Wigtownshire Ramblers Skyreburn Circular February 2015

Saturday the 14th of February 2015

 This was a new walk for the ramblers.

Of the hills we climbed, I/we've been up two of them.

Each time the ramblers walked to Pibble Mine, I was away, but I did get to Pibble Hill summit back in 2010.

Pibble 2010

The other one is Kenlum Hill, but by a different route and with the Ramblers.

August 2009 Walk

May 2010 Walk

May 2011 Walk

Our walk leader was Shorty and his report will follow the pictures.

Twenty three of us gathered at a junction on the Corse of Slakes road between Creetown and Skyreburn for the walk start.

Our walk leader pointed out the route.

It was a tarmac road to begin with

Shorty kept up a good pace................

................and backup Mr Lionheart kept watch at the rear

We took a short break just below Cambrett  Hill..........

...............and took to the moors

Bog and drainage burns were a feature for much of the walk

Climbing Pibble Hill, we soon gained height.

The pole signified the gas pipe crossing. A big lump of quartz sat in a drystone dyke and we looked down on what was a steel yard but now distribute bottles and barrels of whisky

Whisky Broker

A wry smile from our leader

It was a fair pace.....

...............and Cambret Hill  got further away

Pibble ridge levelled out, but the going wasn't a lot easier.

The summit of Pibble. To the north Cairnsmore still had his hat on.

Quite a few pockets of snow remained

The lochan still had a little ice around the edges.

I remember coming across a few skulls up here in 2010.

We crossed the Nick of Trestran

Meikle Bennan climb

A mid hill sweetie break

A few walkers at a more sensible pace

In the above picture of the Big Water of Fleet Viaduct, the buildings bottom left house the 

Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve Visitors Centre

There's a poem called Silhouettes and Soliloquies. I should have been reciting it as I compiled the collage.

Meikle Bennan summit and Flush Bracket S3872 

After leaving Meikle Bennan the weather brightened considerably and the sun shone for the rest of the walk. Our views became quite extensive. 

Our group members from the Gatehouse were able to pick out many prominent features 

After Meikle Bennan a slight descent brought us to Stey Fell, a long  high ridge with the steep western edge being the area where the small moorland streams merge to become the Skyre Burn.  

A long zoom in got me this picture of the masts back on Cambret.

There's something about masts, pylons and power lines ! 

The cloud eventually lifted on Cairnsmore of Fleet

Lunch break on Stey Fell

Refreshed and ready for the second half

Another descent though not so steep.

Our cumulative elevation gain would have taken us up to Cairnsmore's south summit.

A brighter day gets better pictures.

Doon of Culreoch and White Top of Culreoch above Culreoch Farm

Almost, but not quite in the picture is where the Little and Big Water of Fleets converge to become the Water of Fleet

More heathery swamp brought us in view of our last summit

The ascent of Kenlum

Gatehouse of Fleet

Carstramon Wood, Ornockenoch Loch, Benfadyeon and Bengray at 366 Metres

The last descent

Just south of Fleet bay from left to right lie Barlocco Isle, Ardwall Isle and Murray's Isles

Kingslaggan farm to the right brought us onto the old military road back to the vehicles.

Snowdrops at the roadside

A petrified rugby ball ?

A last stretch of the legs.

Here's Shorty's report and a collage

Wigtownshire Ramblers – Saturday 14 February 2015 – Skyreburn Circular

Twenty three ramblers assembled at the crossroads in the valley of the Skyre Burn.  Looking northwards we could view most of the intended walk.  The weather, which had been bright and clear when we left home was somewhat overcast but the cloud level was well clear of the hills as we set off cheerfully up the road towards Cambret Hill.  This road forms part of the military road from Carlisle to Portpatrick which was constructed in the 1760s to facilitate the movement of troops to Ireland.  It followed the route of earlier roads, possibly dating back to Roman times when they travelled westwards from the camp at Gatehouse of Fleet to gain the minerals abundant in the hills.  It is a stiff climb to the pass below Cambret Hill and must have been a difficult ascent in full military equipment.

After a mile or so of climbing and a pause to distribute sweets we squelched off across the boggy land towards Pibble Hill.  The first section of the watershed is poorly named; not much water seemed to have been shed from this area.  After a quarter of a mile the land rose a little and became rockier and the going became drier and easier.  A steady climb took us to a march dyke which we followed upwards.  Across the dyke male Red Grouse clucked off noisily across the moor while the more sensible females slipped silently away in a different direction.  Remnants of snow drifts remained in patches along the dyke which suggested that there had been a considerable fall in this area.

We soon reached the summit of the hill and enjoyed views westwards towards the Cree and the Machars and northwards into the Galloway Hills.  Patches of sunlight now picked out areas of the countryside and only the summit of the Cairnsmore retained a small cap of mist.  Our route now took us eastwards and descended steep slopes to the head of the Skyre Burn at the Nick of Trestran.  We then headed up the heathery slopes to Meikle Bennan.  When we reached the trig point on the summit we paused to take in the magnificent views and more sweeties.  To the north the Cairnsmore with its steep eastern crags still covered with snow dominated the horizon.  Further round, the cliffs of the Clints of Dromore stood out clearly with the other Galloway Hills stretching away into the haze.  In the other direction the waters of Fleet Bay glistened in the sunshine.

A ridge led us southwards into the bright sunshine towards Stey Fell with views eastwards to the Fleet valley and westwards to the upper reaches of the Skyre Burn.  As we went some excitement was caused by the appearance of a large bird of prey soaring on the steady breeze.  This turned out to be a Red Kite.  Lunch was taken in the shelter of the summit of the Fell.  After eating our well-earned lunches we reluctantly climbed back over the fell and set off down the descending ridge towards Scar Hill and the adjacent forest.  Once we crossed a march dyke the heather became a lot taller which made the going more difficult.  An animal track lead us to the forest dyke which we followed as we struggled up the steep slopes to the summit of Kenlum Hill.  Once again we paused in the bright sunshine to admire the views in all directions.  Gatehouse of Fleet spread out below us and the islands of Fleet stood out in the sparkling sea.  In the distance we could make out the mass of Criffel in the mist.

Descending the steep northern slopes of the hill we soon reached Kings Laggan Farm and the Old Military Road which we followed gratefully back to the cars.  All in all a strenuous but most enjoyable walk improved by the lovely weather.  We then retired to the Gem Rock Museum café who generously stayed open late to provide us with excellent tea and cakes.

Next week’s walk will be a strenuous walk in the hills north of Glentrool.  There will be an early start to take advantage of the daylight.  Meet at 08:00 at the Breastworks car park in Stranraer or at 08:30 at the Riverside car park in Newton Stewart to share transport.  The walk will start at 09:00 from the Bruce’s Stone upper car park.  (NX 416 804).  A less ambitious walk around Loch Trool has also been arranged.  Meet at Stranraer at 9am, Newton Stewart at 9.30am for the start of the walk at Bruce's Stone car Park at 10am.

Wigtownshire Ramblers Culvennan Fell September 2012

Saturday the 29th of September.

Lofty is today's leader.

This is a walk we did two years ago.

2010 Walk

Once I get Lofty's report I'll publish it below.

Thirteen of us today. We start on the Three Lochs road north of Kirkcowan. 

Another account of this walk will appear on my good friend Gordon from Ayr's Blog

This place is very interesting.

It's an old farmstead that goes by the name of Drumbuie and looks like there's a lot of history about it.

There's a stone in the wall marked 1734.

There's a genealogy page which says a Moravia Charteris was born here, a possible descendant of Malachy King of Ireland.

And there's also a tree (I think that's a picture of it on my last post of this walk) called 'The Boy Tree', where a young 11 year old Peter Douglas was murdered by a tinkler or tinker called Alexander Cochrane.

Details are found in Andrew McCormick's 'The Tinkler Gypsies' (pages 134 to 139) or have a quick look HERE 

These dead trees are at the back of Drumbuie

Our next point of interest is in the grounds of Shennanton.

Several theories were put forward to what the enclosure above was used for.

Shennanton

Views over to the Galloway Hills from the River Bladnoch.

The flock of Texel's all had what looked like mud spots on them.

Here's a rare looking work of natures art

Sheep, precarious crossings and the Black Burn.

Looking for anything on the Black Burn, I came across a government document about the proposed Glenchamber Windfarm near Glenluce. Now I've never been anti windfarm, but I'm sure we have enough in this area now. This proposal was rejected by the local authorities, but somehow the Scottish Government believe they have the right to disregard the wishes of the local people.

Here's the link to that document should anyone wish to read it.

                                 Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals

Lunch overlooking Barfad Loch

Another look at the enclosed memorial on the loch side. The wreath, bottom right looks well weathered now.It may be in memory of a McKie who were resident at Barfad. 

Barfad

Mud. The hill we go past is called Killymuck.........quite appropriate !

A carpet supplied by the Stationmaster gets us over the barbed wire.

Here we head into the Shennoch Plantation.
Shennoch:- from the Gaelic Sean, old and cognate with the Latin Sen-ex

The final climb to Culvennan Fell.

Culvennan Fell. Vent breccia. Breccia with generally angular clasts adjacent to the margin of a diorite intrusion. Finely laminated fine sandstone clasts are typical of the host sediments. Coarser-grained white sandstone clasts, sometimes rounded, are exotic.

Don't ask me, I know nothing about geology.!

One triangulation pillar and one flush bracket

The group picture.

The trig point is 213 mtrs, the cairn is 215 mtrs.

The Ayrshire Blogger is less than 2 mtrs

Over the fells

I think this may be Chanterelle, apparently edible and delicious.

A wide ranging view east.

We have a feeling that this is a prehistoric site (not the sheepfold), but there's nothing on the O.S map.

The last leg of a nice nine mile hike.

Shorty's report will appear here later.

Wigtownshire Ramblers – Saturday 29 September 2012

Thirteen ramblers assembled on the Three Lochs road just north of the A75 on a morning that promised crisp autumn weather.  Dark clouds to the north suggested something else but the group headed off in good spirits along the old Military Road.  Some sections were wet and muddy but the solid base created under the direction of General Caulfield in the 1760s provided a good foothold.

They soon reached the old farmstead of Drumbuie.  There they paused to inspect the unusual archway which served the courtyard of the old house.  A stone gave the date of 1734 which predates the Military road.  The group continued eastwards along the road which soon reached a tarmac section which took them to Doonhill Wood.  From there they squelched through a gateway and followed the edge of the wood over a low hill below the main power line.  From there they took to the attractive woods around Shennanton House.  In the woods they found an unusual dyked enclosure about 4 metres square with the sides sloping down to the south.  There was no entrance into the enclosure nor any obvious structure inside.  There was much speculation as to its purpose.

The ramblers skirted the main gardens and emerged onto the road at Shennanton Sawmill.  They followed the road past the home farm and as far as the Bladnoch bridge.  There they took to the fields and followed the course of the river northwards.  As they went along a couple of shots were heard and, fearful of disturbing a shoot, they proceeded carefully until it became clear that the noises were only a pair of gun dogs under training.  Burn crossings added to the entertainment and they soon reached the road again.  After crossing the road they entered another wood and soon reached their lunch stop overlooking Barfad Loch.

Lunch was curtailed by a sudden sharp shower so the ramblers donned their wet weather gear and headed for the old track which crossed north of the fells.  The rain soon stopped but the track got wetter and the presence of cattle made the going a little difficult.  The route crossed a fence into the forest and the going got easier.  There was a short pause at the ruins of Shennock farm where the walk leader recounted a tale of an army exercise where the unsuspecting shooting tenant was confronted by a troop of armed soldiers supported by small Scorpion tanks.  He felt somewhat out-gunned.

After leaving Shennock the ramblers followed the little used forest road to the top of Shennock Fell.  The main users seemed to be red and roe deer which had left many tracks in the muddy sections.  The group then cut through the trees and emerged onto the open moorland.  A short climb led them to the cairn and trig point on the top of Culvennan Fell.  There were excellent views in all directions with odd features picked out by patches of sunshine as the clouds scudded over the sky.  A pair of diggers were working away on the summit of an adjacent hill but it was not clear what they were up to.

The group descended the southern side of the fell and then a short rise led them to the summit of Crunlae Fell.  After admiring the views over the Machars and Wigtown Bay they continued on down following a well-used sheep track.  On reaching the lower ground they found evidence of several ancient structures.  One had the appearance of a chambered cairn and another seemed to be the outline of a building but there was nothing marked on the current maps. 

The route then followed a rough path over green fields and bracken knolls with boggy sections and deep burns between them, after which they re-joined the Three Lochs road and regained the cars.  It had been an enjoyable but testing walk of 9 miles.

The next event, on Saturday 6^th October, is the popular walk around Newton Stewart.  Meet at the Breastworks Car Park in Stranraer at 09:30 to share transport.  The walk will start from the Riverside Car Park in Newton Stewart at 10:00. (Grid Ref: NX 412 653)  New walkers are always welcome.  For any queries, please contact the walk leader on 01671 403351.