Wigtownshire Ramblers Maybole Circular July 2013

I am now the owner of a Nikon Coolpix P520 , I've also resurrected my Fuji S7000

If I hadn't damaged my Canon, I wouldn't have given my Fuji S7000 another thought, but the truth is it takes wonderful macro shots. I'm happy with the way things have worked out.

Saturday 6^th July 2013

Today's walk is one I partly reccied with the Teacher and the Ranger last December.

December Walk 

It's a great summers morning.

Today's leader is the Ayrshire Blogger

There'll be a joint walk report compiled by him and myself after the photographs.

Leaving Maybole

A young Texel

Crossing the ford on Abbeymill Burn

Couldn't see a name on this tractor but it looks an old one.

There's quite a few horses down this lane.

The monument on yon hill is our first target.
What's our walk leader up to with that woman?

The incline gives us a view back to Maybole

Rucksacks off to go to the monument.

It's about half a mile of undulating green fields.

Erected by public subscription it's to the memory of Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet

Back to the rucksacks and heading south west.

One of these is our leader, can you pick him out ?

The roof of a barn at the kennels of Lower Burncrooks. There's also plenty of signs for walkers.

A slight incline. Slew keeps warning us about the sun and he's right too. I have never deliberately tried to get a suntan since a very painful experience up the Essiquibo in the early sixties.

Hello !

Lunch break in the quarry.

A bit boggy round the Green Well Spring.

The Drummochreen cairn

Scoop snaps me snapping

She also managed to get me in the pictures a few more times.

Onto the moors via Glenshalloch Hill

A few long shots try out the zoom on the Nikon Coolpix P520

I take a lot of pictures of wild orchids...................

..........................this is the best

Views from Carscallan

A plane buzzing overhead. This is G - ZOSA, the technical information is on this page.
Airport-Data

Hello leader, I've been taking too many wild orchid pictures.

Another look at Kilkerran House

There's a hint of a breeze on the top of the moors...........just right !

Time for another breather.

Lochspouts Reservoir
They found a crannog in here when the water level was down in the 19th century.
Mainly Roman-Iron Age date finds were discovered, along with some medieval pottery and other artifacts. All the items found were donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland

Craigfin Hill Trig Point

The happy wanderers

The ruins of Craigfin farm

Springarden Bridge

There's a lot of youngsters about today.

The last stretch back to Maybole.

The Town Hall.
Gordon had arranged tea and scones at the Dairy Tea room.
Nice one mister.


Saturday 6^th July 2013

Sixteen ramblers met at Maybole swimming pool car park in South Ayrshire for a 9 mile circular walk.

It was a lovely sunny breezy morning as the group left the car park beside the local golf course and made their way south along a quiet country road. A minor road was now accessed where a gradual incline led them to Kildoon Hill. Rucksacks were temporarily discarded to climb to the summit. Here stood an impressive monument to Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran, a local landowner who died in 1849. This was also the site of a prehistoric fort and the monument stands within its ramparts. Some time was spent here admiring views while the walk leader identified local hills and landmarks.

Back at the road, rucksacks were again donned and the group now proceeded downhill to cross the Altewan Burn near High Burncrooks. A wooden stile now led to a tarmac road where a short stretch east brought them to Lower Burncrooks. Today’s walk was billed as a “Howling dogs and murder”. The kennels at Lower Burncrooks were the ‘Howling’ dogs who were very excited to see such a large group of people.

Now the route turned south leading to Sunny Brae and the serene Ghaist Glen, belying its name. The public road ended at Lochspouts, once the water source for the local community and the thriving lace business sadly long since gone.

Lunch was enjoyed in a disused quarry where lots of stones provided excellent seating.

 At this point the leader warned everyone to be careful of the hot sun; with the breeze blowing there was strong chance of getting sunburnt in the strong rays.

After lunch they continue straight ahead past Craigdow road-end onto a grass track where the Green Well spring kept the ground somewhat boggy . The path soon improved and shortly they reached a cairn with a plaque attached, the 'Murder' part of the walk. The Drummochreen cairn is a reminder of Carrick’s bloody past when clan feuding was commonplace. The plaque states that Andrew MacAlexander of Drummochreen, was attacked and murdered by Hew Kennedy of Girvanmains in September 1599.

Reaching High Newlands, a change of direction to the east took the walkers up Glenshalloch Hill. Now in open moorland they walked along a ridge of summits with views either side. Kilkerran House, the ancestral home of Clan Fergusson could be seen to the south while more distant views included Shalloch on Minnoch in the Galloway hills.

Wild orchids and other moorland plants flourished as they first passed Carscallan Cairn on one summit before reaching the trig point on Craigfin Hill. A short break was again taken to admire the views and for the distribution of sweeties.

Still generally heading east the route now dropped from the top of the hill to reach an old drovers road. This led to Spring Garden Bridge where the route continued under Kildoon Hill to return to Maybole. Fields of sheep, cattle and a surprising amount of horses were passed on this last stretch.

Afternoon tea and scones was enjoyed by the group in the Dairy Corner tearoom to round off another excellent outing.

The next outing on Saturday the 13^th of July is an 11 mile circular walk of open moorland and woods past the Door of Cairnsmore. Meet at 09:30 at the Riverside Car Park in Newton Stewart or at 09:00 at the Breastworks Car Park in Stranraer to share transport.  The walk will start at Cairnsmore Car Park (NX 464 632). New members are always welcome but please contact the walk leader on 01671 403351 for further information.

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