The Wigtownshire Ramblers - Damnaglaur August 2012

It's Saturday the 18th of August and I'm back walking with the Ramblers.

Today's leader is Scoop, with the Weaver as her back up.

We're starting the walk from our leader's wonderful garden.

The press release will be written by the Weaver meaning I can take it easy with the report writing.

Her account will follow the pictures as usual.

So off we go

A circuit of the garden.

Leaving Damnaglaur

Kildonan Croft - Drummore Views

The Kirk Covenant and SS Main and SS Rio Verde Memorials

Scottish War Graves

Kilstay Standing Stone

Path to Kilstay Bay

Sea Wall Strollers...

Sea Wall Chancers ha ha

I had the camera poised for some swimming. 

Short walk to Drummore

Drummore.

The Ship Inn is a Thai restaurant these days.

Drummore Harbour to our lunch on the beach

The unfinished Limpet Hall

The only boat afloat on Luce Bay, and the shoreline walk.

Maryport Pavilion

Creechan Farm and view

Tea and confectionery at Damnaglaur.
Thanks for a great walk Scoop 

Ramblers’ walk August 18th 2012

The optimism of nineteen walkers was well rewarded this Saturday when a misty start to the day’s excursion turned into hot sunshine by its end.

A stroll around the beautifully kept garden of the walk leader at Damnaglaur began what was to be a ramble of continuous delights.  The flocks of geese, turkeys and hens at Buckie Knowe along the road, together with various breeds of sheep, gave an interest which was heightened when the old track across by Kildonan croft was taken, with great views down to the little harbour of Drummore, now filled with the incoming tide, shining in the sun.

The school road was climbed to the church on the hill, the Kirk Covenant, so named because it was built in the year of the signing of the Covenant, 1638, to replace the old Kirkmaiden kirk, the remains of which are to be seen on the Mull farm. A diversion into the graveyard was taken to inspect the memorial to those who died on the SS Main, which was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1917. The ship was raised and visitors were allowed on board for a small fee, the money was used to pay for this memorial.

Now the walkers took a route down the dappled Glen Road and across a field to view the standing stone near Kilstay. This is thought to mark an early Christian site and burial ground which is adjacent to another early church recorded nearby.

A little dog thought to join the walkers just at the corner, but was deterred by its owner, and the sea wall was taken to by well-balanced people for the next stretch of the walk, which now took the route of the new coast path. Entertainment was provided by a couple who walked along a ledge above the tide, which was not deep at this point, but gave a few wet feet before the road was once more gained.

A colourful garden at the entrance to the village was inspected and the abandoned shore road was followed past flowery and picturesque cottages, now a quiet corner fronting the sea. The harbour, with a half built or half demolished shed spoiling the view, was passed, and an old eighteenth century mill inspected, with its wheel and fast flowing water from the leat still intact.

Along Cailiness road a picnic site with comfortable seats on the beach welcomed the ramblers for a lunch break, a pleasant interlude with birds flying low over the water and the rushing music of waves close by.

A path cut through rampant wild flowers, including the now seeding cups of wild carrot and stands of aromatic mugwort, provided an interesting specimen of ‘robin’s pincushion’ on a wild rose – a hedgerow gall, looking like a mossy ball, which is caused by the minute gall-wasp which lays its eggs in the rose bud in spring.

The caravan site at Maryport was soon reached and the new coast path was left, to climb steeply uphill up past Creechan Farm, the exertion rewarded by splendid views over to the Mull and its lighthouse.

Now it was only a short distance through field and along the road back to Damnaglaur where delicious tea in the sunshine awaited hungry walkers, having completed a most pleasant and relaxing circular excursion in the southernmost part of this area.

Next week’s walk is a 6mile trek along forest roads, by tussocks and heather to the summit of Craignelder. Meet for car sharing at Breastworks Stranraer, 9.00am, Riverside, Newton Stewart, 9.30am, and the Red Deer Car Park,( NX 521731) 10am. If going directly to the start please phone walk leader 01671 403351. All walkers will be made welcome.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Damnaglaur

It's Saturday the 2nd of January 2010.I think i'll call the year 'Twenty Ten',since it's easy to say.
Looking outside the house,it's like an ice rink,i'm not sure whether to take the car out in this.
After scraping the ice off the car windows,i decided to risk a run down to the car park anyhow.After a couple of minor slides i got into Sainsbury's car park.(I went into Sainsbury after seeing someone's wheels spinning trying to get out of the Riverside carpark).Sainsbury's weren't yet open,so i set off.It took me a couple of attempts to get back up the hill,but now on firmer road i headed for the A75 bypass roundabout.Police blockade up...road closed.Was heading home,when i took a thought to look at the Barnkirk Road on to the A75.Maybe the police car coming towards me was a good sign.
The road's open and i'm heading along an extremely quiet A75 to Kiltersan where i'm joining a fellow rambler who's driving us to the walk start.

This is where i now take a shortcut,and cheat a little(That should be a lot).
An articulate and knowledgable fellow rambler who's also a member of the South Rhins Community has written this weeks press report.All passages in italics from this point on are hers.(She says it all better than i can anyway)

After early rain the ramblers were once again treated to a bright and clear day for their walk on Saturday.


In the tiny corner of Wigtownshire where there has been no snow, 22 walkers set off north from Damnaglaur on a mystery tour around Kirkmaiden.

At the hill fort by High Curghie a minor road to High Currochtrie was taken only to be abandoned after a hundred yards for muddy fields.
A view over to Artfield Fell Windfarm.
Not to be confused with Kirroughtree near Newton Stewart.Sounds the same.

The way soon became a farm track leading to Low Currochtrie where the road was once again followed along to Sandy Point and then along the Pulwhinrick Burn to Kilstay.
Hallyholm and Whitehill.
Galloway Hills View.

Just before joining the main Drummore road, a field gate led uphill to a large standing stone where the views across to the Galloway hills with their snowy tops was enjoyed. The Glen road was reached along by Low Curghie, one of the earliest Christian sites in Scotland .
This happy young lady extracted the sheet of ice from the trough for the ice fairies to skate on.Alas they'll only have small areas...it soon shattered as she dropped it.
There's a great variety of animals in the South Rhins.

Uphill again, the wooded glen made a pretty route which joined the Port Logan road once more at Curghie bridge opposite the fine Georgian house which used to be the Kirkmaiden Manse.
I didn't get a picture of the Manse,you'll have to make do with the Old Smiddy.


Soon the Old Covenanters Kirk, built in 1638, with its interesting monuments and gravestones was explored, and then the Old School road taken towards Drummore.
Time for a group photo.I'm in the one previous.
Memorials from the first world war,these are the headstones of those killed by the sinking of the Rio Verde by torpedo in 1918.For a really comprehensive set of pictures of these and other war graves in this churchyard look here.
Scottish War Graves Project

The views of Drummore from this road, with the tide in, the Galloway hills across Luce Bay , the Mull of Galloway lighthouse and the Isle of Man beyond were a constant panoramic companion on the downhill walk.

Kildonan road was uphill again with a handy seat half way from where there was a good view of Drummore harbour, built in the early 1800s to bring coal to the surrounding area and take farm produce away. The RAF took over the harbour in 1938 and built much of the surrounding sheds.

A short and welcome rest.

The ruins of Kildonan Croft, burnt down some years ago, were passed and the road regained at Several cottage from where the mixture of Shetland and Jacob sheep, along with a flock of geese at Bucky Knowe caused some interest.
How could you forget the turkey.Is this the one that got reprieved.

Now the appetites that had been stimulated were assuaged by a great buffet lunch provided at the house of the walk leader. A good start to the New Year!

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Corsewall to Lady Bay December 2009

It's Saturday the 5th of November,and todays walk is on the North Rhins Coastline.
We did part of this walk back on April the 5th this year.
That blog is here
April Walk18 walkers meet at Corsewall Lighthouse to begin todays walk.
I hope todays walk leader doesn't mind me copying her press report here...it'll save me a lot of writing.(Info for my Richmond,Nelson NZ reader-that would be your cousin)

It was a damp but clear day when 18 ramblers met at Corsewall lighthouse for a coastal walk to Lady Bay . This was a rough walk, with some scrambling up rocks, the summer growth just dying down along the cliff edges, narrow or non existent paths and plenty of mud. As it had been raining for the last week the burns were swollen, giving some excitement at their crossing, and the ground was saturated so that boots stuck and the party were quite dirty at the finish.

There were plenty of compensations though. As this was a quite unpopulated area, with not many walkers passing this way, the wild life was in abundance. There were plenty of deer to disturb, hares in quantity, snipe and pheasants, seals and shags, and some great badger sets.

The iron age fort, Dunskirloch, at Corsewall Point began the day and one at Caspin was passed around the half way point where later kelp gathering operations had also left their mark. Both forts are difficult to visualise, being rocky, sea girt outcrops with very little of the walls to be seen. Barney McGhie’s cottage at Portmullin, a salmon fishing station, was still standing quite ruinous, but interesting to compare with the picture in Innes Macleod’s book Discovering Galloway.

Lunch was taken on the beach when Milleur Point had been passed and the walkers had entered the comparatively calm shores of Loch Ryan with lovely views across to Finnart’s Bay. Here they were treated to a splendid birthday cake from one of the members, the cake actually iced on the beach before being cut!

All day the boats passed up and down to and from Cairnryan and Stranraer, magnificent to see them so close to the shore. The day ended at Lady Bay where an easy route up the road was taken by most, whilst the drivers were transported back to Corsewall to collect the cars.

One of many boggy obstacles.
A welcome sunny interval.
We named this delightful creature Sammy,boy or girl.
Do you remember Salty and Sandy girls?
We were above this ruin last time.This lower path is more of a challenge,but without doubt more interesting.
As always,anywhere on the North Rhins coast,a Stena or P & O Ferry is in sight.
Regular breaks are taken to allow an often strung out line to close up.
Some of the mounds were a stiff climb,while others were more of a scramble.
Finding the least muddy track was the answer to this tricky section.
There are lots of Shags to be seen today.The difference between Shags and Cormorants can be found here
Shags and Cormorants
(Correction 11th March 2012. The above picture is actually at Port Leen,  Barney McGhie’s cottage is the ruin in an earlier picture in the post)
The ruins of Barney McGhie’s cottage at Portmullin,a salmon fishing station
Now i get in the picture...thanks for the pics Scoop.I was in a helpful mood today,and dykes,fences and burns would see me assisting walkers in need of a hand.
Every now again there'd be a view back to the lighthouse at Corsewall,and each time it looked like we hadn't progressed any distance.
At Burnfoot now,and my offer of a gentlemanly hand is gracefully accepted.
Now the going gets much easier...
...and just opposite the Milleur Bouy we stop for lunch,and a slice of freshly iced birthday cake.Delicious !
A couple of Oystercatchers kept a close eye on proceedings.No doubt they'll find any fallen crumbs once we leave.
After lunch we begin the last stretch...
...which takes us into Loch Ryan.Along here we pass a point known as 'The Beef Barrel',i wonder where that came from.
Now we reach the point known as Marsh Slung(Maybe another reference to Slewtrain?),with a well made drystane dyke on a steep slope.Pointing back the way we just came are the two signs 'Footpath' and 'Bull keep out'...neither of them seemed appropriate.
From here we head over a field which gives a clue to the name Marsh Slung,and find the road down to Lady Bay.Most of the walkers now head up to the road,while the car drivers collect their vehicles to transport other drivers back to Corsewall.
I'd come out today unsure whether i'd be walking.A lovely walk temporarily diverted attention from my ongoing health issues.