The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock and other outings

The lack of posts on the Glebe this last week has been due to the blog author resting up and feeling miserable.The problem started last Thursday evening when out for a walk I stepped on a fallen branch which twisted under me.I felt an initial pain,but it seemed to go off quickly.How wrong I was.Upon waking in the morning I was in agony.

The upshot is I was destined to spend the weekend on the settee with a painful ankle and an even more painful knee which meant no walk with the Wigtownshire Ramblers.

Sunday I managed a little walk.Monday a bit more and now it's Tuesday I can report I'm on the mend.

The ankle no longer hurts and the knee is less painful (It still hurts a little climbing the stairs,but nothing like it did)

Now I've got the sympathy vote I'll upload some pictures from recent outings.

A couple of weeks ago I was due to climb a hill with my fellow rambler from Cumnock.

Due to the inclement weather we decided instead to head for Kilmarnock and the Dick Institute.

Passing through Mauchline on the way I took a photo of the tower below.

Robert Burns worked and lived in Mauchline for a number of years and was where he met and married Jean Armour.

This is the National Burns Memorial Tower

Burns Mauchline

I must pay a visit sometime.

On then to Kilmarnock and  the Dick Institute

We were disappointed to find that much of it was closed as the galleries were undergoing renovations.
The upstairs museum was open though and I took a number of pictures which are featured below.

The Dick Institute

I aplogise for the lack of details in the above photographs but it's well worth a vist.

This is the result of stitching four pictures together.

Opposite the institute is the this war memorial.

This from wikipedia

The Kilmarnock War Memorial is a war memorial located in Kilmarnock and built in 1927 to remember everyone who fought in the First World War. The building is accessible to the public, although it is locked. The key is available from the Dick Institute situated nearby. The walks are covered with those names of the people who fell in the First World War. Later additions were made adding the names of those Kilmarnock residents who gave their lives in World War II.

Inside there is a figure cast in bronze, ‘The Victor’, whose head is bowed in silent contemplation of the cost of war

Monday visit to Glentrool

What is it with spiders and wing mirrors.

There's a new feature up at Bruce's Stone

This one's readable with a click.

I took a couple of panoramas of Loch Trool this being the best.

Panorama of Loch Trool from Bruce's Stone on CleVR.com

This panorama is also on full screen on Panogio  HERE
A visit to Caldons saw work beginning on the restoration of the big house and contractors laying stone along the Water of Trool path.They're obviously expecting more tourists next year.


It's now Tuesday and I'll try my leg out on the coast.The following pictures are from below Carsluith Castle.

There's more shells than you can shake a stick at here.

I guess this is an Oystercatcher

Seclusion

How clear is the water in this pool

Looks like a Shag and a couple of seagulls

Remnants of boat mooring posts

A sandy beach.The birds don't get disturbed a lot.

I turned this piece of old masonry back the way I found it.That's a big family of snails.

View over to Wigtown

Looks like a typical Red Admiral

I didn't walk too far today.I fancy walking from here to Auchenlarie sometime though.It looks very interesting.

A run up past Bagbie to take a picture of the standing stone was enough walking for me today.
The ankle has stood up well but my knee's still troublesome.I might rest tomorrow.

Frosty views

It's Friday the 3rd of December and the scene today is different again from these views of yesterday.
As the snow eases in the east,here in the west we're now getting it and as I write it's snowing heavily.

Though the snow's been later coming we've still had the frost,and the pictures to go with it.

I'm heading up to the phone mast again.I've posted tons of pictures from here before,so I barely need to give details.
The above frosty picture is the scene opposite the entrance to Barbuchany.

I've disturbed a flock of pigeons.

A backdrop of Cairnsmore of Fleet to show off this Teasel. Encouraged on some nature reserves as a source of winter food for the Goldfinch,it's considered an invasive species in the United States. It is known to form a monoculture, capable of crowding out all native plant species, and therefore is discouraged and/or eliminated within restored open lands and other conservation areas.

A bit higher up there's a view of the Newton Stewart golf course.There's no yellow balls out today.I guess it's closed due to the frost.

Nearing the phone mast I take the first of a number of panoramic views I'll take today.Newton Stewart is known as the 'Gateway to the Galloway Hills',and this shot shows why.

Millfore,Red Gairy and Drigmorn are the backdrop here.The cattle seem to have found some grazing.

This panorama is below on CleVR
It stretches from the western end of Newton Stewart to the river Cree flowing south.Cairnsmore of Fleet and the Minnigaff group of the Galloway Hills can all be clearly seen.

Panorama of Newton Stewart and the Minnigaff Hills on CleVR.com

I took a similar panorama from slightly lower just over a year ago.I'm quite amazed at how different they look.2009 view

Making my usual descent I can seen the Cree estuary,and the hills above Creetown which I've posted recently.Above from the right are Larg (not to be confused with it's larger namesake in the Minnigaff range),Knockeans,Cairnharrow and Cambrett with the telecommunication masts atop.

Another panorama.This one's a frosty view of the Cree as it leaves Newton Stewart.
Nearly hidden in the trees is Machermore Castle Care Home.I've just learned that it's gone into voluntary liquidation.I hope it can be rescued,It's a lovely place.

A few quick shots of a heron flying overhead only produced one decent picture.

The A75 crosses a nearly frozen river Cree.

Seagulls take a break in the frozen shallows.

Our local authority provide excellent facilities along the popular walking areas in the town.These bins are made of heavy cast iron,and can stand up to the worst of the weather.

What they can't overcome are the morons who do this sort of thing.They may have muscles like 'Garth',but their brains are the size of peanuts (if that big).
I'd suggest that if the perpetrators of this crime are found they should be made to recover the bin while being lashed in front of a baying crowd.

Challoch View

Nearing the end of a recce for a walk with the Wigtownshire Ramblers,I took four pictures of the countryside back towards Larg Hill,Cairnsmore of Fleet and Challoch Church.
This clip is the result of stitching them together,and using Photo Story 3 to add music and zoom.

There's a blip of half a picture near the end.I've no idea how that came about.

Creetowns Larg Hill October 2010

N.B
Regular readers will recognise the name Slewtrain or Slew as I commonly call him.
Well, Gordon (His real name) has become a blogger.He's new to the game so bear with him.Here's a link to his blog.
Gordon and Anne


It's Wednesday the 10th of November and the forecast is for today to be the only good day this week.
A small hill and good views will suffice,so I'm off to Creetown.
I've parked up at Kirkmabreck church behind a vehicle I recognise.They're recceing Saturdays walk.

There was a fair old frost last night.

I'm soon alongside Castle Cary woods and level with Larg farm (Above picture to the right)

Gaining a bit more height I can zoom in to get a picture of Wigtown.
Creetown is also known as Ferrytown.Less than five miles by boat,but thirteen miles by road.There's no ferry these days.

Another zoom up the estuary sees Newton Stewart.

A bit more height and I'm looking at the traffic along the A75.

Same view from a little higher.

And now it's opened up a little more.The top of Ailsa Craig can just be seen.

Larg Hill's only 276 Metres or 905 feet,but it's great on a sunny day for views.In the above picture with the lowlands of the Machars in the foreground,stands the Isle of Man.

To the north I can see Cairnsmore and the Minigaff Hills.
From the left I can see the two peaks of the bigger Larg Hill,then Lamachan,then a little peek at the snow covered Merrick.Next comes Curleywee and then Millfore,Red Gairy and Drigmorn.

To the south is Cambrett and Cairnharrow.

A zoom shows the snow on the Merrick beyond Curleywee and Lamachan.

I'm on the top and it's time for a cup o' tea while i look at the markings on the stones.
97's obviously recent,but I believe some of the others are fairly old.

I try out my ten second delay...there's no one else up here today.

Panorama of Cairnsmore of Fleet and the Cree Estuary on CleVR.com

I get a 180 degree panorama from the Clints of Dromore round to the Mull of Galloway.


Another zoom to Solway Structural.Apparently they use a lot of Scunthorpe steel.

Here's a similar panorama to one earlier,but i'm a peak to the west with this one.

It's time to descend.
A rabbit,a small bird (My twitcher pal Slew tells me it's a Great Tit) and a crow with a broken wing complete my pictures of the day.
Very enjoyable !