A landscape walk in Galloway

Tuesday the 23rd of October 2012

It's a lovely day today so I'm heading out on a circular walk from my house in Newton Stewart. It looks perfect for taking landscape pictures.

I begin by crossing the fields above Douglas Ewart High School and Old Hall Farm.

My first picture is a zoom across to the golf course. The 'Doocot' built 1719 is the structure to the left.

To the right of the radio/satellite mast is Monigaff Church. The woods beyond encompass Cumloden and towering above to the right are Millfore, Red Gairy and Drigmorn.

A panorama from the slopes of Curleywee to the left to the slopes of Cairnsmore to the right.

A contented cow.

A shheepish view over to Blackcraig.

McMillan Hall and the meandering Cree. A closer look will pick out a spire of Machermore Castle. 

A zoom in on Craignelder.

Back to the golf course.

Blue Faced Leicester sheep with Millfore behind again.

A pylon view of Drigmorn and Millfore

After descending to the river via Duncree I take time out on the river.

This heron waited patiently.

After crossing the Penkiln Burn I head out past Cumloden.

It's October, but there's late colour. Most foxgloves have long gone, but here's some hanging on.

The Autumn sun brings out the colours in the woods opposite New Galloway Lodge.

A couple of years ago I saw an alien on this drystane wall. Looks like a hawk this time.

The view over to Glenshalloch.

Another view of the Minnigaff Hills.

There's a wary deer at Glenhoise.

Colourful trees towards Glenshalloch.

I never did find Murdoch's cave. It's in here to the right somewhere.

Who needs an extra zoom lens when the one on the camera can get this close. Auchinleck House is two miles away.

Risk Farm. Just beyond (not in the picture) are the ruins of Old Risk Castle associated with Murdoch of Cumloden and the legend of the two ravens with one arrow in Robert the Bruce's time.

Still looking towards Glenshalloch only from a little further east.

Having reached the most northerly point of my walk at Risk, the road begins to turn south-east and I see the bulk of Cairnsmore of Fleet. Fresh silage bales add to the scene.

Now inaccessible because of the undergrowth the Old Edinburgh Road is plainly outlined.

More bales and Barncaughla.

Barncaughla Farm was the birthplace in 1669 of John McMillan,a well known member of the cloth during the days of the Covenanters.

As the day clouded over I made my way back along the New Galloway Road and back into town via Kirroughtree house. There was little else to photograph.

Some interesting cattle, someone's been having fun with a rubber glove and a wonderful rose to finish.

Living here in Newton Stewart, we have some wonderful scenery on our doorstep. That was a lovely walk.

Minnigaff and the Penkiln Burn

We had a bit of sunshine last Friday the 24th of October,so i decided to take a walk over to Minigaff and the Penkiln burn.

I headed past the museum where the old soldier remains on guard and on over the George V FootBridge, Old Minnigaff to Monigaff Parish Church.


There are some really old gravestones here.


This is the tomb of a son of one of the Earls of Galloway,who died in 1827 aged 54.
There's ruins behind this tomb of a pre-Reformation church on medieval foundations.


Here are generations of the well known and high ranking McKie family of Bargaly...


...and equally if not more well known,the Heron family of Bargaly.This is apparently a B listed monument.
Somewhere in the grounds,I'll look the next time, is a 900 year old Yew tree.


Here's a gathering of Murrays.
My fathers mother was a Murray,and there are quite a number in the area.I really should get some more work done on the family tree.I'll bet there's a connection somewhere.


Some of the pictures i stitch together give a different slant on the subject by distorting the images.This church isn't really bevelled as this picture shows.

Now i head along the Penkiln Burn to Queen Mary's bridge.


Here the Penkiln dives through the rocks and under the Bridge.


The burn mostly flows through one arch.Last week it flowed through them both.Another fine picture missed.

This is a favourite spot for artists.There's a couple from the mid 1800's in the museum.


And from the other side.


I've created these last few pictures using Autostitch.
This one's about right.


This is a six picture compilation.


And if i'd been able to match the burn here ? but i couldn't so never mind.