Wigtownshire Ramblers Ardwell Coast to Coast and Barbecue August 2014

Saturday August the 16th 2014.

The walk would take us from the east coast of the South Rhins to the west coast.

Over the years we've walked quite regularly in this area.

Here's one link that leads to other links of previous walks.

January 2012

As usual, the report will follow the pictures

Leaving Chapel Rossan Bay and entering the Ardwell Estate

Killaser Burn

Killaser Beck

Alongside Ardwell's Walled Garden

Watch the birdie !

To the woods

Exiting to Ardwell Church

It's a mighty fine piece of architecture

All twenty three of us get in the picture. Thanks John.

The stile that the minister Andrew Barr (back in the early nineteen hundreds) used to cross when coming from his manse at Aucleach to Ardwell Church.

Low Auchleach Dairy Farm

Lunch

A barn and a bull

Luce Bay views

Glenhie Smithy

Invasive Balsam and road into Clachanmore

A fun frontage

Clachanmore School then and now.

The Stationmaster by his namesake sign.

Salt Pan Cottage

Black Cave

Will Purvis circus strong man and cave dweller.

(The picture on the right is courtesy of the Dumfries and Galloway publication, 'Through the Lens' 'Glimpses of old South Rhins')

I found this poem by Patrick Scott Hogg, Cumbernauld, Scotland, 1991 on the Poetry of Scotland website.

William Purvis: The Ardwell Caveman ©

'Twixt Portpatrick and Ardwell bay
In the south Rhins of Galloway
There is a cave, weel hid away
Upon a rocky shore.

Doon thru the hawthorn, gorse and whun
A weel trod path does wynd and run
It's there Will Purvis chose to shun
The world o' money lore.

His face was known in every town
As a travellin', smiling clown:
'Twas then he chose to settle down
In 1894.

His comfort was a seat and bed
To rest his aged limbs and head
And when the sun set glowing red
The stars he did explore.

What tranquil balm and peace of mind
Comes unto him who leaves behind
The paths of fame, yet riches find
'Mid Nature's simple store?

Here, gulls cry wild upon the breeze
Waves rise and gently fall with ease
And Time, it passes as you please
When Summer's come once more.

Here, one wicked wild west wintry gale
Waves crashed and roared in angry wail
Ae night nae demon would set sail
And, Will was seen no more...

When salt spray flies o'er the Pan bay
A white-bearded ghost, so they say
Walks to the sea at break of day
Upon that eerie shore.

A seabird chorus from afar
Sings the cliff-top rocky scaur
"The wind and sea know where you are."
Will Purvis is no more!

Sheep Hank and Partan Point

A variety of beach litter

A round cap on the shoreline

Ardwell Bay beach

Uphill from beach.

Botany cottage

West High Ardwell Farm

Dairy cows

The next group of pictures are of our annual barbecue and our rambling volunteers who catered brilliantly. 

The chefs

Here's chief barbecue organizer Miss Goodnight with the dessert.

A great finish to a lovely day.

Here's the report 

Wigtownshire Ramblers 16th of August - Ardwell Coast to Coast

Twenty three walkers gathered at Chapel Rossan Bay for the walk. A breezy cloudy day brought about a change to the planned walk which would now end at High Ardwell.
We began the walk by crossing the A716 and entered the Ardwell House and Gardens estate. Almost immediately we were on one of the estates woodland walks through mature and exotic trees. We followed Killaser Beck past a scenic falling water course. As the beck widened we watched ducks and a majestic swan gliding gracefully across the water.
A fine wooden bridge took us alongside the walled garden where we again accessed another woodland path to bring us to the north western corner of the estate.
We emerged from the woods by Ardwell church. Our leader who has had a long association with this church showed us around its exterior. Constructed of freestone it held its first service back in 1902. We had a group photo taken.
At this point we were joined by a local farmer who our leader had recruited to guide us over the fields of the next section to avoid a particularly tetchy dairy bull.
In Church wood we viewed a dried up pond that once worked a water wheel. We emerged onto an area of drumlins where we were afforded excellent views across Luce Bay to the Machars. Our temporary leader also showed us a stile in a drystone wall that the minister of the church had to cross on his long walk from the manse at Auchleach to the church. Having said goodbye to the farmer we next passed through Low Auchleach farm and continued west along a farm track.
A low wall in front of stacked timber proved to be an ideal stopping place for a tea/coffee break.
Well refreshed we continued on to reach Barnunan hill, one of the highest points of the walk. Here we had even better views of Luce Bay, Sandhead,  Clayshant Control Tower and the bombing targets towards Ringdoo Point.
After passing the modernized Glenhie Smithy, now a private residence, we reached the tarmac road to Clachanmore. Our leader who’d fetched along an illustrated booklet, 'Glimpses of old South Rhins', now talked of the interesting character that was Will Purves. Will was a former circus strong man and lived in a cave near Saltpan Bay for many years at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century. He'd spend his evenings in the Smithy, entertaining the company by lifting the anvil from its stand and carrying it round the smithy. On one occasion he was annoyed by a remark. He left, took the anvil with him and left it a quarter mile away at the crossroads. The blacksmith required assistance to retrieve it!
At Clachanmore Crossroads we looked at the wonderful building that was once the schoolhouse. On reaching Low Ardwell we turned west to reach Kenmuir Farm. Our very own rambling namesake posed by the sign for a photograph.
Tarmac turned to track as we made our way onto the rocky shoreline at Saltpans Bay.
Around half the group took the fifty metre walk into the damp darkness of Black Cave, sadly we didn’t find any hidden treasure.
We continued walking carefully to reach Ardwell Bay and the beach. After a pleasant walk on the sand we turned back inland.
A steady climb took us past the Wee Ardwell Woodshop to reach High Ardwell and the walk finish.  Drivers were now ferried back to the walk start to collect their vehicles.
Meanwhile in the barn, our volunteers had been busy preparing and cooking the burgers, drumsticks, salad and side dishes in preparation for our annual barbecue.
We began to tuck in when the drivers returned. A second course of fruit, gateau and lashings of cream followed, an indulgent end to a lovely day.    
Next week’s walks will be a climb of Criffel overlooking the Nith estuary and a more gentle walk around New Abbey. The start times and meeting points are the same for both walks. Meet for car sharing at the Breastworks car park in Stranraer at 8.00 am, the Riverside car park in Newton Stewart at 8.30 am or the walk start at New Abbey Car Park (NX 964 663) at 10 am. For further details or if going direct to the walk start please phone the walk leader on 01776 840226. New members are always welcome.

Wigtownshire Ramblers Knockdolian and Barbecue June 2013

Saturday the 22nd of June.

Well, that's the longest day come and gone, soon be Christmas again.

Today's walk is a regular.

Here's the link to January's Walk which includes links to previous climbs of Knockdolian.

It's going to be a quick climb and back to the shore at Ballantrae for the barbecue.

Today's first half leader and barbecue organizer is Slewtrain also known as the Ayrshire Blogger

The forecast is for showers !

Twenty three of us start the walk, but two sensible ladies head back to the seashore soon after the start.

The weather's great as we leave Ballantrae. Marestail grows by the roadside.

It's a three mile road walk to the gate. After a short break the climb begins.

Climbers get stretched out, but the whole group makes good headway.

A break at the gate for a breather.

We're all smiles today.

Some sections are steeper than others.

Countryside views are always picturesque up here.

Two prominences at the top, which is the leader. Spot the difference.

View back to Ballantrae.

This picture reminded me of the iconic photograph by Joe Rosenthal of the U.S flag being raised on Iwo Jima.

 ...................well, maybe not.

Today we can clearly see Arran, the Mull of Kintyre, Ireland and the volcanic plug that is Ailsa Craig.

Our Sunday trip to visit the island has been cancelled due to high winds.

A nice enough picture, but a closer look shows up the camera lens damage.

Plenty pictures taken at the summit. I was again asked about the plaque to Jimmy Rennie so here's what I wrote in 2011.

 (I've had an email from Jimmy Rennie's great nephew who tells me that Jimmy lived in Colmonell most of his life and when he died this plaque was in place of a traditional headstone.

He and his direct ancestors lived in south-west Scotland right back to the 18th century at least.

His sister married Alexander Deans, so it looks like he's a distant relative by marriage.

No wonder I love this hill !)

Standing on the edge. This particular rambler is permanently on the edge............of an outbreak of laughter.

A coffee, tea and refreshment break was taken before the descent began. 

Our leader had already skipped off the top to be picked up on the road to get the barbecue on the go.

View inland of the Stinchar Valley

down we go................

....................watch your step

The advance party.

The rearguard.

Last field before the road.

A couple of the threatened showers arrived on the road back, but weren't too bad.

These guys seemed to be having fun on the river.

Back at the cars, people changed out of their walking gear and prepared for the beach and barby !

...............well, that was how it was supposed to work out.

The heavens opened and the rain came down

Our chef was impervious to the downpour..............

............he just continued to feed the hungry.

The rain did ease off after a while, we were just unlucky to finish the walk at the same time as this particular downpour. The rain didn't dispel the mood though, we had to laugh. 

Well done Gordon and Anne, we all went home nicely fed.

Now on the way back to Newton Stewart we had another call to make.

Kildonan Country House were holding a Real Ale and Music weekend, a place I'd never visited before.  

It's a quite magnificent building.

There were ten real ales on offer. We sampled a few between us.

It has a fabulous interior, but remains on Scotland's Building at Risk register.

The music on offer was being played in two rooms. Mainly by guitarists playing country and trad. 

In the room we were in were three sometimes four musicians.

The acoustic guitarist on the 'Resonator' was Nathon Jones from our neck of the woods. 

He's pretty good.

I took a little bit of video, but again I've the wrong camera with me for recording music.

Here's a short clip anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HulF6bHT4gA

Outside the rain is pelting down. We soon have to go though.

It's been a very enjoyable day despite the weather.

I'll place the walk report here when I get it. A joint effort between Slew and Shorty

Wigtownshire Ramblers – Saturday 22 June 2013 – Knockdolian

On a cool, cloudy morning 23 ramblers left the cars at Ballantrae shore car park and set off through the village.  They took the small country road below the ruins of Ardstinchar Castle which leads up the Stinchar valley.  The sun shone on the fresh green leaves and the myriad of wild flowers which flourished on the verges.  A steady walk along the road soon got them to the base of Knockdolian Hill.  They turned off the road up a steep bank and through a gate into the first field.  The serious part of the day now began with the group spreading out as they climbed the field. Many stops were taken as it was really quite steep in places which allowed everyone to appreciate some of the wonderful views you get from this hill.   Soon they were at the top with the wind making it quite cool giving welcome relief to some of the group. The views eastwards up Stinchar valley were magnificent in the sunshine.  Northwards the Ailsa Craig stood out in the blue sea.  Beyond the Craig the Isle of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre loomed as a blue outline in the grey haze. Further round the coast of Ireland was just visible.  Three ferries were plying their way through the choppy water.  As they watched, a trio of ravens performed an aerobatic display below them.

After a pause for coffee and a snack the group picked their way carefully back down to the steep path to the road.  The ramblers then set off back along the road towards Ballantrae.  As they approached the river they saw a group of kayakers trying to make their way down the river.  Unfortunately the water level was low and they had difficulty crossing the various gravel banks much to their own and the watchers’ amusement.

As they walked on the clouds swept in from the sea and a sharp shower sent the walkers scurrying for their waterproofs.  The shower soon passed and further on the road was dry with no sign of the rain.

They soon returned to Ballantrae and made their way to the seafront where the leader and his wife had organised a barbecue.  A lovely aroma greeted the group and it was not long before everyone was tucking into the burgers and a range of salads which all had been prepared for the walkers. Unfortunately at this point more dark clouds rushed in and a large shower descended on the group causing the charcoal to hiss alarmingly.  This did not deter the group who enjoyed the sausage and chicken; some returning to their cars for shelter.  Luckily the rain did not last too long and the group enjoyed the food while watching diving gannets put on a marvellous display as the birds fished for their lunch. Another excellent day had been enjoyed by the group in spite of the worst efforts of the weather and thanks were given to the leader and his wife for their sterling efforts in difficult circumstances. 

The next event on Saturday is a leisurely walk through the moors and woods from Cairnryan via Lake Superior and back to the coast.  Meet at 09:00 at the Riverside Car Park in Newton Stewart or at 09:30 at the Breastworks Car Park in Stranraer to share transport.  The walk will start outside the Merchant House in Cairnryan (NX 067 684). New members are always welcome but please contact the walk leader on 01776 870441 for further information.