Garlick Hill Recce

I'll be deputy walk leader for Saturdays climb with the Wigtownshire Ramblers.Were climbing Garlick Hill from Auchinleck.

Today we did the recce.


Lets hope the weather stays as good on Saturday.

Wild Wood and the Old Edinburgh Road

Saturday the 9th of May 2009.There's no Ramblers walk today due to the Newton Stewart Walkfest taking place.
There are a few separately isolated parts of the Galloway Forest Park,and one of these is just north west of Minnigaff just off the Old Edinburgh Rd.
I headed off for a little circular walk through Wild Wood.

I veered off the main path through the coniferous plantation to head up Torwhinnoch Hill.
Up here there's about eight magnificent old beech trees.The top picture is a stitching of nine separate photographs.The bottom picture is to show some perspective.It's of the centre tree from the other side of the drystone wall.

Through the woods and i make my way back over fields on the route of the Old Edinburgh Road.Lambs and Wild Garlic are abundant.

Back on tarmac heading down towards Cumloden,i thought i'd seen the Sasquatch man,but it was only an eerie looking moss covered drystone wall and a fallen leaf making faces at me.

Adventures in Galloway featuring Callum and Erin

A video clip of photographs recently taken around Galloway.The stars of the show are a couple of scamps called Callum and Erin.The long trip from North Lincolnshire all becomes worth it when they hit the Cream O' Galloway.
Music obtained via Youtube's Audio Swap is La Belle Catherine/Le Step á Ti-Phonse/Reel á Toto (Celtic Fiddle Festival)

Pretty adorable

Just back from visiting these lovely young folk.

This is the ever singing and dancing Charlotte...

...who's brother Jack's painted a great picture and has lots to tell his grandad about his school


The very grown up princess Erin,and her big brother Callum.If Callum doesn't know it,it's not worth knowing.

And the lovely Charlotte again.I didn't take this picture(well i suppose i did,but it's a picture of a picture).
This is a copy of a professionally taken photo by Wrates Scholastic Photographers Ltd of Skegness (thanks for the use),who can be found on the internet here
Wrates or here Studio

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Meikle Galdenoch to Dally Bay

NB.Don't forget that clicking on a picture will give you a larger copy.

It's Saturday the 2nd of May,and we're heading for the North Rhins.We've walked most of the western edge of this coastline,today we fill in a gap
We're a group of sixteen walkers as we meet up at the ruins of Meikle Galdenoch castle.Todays walk is a linear,so a couple of cars have been left over at Dally bay to bring back car drivers.

We begin by heading west over green fields.To get to the coast we've a few fences,gorse...

...and a rickety wooden bridge to negotiate.This brings us to where the Galdenoch burn tumbles beautifully down to the sea.

Such an idyllic spot brings us an early tea/coffee break.The weather today is perfect for walking,there's just a slight breeze on our backs.

Continuing north along the undulating terrain we head past Drumahowen and Slouchnawen bays.

I'm not sure if this is what is marked on the map as the 'Kiln of the Fuffock',...

...but our intrepid leader and a couple of others head down to investigate.

It's certainly dramatic-note the wee folk in the middle picture.

Crossing another drystone wall...

...there's one of the ever present ferries in view.

Reaching Broad Port we come upon a herd of mountain goats.They're very wary of us as they scramble up the shale and rocks to a safer place.There are a lot of oohs and oh's as the little kids try to keep up.

Now we reach this pinnacle aping the 'Old Man of Hoy'.This is Juniper Rock.

We lunch on a high promontory looking out to the North Channel.Lots of sea birds are spotted.A long legged hare breaks the land speed record.

Now at March Port,the building in the top right picture in this collage is marked as a 'Pump House'.A zoom north and there's the Ebbstone in the distance.I've mentioned the amount of shipwrecks before.The remains of the wreck of the Clairmorris lie close by.

Continuing on we reach Portobello...

...which must have been quite a community at one time.One of our ramblers researching genealogy takes great interest here.This Portobello having been confused with it's larger counterpart in Edinburgh.
Now we have a clear view of Dally Bay,though it's still some way off.

I try out a panorama.

Continuing on past Swallow Port,and another Salt Pan Bay we take another mini break.

We're in the Carrick Fundle area for this group picture.

We can hear the surf so strongly here.The natural waves are increased in size by the continuous passing of ferries and ships.We see a very large ship far out in the north channel.Speculation on what type of ship it was was inconclusive.Possibly an Aircraft carrier or a container ship.

Here we skirt Orbain Hill where a couple of friendly horses (or are they ponies)take great interest in us.

Now we reach 'Dally Fort' or'Dounan of Dally'.The passageway in this picture was apparently hewn out of the rock by a regiment of 'Fencibles' after the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

We take a leisurely look around the fort.Wild flowers are prolific.

The last stretch of the walk takes us over the beach at Dounan,and up to where the cars are parked.After being ferried back to Meikle Galdenoch,some of us meet up at the new tearoom in Leswalt for a welcome pot of tea and scones.
This was a very enjoyable walk,and as always in the best of company.

TALON-The best of the Eagles

It's the first of May,and i'd just about forgotten that Talon were on at the Ryan Centre Stranraer.No 1 had recommended i go and see them.
I'd made up my mind not to go because of a niggly cough.
So glad i changed my mind at the last minute,they were brilliant.
I got permission to take pictures,but without flash.Here's a collage of the less fuzzy ones.

I'd recommend them to any fan of the Eagles and music of that ilk.
They're on the net here
Talon

The Western Harbour-Leith

A visit to Edinburgh on wednesday the 29th of April,saw me at the new Asda Superstore at Newhaven.

This is a view from their car park.
Not the best view of the Royal Yacht Brittania i'm afraid.

Panorama of Leith Western Harbour on CleVR.com