Wigtownshire Ramblers Brambles Stranraer to Castle Kennedy January 2015

11th January 2015

Saturday's walk had a new leader due to injury and a new route for safety reasons.

Our new leader was G.I.Joe with Miss Goodnight backing him up.

The walk turned out to be a 'Gallimaufry' of several walks we've completed.

This Castle Kennedy link covers many of them.

I've written the press report for the walk, as usual it'll follow the pictures which will also include a selection of Scoops.

The weather forecast was bad, but the weather was better than most of us expected.

Walk start from Brambles Cafe along Stoneykirk Road

I'm not sure what happened here. On the ground they seem to be walking together, yet above the fields something's not quite right. 

Aha ! Right click, open in new tab and you can see the join.

Power lines included for another blogger of high renown 

A shower of sleet and hail arriving

A muddy field followed by a short climb through Boreland Woods

A bonny sight o' some deer, verra shy cratures

A pair o naw sae shy cratures

Tarmac road to Low Boreland

Ayr to Stranraer train

Path through Long Planting

A Castle Kennedy resident and one of their vehicles

Across Loch of Inch (White Loch) to the old castle

The newer Lochinch Castle

Lunchtime seating

Yew tree, domain of a flitting Goldcrest

Above might well have been a REME building. Barrack room foundations were everywhere along here

An exploration of the old Inch Parish Church ruins

Memorials to the Earls of Stair and their families

John David James Dalrymple is the 14th Earl of Stair (born 4 September 1961) and is a British politician

Some happy explorers

Approach road to Lochinch Castle

The boat house with apparent wind damage close by

Adorable equine

Crossing the A77

The top cat of Limekilns Lodge

Through the Culhorn Estate

The power lines have come out better in sketch form

Back through the woods and all that remains of the old Culhorn House and back to Brambles

Back on a Walk of 2008 the Brambles was called the Galloway Tea Rooms.

Here's a selection from my fellow snapper

SCOOP

......and here's the walk report

Wigtownshire Ramblers Walk Report

Saturday the 10th of January 2015

Despite a forecast of high winds and wintry showers, twenty one ramblers met at the Brambles Cafe car park in Stranraer for the walk. This was an alternative to the programmed coastal walk for safety reasons. 

Well wrapped up against the biting wind, we set off by heading south along the Stoneykirk Road.

After passing multicoloured sheep and some fine horses at Clashmahew, the route took the minor road past Culreoch to join the route of the Southern Upland Way. This was short lived as we took to a muddy field just before Culhorn Mains. The sky was a mixture of sun and dark clouds and we now experienced a short sleety hailstone shower.

After the mud, it was a relief to climb up through Boreland Wood where a short stop got us our breath back.

We were now walking south on a short section of the Mull of Galloway Trail.

To the west a group of five or six deer studied our passing before bounding away out of sight.

At High Barnultoch, more fine horses came up to a gate to be admired.

On reaching the tarmac road we turned east before turning back north along the Low Boreland farm track. Here sweeties were distributed while our walk leader considered where the sounds of shotguns were coming from. With the shooting season well advanced, it seemed there were many shoots this day.

Back on the move, we continued along wet farm tracks before coming back onto tarmac at Gallahill. After passing the newest Culhorn House we rejoined the Southern Upland Way. Another short stretch of tarmac brought us to the woods of Long Planting. This took us past the foundations and ruins of the one time military camp that existed here. A short walk through Castle Kennedy village brought us down to the beautiful Loch of Inch from where we could see over to both the old and new Lochinch castles. A blown down tree provided ample seating for a lunch break. 

Lunch wasn't a long affair. Due to another shower of rain and sleet, we needed to move before the cold could penetrate. As we readied to move it was a joy to watch a tiny Goldcrest flitting about the branches of a yew tree. Now our route took us anti clockwise alongside the White Loch. The mature woods of American Cedars and other large firs led to open parkland and the road to Lochinch Castle.

 A short distance along this road brought us to the ruins of the old parish church of Inch, which was explored. Memorial headstones to various Earls of Stair were predominant.The family name Dalrymple was seen on many of the wall plaques. The church and nearby school were closed in 1861. 

Leaving the road we passed a couple of delightful Shetland ponies before making our way through Hamilton Wood to the busy A75.

After crossing the A75 we passed the Auchrochar Wetlands SSI before retracing part of our route on the Southern Upland Way.

Shortly after turning into the Culhorn Estate at Limekiln Lodge we needed to take a short break to await the conclusion of a shoot taking place. Pleasantries were passed as we encountered the shooting party. 

Soon we reached the ruined shell of the old Culhorn House. Apparently, when Lady Stair moved to Culhorn House in 1792 the garden grew a remarkable range of vegetables, including five types of onion and six varieties of cabbage.

Big Plantation and Witches Howe Woods  brought us to Commerce Road and the pavement back to Brambles and the walk finish.Excellent after walk refreshments were soon being enjoyed at the Brambles Cafe, a fitting end to a good long walk.

The next walk, on Saturday the 17th of January is an 10 or 11 mile circular B- walk in Bargaly Glen. Meet for car sharing at the Riverside, Newton Stewart at 09.30 am. The Breastworks Car Park, Stranraer at 09.00 am, or the walk start at the Fisherman Car Park, Stronord (NX441648) at 10.00 am. New members are always welcome.  If going to the walk start or for more information, contact walk leader on 01671 402733.