's often the case on Triangulation pillars.

Here's a few views from up here.

As I head back to my car I'm treated to a swooping display by starlings.

Not as big as some of the massive flocks I've seen down in Lincolnshire but entertaining none the less.

 ...and here's a sunset from my back window that night.

Wednesday the 26th of October .The forecast is for showers,but I'm hoping to climb a wee hill.I drive down to Auchinleck and park up.

The right hand hill in the above picture is Black Benwee.
In the last Newton Stewart Walkfest, Black Benwee was the first hill on a strenuous 15k walk called 'The Three Wee's'.The other 'Wee's' being White Benwee and Curleywee.
I'd abandoned a previous attempt because of torrential rain.

It's roughly three and a half kilometre's along forest road........

.............with much of it following the Penkiln Burn.
The autumn colours are really coming out now. At least I've some shelter from the showers.

After crossing the Penkiln,I take the forest track that runs along it's eastern bank.

A short while after passing Hespies Linn waterfall I start to climb.

It's only 368 mtrs or 1200 feet.
On the walkfest it says rough open ground.
The truth is it's rough forested ground. Ok while following some of the tracks,but pretty rough going.

There's plenty to see underfoot. Lots of fungi this time of year............

.....with some still flowering heather.

As I gain height I get nice views back to Wigtown Bay.Larg Hill is topped with cloud.

It's a case of watching each step as I photograph more fungi.
There's still a couple of areas of uncut forest and it's a respite to make my way through the trees in one of these.
The top part of the hill was never forested and what I'm met with is boggy tussocks.
No one around to listen to my profanities as I trudge the last short distance.


Across from me I can see Drigmorn and Millfore.

I think the size of the cairn reflects the popularity of this hill.

My ten second delay gets this picture.

Ahead are White Benwee and Curleywee.I won't be doing them today.

To the north Larg and Lamachan are still covered in cloud.

While to the south Craignelder and Cairnsmore are in the clear.
I'll try descending to the forest road near the Pulbae Burn.

The terrain down this way is colourful but no different to my climb.

I disturb half a dozen deer.Most of them scoot off,but as I stand still, a couple of them although wary stay still.

This was the best zoom I could get.

Finally down on the forest road and it rains again.
A couple of views of Auchinleck finishes my walk.

If I do make this a part of a future walk it'll be a challenge.