Wigtownshire Ramblers Dally Bay to Corsewall July 2012

Saturday the 14th of July 2012

We're on the North Rhins for today's walk.

Previous posts from 2008 are here.

July 2008

November 2008

It's a cool wind and occasional clouds but we've a good forecast.

My report for the press will follow the pictures.

Dally Bay

Eider Ducks

Shags, a lone bird and the Ebbstone

Wild Orchid and Ragged Robin

Approaching Port Long

P & O Ferry

This was a trial of  a custom timer which takes shots in rapid succession. It should be done with the aid of a tripod as anyone can see.

RAF North Cairn

Ailsa Craig

Seals and seabirds

Socializing Ramblers 

(A step in the right direction)

Shags and guano

North Cairn Chain Home Radar Station

Common Frog

He must have waited in the same spot for Scoop to come along. She said she kissed it, but is still waiting for her prince to arrive.

Oust Rocks and Bloody Slouch

(Nothing personal it's the name of the rocky feature)

Colour

Approaching Corsewall

From various distances

Corsewall

Lighthouse, lunch and leaving 

Corsewall Castle ruins

Portpatrick Lifeboat

This picture was from a distance, it appeared to have the small yacht in tow.

Equine and Bovine

Kellies Cottage and Arran View

North Cairn

I got excited seeing the name Skinningrove on the steel girder

I knew I'd been in my steelmaking days, the trouble was I told someone it was between Rotherham and Sheffield, and I remembered when I got home it's up with the pigeon fanciers in the North East of England, just south of Redcar now I remember.

Last pictures of the day

I believe the flower is Yellow Loosestrife

Apparently a medicinal herb.

Here's the report.

Wigtownshire Ramblers Walk Report
Saturday the 14th of July 2012-07-15
Eighteen walkers met up near South Cairn for the coastal walk from Dally Bay to Corsewall point and the lighthouse.
The weather forecast was favourable with broken sunshine and a cool wind.
Accessing the coastal path via a farm track, the first visual delight came in the form of flocks of Eider ducks swimming around Dally Bay.
This was only a prelude to the vast number of sea and land birds seen throughout the walk north.
Gannets, Plovers, Shags, Curlews, Oystercatchers, Peewits, Fulmars and various divers were among the species identified.
To begin with, the path was occasionally boggy. Small burns were carefully crossed. A misjudged step resulted in the occasional wet boot.
A short distance out in the bay stood the concrete plinth of the now redundant Ebbstone, once a shipping beacon.

After following the rocky shoreline beyond Portlong and Portnaughan Bays the ruins of the North Cairn Radar Station was reached. Here the walk leader explained a little of the history of the site. Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal ‘Early Warning’ radar stations built by the British before and during the Second World War and North Cairn was part of that ring. It’s easy to imagine, considering the substantial remnants that remain, the hive of activity of up to 300 personnel scanning the skies for danger.

Reaching Port Gavillan, a short stop was taken to look over at the activity on the Genoch Rocks. Seals were in abundance. While a number basked on the rocks others in the water kept popping their heads up. One small peaked outcrop was white topped with guano from the colony of shags in residence.

The walk continued with constant views of Ailsa Craig and ferries from Loch Ryan across the North Channel.
Wild flowers flourished and delighted the amateur botanists in the group. Various campion, ragged robin, forget me not and wild orchids were abundant.
Approaching Corsewall Point, a mention was made of the wreck of the Firth of Cromarty in 1898 and her cargo of whisky. Needless to say, a short forage by a few ramblers proved fruitless.
After passing Oust, Bloody and Horseback rocks, Corsewall Lighthouse was reached. Looking resplendent with a fresh coat of whitewash, this magnificent structure designed by Robert Stevenson and built in 1815 is now a luxury hotel.

A lunch break was taken overlooking a sheltered rocky inlet just beyond the lighthouse.

After lunch the group now headed inland for the return journey by road and farm track.
Heading east they passed the ruins of Corsewall Castle. At the next junction they turned southwest where a gradual incline took them beyond the farms of West Kirkbryde and Knockneen. Views of the Ayrshire coast, Arran and the Mull of Kintyre were extensive. Even the Paps of Jura made an appearance.
The delightful cottages of Kellies and Arran View with their many strange and wonderful garden ornaments came next.
Reaching North Cairn, a recently constructed track took them now to Knocktim from where the road to South Cairn took them back to the cars.

A wonderful day walking was concluded with a visit to the Conservatory at the Soleburn Garden centre for tea, coffee and cakes.

The next walk on Saturday the 21st of July is a 7 mile hill and glen walk from Loch Doon, taking in Glenmount, Craigengillan Estate and Ness Glen.

Meet for the minibus or car sharing at the Breastworks, Stranraer 8.30am,the Riverside, Newton Stewart 9.00am or the walk start at the Roundhouse on Loch Doon (NS 476 012) at 10am. For further details or if going to the start please phone the walk leader on 01671 403351. New members are always welcome

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Meikle Galdenoch to Dally Bay April 2011

It's Sunday the 17th of April.
Today's walk is a repeat of one we did in 2009.Although basically the same walk,there are a few variations.
Here's the link to that walk. 2009 Walk
I'll let the pictures do the talking on this post.

We're a group of thirteen as we set off from the ruined Meikle Galdenoch castle and past Loch More with it's little barbecue hut on the way to the shore.

A couple of open fields gets us to the coastline.A herd of fallow deer are spotted in a neighbouring field.

We're subjected to a lot of gates and barbed wire fences today.Farmer shorty (above right) is only missing a long straw to chew on.

We saw a great variety of  birds and animals today.At least two trips of wild goats are along this stretch.They have no problems finding a path.

The Galdenoch burn has a fairly copious flow today,but the obstacle is surmounted without serious incident.

There are quite a few cameras clicking today.Two other walkers are as keen as I am and take lots of photos and video today.Wild flowers are in beautiful blossom today.

The odd clouds are dispersing as we continue heading north.
Dramatic rocky headlands and inlets are the norm here.We head on past Drumahowen and Slouchnawen bays.

Time for a group photograph.

More obstacles are crossed.

Someone's spotted an adder.Only it's tail is visible when I get to it.

More wild flowers including marsh marigold and almost budding wild orchids.

As well as countless sea-birds today a Peregrine Falcon was also spotted.

Now we're passing the wonderfully titled 'Kiln of the Fuffock'.
No one has spotted any underwater marine life today.

A frog hopes to avoid being stepped on.

We're round about the Juniper and Mare rocks as we stop for lunch.
Seventy three year old Spike, ( going on twenty eight ) goes walkabout as usual.

Primroses are in bloom everywhere.The old iron gate hinges may be older than the oldest of today's walker.
The north channel is busy as usual.

Rocky prominences are compared to faces.Looked at sideways,top left above has a long nose and a jutting chin.Top right bears a resemblance to an absent walker's proboscis.
Above bottom is clay pigeon shooting apparatus.
  

Take note River Idler owner,here's one of your bump buoys.
Above top right is where I may have spotted an otter,but too late to photograph.

Views today are far across the North channel.
Ireland,Ailsa and Arran seem close while the Paps of Jura can be seen looming over the lower Mull of Kintyre.

We cross Orbain Hill keeping bully at a safe distance.He's been standing completely still since we first spotted him.Some walkers thought he was a cardboard cut-out.
The former shipping beacon,the Ebbstone also know as Craig Laggan is top right.

More rocky but colourful obstacles are crossed.

Oh to be an oyster catcher over this rock.An inquisitive dalmatian accompanies a group of walkers coming towards us.

The last coastal stretch takes us over a quaint bridge on the Dally Burn.

A short walk inland gets us to the waiting cars.
A few of us have to wait till our lift arrives back from the walk start.
It's been great weather for a great walk.

N.B Five days in the Lake District follows.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Meikle Galdenoch to Dally Bay

NB.Don't forget that clicking on a picture will give you a larger copy.

It's Saturday the 2nd of May,and we're heading for the North Rhins.We've walked most of the western edge of this coastline,today we fill in a gap
We're a group of sixteen walkers as we meet up at the ruins of Meikle Galdenoch castle.Todays walk is a linear,so a couple of cars have been left over at Dally bay to bring back car drivers.

We begin by heading west over green fields.To get to the coast we've a few fences,gorse...

...and a rickety wooden bridge to negotiate.This brings us to where the Galdenoch burn tumbles beautifully down to the sea.

Such an idyllic spot brings us an early tea/coffee break.The weather today is perfect for walking,there's just a slight breeze on our backs.

Continuing north along the undulating terrain we head past Drumahowen and Slouchnawen bays.

I'm not sure if this is what is marked on the map as the 'Kiln of the Fuffock',...

...but our intrepid leader and a couple of others head down to investigate.

It's certainly dramatic-note the wee folk in the middle picture.

Crossing another drystone wall...

...there's one of the ever present ferries in view.

Reaching Broad Port we come upon a herd of mountain goats.They're very wary of us as they scramble up the shale and rocks to a safer place.There are a lot of oohs and oh's as the little kids try to keep up.

Now we reach this pinnacle aping the 'Old Man of Hoy'.This is Juniper Rock.

We lunch on a high promontory looking out to the North Channel.Lots of sea birds are spotted.A long legged hare breaks the land speed record.

Now at March Port,the building in the top right picture in this collage is marked as a 'Pump House'.A zoom north and there's the Ebbstone in the distance.I've mentioned the amount of shipwrecks before.The remains of the wreck of the Clairmorris lie close by.

Continuing on we reach Portobello...

...which must have been quite a community at one time.One of our ramblers researching genealogy takes great interest here.This Portobello having been confused with it's larger counterpart in Edinburgh.
Now we have a clear view of Dally Bay,though it's still some way off.

I try out a panorama.

Continuing on past Swallow Port,and another Salt Pan Bay we take another mini break.

We're in the Carrick Fundle area for this group picture.

We can hear the surf so strongly here.The natural waves are increased in size by the continuous passing of ferries and ships.We see a very large ship far out in the north channel.Speculation on what type of ship it was was inconclusive.Possibly an Aircraft carrier or a container ship.

Here we skirt Orbain Hill where a couple of friendly horses (or are they ponies)take great interest in us.

Now we reach 'Dally Fort' or'Dounan of Dally'.The passageway in this picture was apparently hewn out of the rock by a regiment of 'Fencibles' after the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

We take a leisurely look around the fort.Wild flowers are prolific.

The last stretch of the walk takes us over the beach at Dounan,and up to where the cars are parked.After being ferried back to Meikle Galdenoch,some of us meet up at the new tearoom in Leswalt for a welcome pot of tea and scones.
This was a very enjoyable walk,and as always in the best of company.