Wigtownshire Ramblers-Monreith, March 2011

It's Saturday the 19th of March,and today's walk is around the Monreith estate.
I've covered the estate owners, the Maxwells, in a few previous posts.Those most notable were the novelist, essayist and horticulturist Sir Herbert Maxwell 1845-1937 and Gavin Maxwell of Ring of Bright Water fame 1914-1969.

Twenty five ramblers meet up at the car parking area overlooking Monreith Bay.

Shorty's our walk leader today.He knows this area well.We begin by heading north west via farm and country tracks into the estate itself.

The first thing we see of interest is a cross with a fresh plant alongside.A memorial to a beloved pet perhaps.
The daffodils are blooming nicely now.
We continue on northwards before coming to open fields with a line of Chilean Pine ( Monkey Puzzle ) on the horizon.

Here we take a break while our walk leader tells us a bit about Sir Herbert Maxwell and when he planted these.

We continue on towards the western edges of the estate. Lots more daffodils and Skunk Cabbage in the boggy and wet grounds.

Another short break is taken to keep the group together.

We now veer north east from one of the derelict lodges till we're alongside the White Loch of Myrton.

Reaching the most northerly point of the loch we can look back and see Monreith House.
It's being featured on Channel 4's Country House Rescue on Sunday the 20th of March at 9pm.It'll be very interesting I'm sure.

Also at this end of the loch stands a two storey cottage converted for holidaymakers,and ruins that may or may not have been a gamekeepers house.

Now we round the loch to reach what I believe is the factors house.From here we make our way to the lodge house at the northern end of the estate.

It's empty,but seems to have been modernised at some time.Complete with swimming pool !

Leaving the estate a short walk along the Whithorn road brings us to the Drumtroddan Stones road.There seems to be something different since I last photographed here.

Reading the information board I can see what's wrong now.There's only one stone standing now.If the last one falls,they'll not be able to call them 'Standing Stones' will they.

Here we enjoy lunch.It's a fine and dry day.

During lunch,a number of deer are spotted in the distance.This is my camera on full zoom.That's the QinetiQ satellite receiving station at West Freuch in the background.

After lunch we head back down to the Whithorn road where I get this picture of the emergence of spring.
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After a short distance we take the minor road to Clachan of Myrton.
Here one rambler with a keen eye comments that for next weeks walk we add an S to Myrton.
One of our hills will be Smyrton. There's a new interestingly shaped build along here.Some of our walkers know the owner.The tractor plantpot is a novelty.

Now the track takes us around the Fell of Barhullion, another popular walk of ours.We've seen a number of swans today,it'll soon be nesting time.

A left turn at Blairbuy brings us alongside Blairbuy Loch.
The floating containers may be part of a method to stop algae spreading in the loch.

We're soon crossing the road back at Monrieth....

...with Shorty going ahead to make sure the coast is clear.Well ,at least checking that the tide's far enough out for us to finish the walk along the beach.

What a great way to finish a walk.I make no excuse for the last half a dozen pictures,although I should have got a few of the ramblers who waded through the burn outlet.

The steps take us back to the cars and the walk finish.

What a lovely walk.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Fell of Barhullion 7th March 2010

Although I was over in Antrim while this walk took place,I think it's a good idea to blog each walk if I can get the report.
The author of this weeks report is from the South Rhins,and is by far the most readable of those of us who write walks reports.Her detailed observations, and in particular the natural aspects of the walk, are always interesting, educational and a joy to read.

The pictures posted are from the last time we did this walk in October 2008.
2008 Walk

Ramblers’ report Saturday March 27th.

The picnic site at Back Bay in Monreith was the meeting point for eleven ramblers on Saturday. The sun was shining and there were numerous golfers at play when the road to the Gavin Maxwell monument was taken.

The sculpture by Penny Wheatley of an otter commemorates the local boy whose family estate was to be covered by the route of the day’s walk.

A cliff path took the walkers to the edge of the village and with a fresh wind behind the Clarksburn track was followed to Barhallion.

At the cairn, with the remains of the Iron Age hill fort in the foreground, there were splendid views to Wigtown Bay and the Mull of Galloway.


The open ground across the top, covered in gorse and rough grass was obviously a favourite place for roe deer which skittered away as the walkers crossed over to the ruined farm buildings on the north east slopes.

Drumfad farm road was followed to the Clachan of Myrton where a lovely green lane shaded by beech trees, and with wild garlic just coming into leaf along the margins, led to a field which was the chosen lunch stop – alongside Drumtrodden standing stones.

Two stones of these magnificent remains of a culture dating from two thousand years BC, stand three metres high, with a third lying prone between them.

The White Loch of Myrton lay along the next stretch of the walk, with views across the water to the old ruined Myrton castle, built about 1500, among the trees. It was here that James IV stayed whist travelling on a pilgrimage to Whithorn. The newer grand house, built in 1799 by Sir Herbert Maxwell who wrote Memories of the Months, was passed, and a spectacular sight of acres of skunk cabbage came into view. These amazing plants created a bright yellow vista as far as the eye could see. Herons were nesting in the trees and butterbur flowering along the path.

Sir Herbert Maxwell was a naturalist with special interest in forestry and in the midst of the next field was a grove of monkey puzzle trees, planted as part of his experiments to test their value for timber.

More standing stones near Blairbuie Farm were not studied closely, except by two big bulls grazing in the field. The large ‘Wren’s egg’ is a glacial erratic boulder. Following a farm track a fishing pond was passed using an old ingenious method of keeping algae down. Barriers filled with straw filter the water; and as the straw starts to decompose, the growth of algae is inhibited.

The burial place of the MacCullochs and Maxwells, both sometime owners of the estate, was visited next.

Kirkmaiden Church is situated right on the shore, a beautiful gem of a building with many old graves from 1700s. One of the most interesting is a memorial to Commander Thurot of the French navy who was drowned in 1760 in Luce Bay , after a sea battle between three French and three British ships.

Front Bay was reached by steps and the cars regained after a walk along the beach. This had been a walk full of interest, sunshine and good company.