Maybole - A circular walk

Monday the 10th of December

I'm up at the South Ayrshire town of Maybole for a walk with the Teacher and the Ranger.

It's a frosty, but brilliantly clear day.

The Ayrshire blogger has done this walk a number of times.

Gordon's July walk  

Our walk started at the swimming pool car park at the south end of Maybole.

Our initial route took us south beneath the War Memorial and alongside the golf course.

This is Fordhouse once a grain mill according to Canmore, alternative name is Abbeymill Burn

This is the ford next to Fordhouse, it's only used by agricultural machinery judging by the tracks these days.

I guess that's the Abbeymill Burn running through it. 

Just before Drummullan we turn right onto a minor road for a steady uphill climb.

The minor road runs out at the rear of Kildoon Hill and we're onto open countryside.

After crossing the Altewan Burn, a short road walk takes us along to Lower Burncrooks where a right turn takes us heading south again.

There's plenty of ice around.

Tarmac again runs out and we've a muddy track through Ghaist Glen. The frost in the ground makes the going a lot easier. Continuing south westerly below Craigdow Hill. (I'd spotted Craigdow Hill quite a distance away when we started this walk, maybe it's not the easy walk I thought it would be), we join a track that was once a busy thoroughfare.

The Cairn of Drummochreen marks the spot where Andrew MacAlexander of Drummochreen, was attacked and murdered by Hew Kennedy of Girvanmains in September 1599.

Reaching High Newlands, a steady climb now takes us up Glenshalloch Hill.

Here we change direction to walk easterly along a ridge of summits with views either side.

There's a big herd of highland cattle keeping an eye on us.

The Teacher and the Ranger

The Ranger with her extraordinary long sight spots a mansion below us.

A full zoom brings up the above image.

A quick look at the map tells me it's Kilkerran House.There's some interesting facts on the Maybole website.

It's recognized as the ancestral home of the Clan Fergusson/Ferguson.

The present clan chief is Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran, 9th Baronet, who lives here with his family. 

Leaving the nobility aside we continue along the tops with views down to Maybole, over to the snow capped peak of Goatfell on Arran, and over to the northern Galloway Hills.

Laid out below are the ruins of Craigfin Farm. Looks about right for a spot of renovation.

With the Teacher leading we've kept up a good pace and arrive at Trigpoint 2514 on top of Craigfin Hill.

It's complete with flush bracket number S8088. Bottom left in the above collage is Lower Burncrooks. We'll remember it for the barking of dogs as we passed on our outward route. 

We stopped for lunch overlooking the village of Crosshill.

As we passed above Craigfin farm, I noticed the ruins of a structure to one side (bottom left above). Not taking a lot of notice of it, I see on the OS map there's a spring around here. Maybe that was it ?

The last downhill track to the tarmac road threw up this nice icy fingers portrait.

Now on the road back to Maybole, we saw a shepherd on a quad bike with two sheep dogs entering a field of sheep. I started recording thinking we'd be getting a round up. I've a feeling he's just exercising his dogs judging by this half a minute.

   

A train passed on it's way to Girvan, the low sun shone extremely brightly on it's windows.

I was taking pictures of Texels and Equus when the Ranger spotted a far more fierce animal...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

No worries though, it looks like it's sleeping !

Back in Maybole we took a walk up to the War Memorial. It's a fine big structure and kinda reminds me of the one at Stornaway though nowhere near as big and grand.

That was a really good walk. Thanks for the company guys.

The sun was just going down when I arrived back in Newton Stewart