Custom Search
Our walk leader is 'The Weaver',and I'll be pasting her report after the photos.
After parking the cars at the side of the Gatehouse to Laurieston road we begin the walk along a forest track eastwards past the Craig of Grobdale.It's a overcast day,but there's no rain forecast
A log stretch of forest road, gradually turning north, takes us past the White Top of Culreoch over Shiel Rig and across the Burnfoot burn.
At the high point on Shiel Rig we stop to identify the hills and surrounding area.
After rounding the Rig of Burnfoot we reach what is an all too common sight on Ordnance Survey Maps.
Dismantled Railway.
This is the 'Port Road',affectionately known for years as the 'Paddy Line',this was the Dumfries to Stranraer Railway.
Long sections of it are still walkable,we've now reached one of those sections.
Over to the west is a tributary of the Big Water of Fleet,It's the Little Water of Fleet.
The picture below was the view today.
Below, from almost the spot, is the view as it was on the 15th of April 1963.
Little Water of Fleet Viaduct
My thanks to John Robin for allowing me to use this picture.Now we head north easterly on the track.
My thanks to Scoop for her contribution of pictures today.
Weren't we a great country when we built and made things.We probably import the stone these days.
Below is how the station looked on the 19th of September 1964.
Photo:- Copyright of W.A.C.Smith copied from the book by Robert Robotham
Branches and Byways-South West Scotland and the Border Counties available from Amazon by clicking the link.
Now we're on the last leg back to the cars.
For a more detailed account read the walk leaders report below.
A very enjoyable walk in the best company !
Ramblers walk Saturday 4th June, 2011
The day was overcast but not cold on Saturday, when eighteen members of the local ramblers’ association met at the entrance to the forest road near Grobdale, Gatehouse of Fleet.
This week’s walk took the wide and well made road uphill through mature trees until the view to the west opened out to show the Big Water of Fleet valley with Rusko castle standing proud in the centre. It was interesting to see the hills of recent walks – Ben John, Kenlum, Cairnharrow – from this vantage point.
As the high point of the road was passed, the quarry that is providing rock to resurface forest roads around the Big Water of Fleet viaduct, showed the ingenious technology of modern machinery with crushed rocks piled separately in their different grades.
As the Rig of Burnfoot was rounded, views to the north came in sight, showing all three of the Cairnsmores – Fleet, Dee and Carsphairn – as well as a myriad of other hills. The walk at last came to the end of its hard surface by the demolished Little Water of Fleet viaduct. The embankment which led to the nine arched rail viaduct is still in place and was explored by some members, whilst others took a welcome rest.
Now an overgrown path along the abandoned railway was taken. The skilfully built bridges and blasted cuttings showed the enormous undertaking of the railway navvies. The railway was opened in 1861 and eventually closed in 1965 with the Beeching cuts.
Before long Loch Skerrow was reached, a lonely spot which had been a railway halt with a passing loop, which enabled trains on the line between Big Water of Fleet viaduct and Castle Douglas to pass each other. Lunch was enjoyed at the side of the loch and the remaining ruins of the halt were explored. As with the Little Water of Fleet viaduct, army vandals blew up the buildings as an exercise. Platforms remain, as does a pile of bricks where the water tower had been positioned, as well as some walls of the railway houses. The water intake from the river, for replenishing the steam trains before their uphill journey to Creetown, had been found by a member to be almost intact, with sieves in place to remove debris, but no lid. It was examined before moving on.
The halt was used by fishermen and railway workers and could only be reached from the Gatehouse road by a track, which has now all but disappeared, alongside Grobdale Lane , skirting Laughengie Hill. This faint track was now followed back to the cars.
The mossy land is an SSSI with an abundance of ancient remains scattered over the long and boggy route. There are hut circles, burnt mounds and an old farmstead with field systems, sheiling huts and a corn kiln on the hill.
The winding burn of Grobdale Lane separates the two parishes of Girthon and Balmaghie. It narrows as the farm of Grobdale of Girthon nears and the ground is difficult to cross away from the track - tussocks, dead grass, deep peat hags, and drainage ditches create an obstacle course.
There was very little wild life to be seen although a deer ran across the hill and lizards quickly disappeared beneath tussocks by the path. The flowers were generally tiny tormentils, speedwells and lousewort, with areas of late bluebells marking drier patches on the hillside and ladies’ smock and bog cotton in the wetter parts.
At last the in bye fields of the farm were reached with well tended dry fields a welcome change from soft squelchy surfaces. The farm itself has been recently beautifully renovated and has a colourful well stocked garden and tidy outbuildings, quite a contrast to its desolate position.
Lovely red Luing cattle and Blackface sheep and lambs accompanied the walkers back to the road and the waiting cars. It had been a long but quite easy and most interesting ramble.
Next week’s walk Saturday 11th June, is 7 miles, Finnarts Bay to Cairnryan via Glenapp. Meet for car sharing 9am, Riverside, Newton Stewart, 9.45am Breastworks Stranraer, and 10am to catch a bus, at Cairnryan North car park NX 062 690. Please phone walk leader, 01776 700707 if going directly to the start. All new members welcome.
