Wigtownshire Ramblers Dailly November 2013

Saturday the 2nd of November

Today's walk was to be one we've did in July 2012

Our leader was to be the 'Teacher', but with a damaged toe from a game of football in Mauritius that honour has fallen on the Ayrshire Blogger. 

I took my car and made the wrong decision of taking the Straiton Road north of Glentrool.

My apologies to my two lady passengers for an uncomfortable ride.

The walk leaders report (with embellishments by yours truly) will follow the pictures. 

Still, we got to the walk start on time. Here's our leader explaining the route.

Waymarker curling stone at the entrance to Lindsayston Woods.

Someone's gone to a lot of trouble. As kids, me and my cousins used to make dens in the woods. Nothing as elaborate as this though.

My main camera never left my house today. Though I had to wipe the lens occasionally, my little Fuji recorded the walk fine.

Now here was a surprise, but only after I'd downloaded the pictures. It was the gates I was photographing, I never noticed the sheep behind the wire. Perhaps my hood obscured my view.

We're back at the start, but we'll be moving on. 

One thing waterproofs do is to add colour !

Roses in November and a good idea to remind pet owners of their responsibilities.

Sorbus aucuparia, commonly called rowan and mountain-ash

A break in the clouds........

...............with a little bit of sunshine.

Foresters house.

The River Girvan

Footbridge by the 7th Fairway on the Brunston Castle Golf Course

There are three footbridges, the golf course is either side.

Here's a rainbow coming.

Our illustrious leader.

That's a cracking rainbow.

The two concluding pictures are from Slew's (our walk leader in case you'd forgotten) camera.

Nice picture Gordon.

The Moonrings Cafe

Considering the weather this was an enjoyable walk. 

Saturday the 2nd of November

On a very wet morning, fifteen walkers gathered in the village square in Dailly, a former mining village in South Ayrshire. With waterproofs donned they started the walk by leaving the village going east to Lindsayston Woods. Here they passed some interesting path markers. These were designed as over-sized curling stones due to the proximity of the curling pond. Once in the forest it was a wee bit drier due to the canopy of the large trees. The path followed the tumbling, bubbling Lindsayston Burn where a heron was spotted taking off. Steady progress was made due to large amounts of fallen leaves making the path slippery. Climbing out of the woods, an unclassified tarmac road was accessed. Turning left down the hill they passed Lindsayston Farm. On a previous visit, a satellite dish had been spotted on top of a pig hut. With the dish now lying against the hut, it’s assumed that ‘Sty TV’ has gone off the air.
 Continuing along the road they reached a crossroads at Gettybeg. Once the back markers had caught up, the walk leader declared it was “decision time”. At this junction, heading east would be up to the summit of Barony Hill, shrouded in wet mist, while heading west was an alternative walk, keeping lower down to avoid the worst of the weather. It was unanimous to stay lower down. A track was now followed back to the village. On re-crossing the Lindsayston burn, the second heron of the day was spotted wading.
After passing through the village, a trail took the group into the grounds of Brunston Castle golf course, almost deserted due to the weather conditions. Crossing the fairways, a stop was taken to admire some very fine sorbus trees with the groups’ amateur dendrologist explaining that the sorbus is a member of the rowan family. After climbing a couple of fences they entered the woods of the Bargany Estate to walk along the side of the River Girvan. The river was in full spate after all the recent rainfall. A temporary break in the weather allowed the group to sit on the river bank to have lunch watching the water raging past with a backdrop of woodland now in full autumn colours. After lunch the river was followed through Brunston Castle golf course. The river splits the course with a number of foot bridges connecting the fairways, a water hazard for several holes.
After a particularly torrential hail storm, the walk leader wisely decided the plan to visit the remains of Brunston Castle be shelved till the next visit as most walkers were ‘drookit’. A break in the rain brought a highly colourful rainbow into view.
Arriving back in Dailly and donning dry clothes, the group retired to the local tearoom for some well-earned hot drinks and fresh scones. Apart from the weather it was an interesting and varied 6 mile walk in a part of the country not often visited by the group.
Next Saturday November 9th is a ‘Trail of the Lonesome Pine’ walk from Barclye to Minnigaff.
Meet at the Breastworks Stranraer at 9.00 AM, Riverside Newton Stewart at 9.30 AM for car sharing or at the walk start at the R.S.P.B  Car Park Barclye  (NX 386 697) at 10.00AM.
If making your own way direct to the start please telephone the leader on 01988 840268 who can also give you any further details you may require. New members are always welcome.