Wigtownshire Ramblers Cuil Creetown July 2013

Saturday the 13th of July

Today's walk should have been a walk we did a recce for last December

December 2012 Recce

It was cancelled due to adverse weather that time 

I've taken it upon myself to defer the walk once again due to very warm weather.

Therefore today's walk will be one we did last April

April 2012 Walk

We're a group of fourteen today

The report will be after the pictures for which I have to thank Scoop for her contributions to this post

Our walkers today are very fashionably dressed, it's summer at last
Here we're along the route of the Palnure Creetown railway line, now a walking and cycle track

Catching up on what's been happening !

Foxgloves everywhere today

The Cree towards Newton Stewart

Dropping down through Spittal Wood

Friendly horses at Barholm Mains Farm

Mind those nettles !

Seems the horses enjoyed our company as they followed us round

Coach House, Barholm Mains
Also known as Wickham Place it looks like it's on the market and not a bad price either.
Gap in the Market, Wickham Place

There's a very pretty settlement of three properties at the edge of Creetown................

..................just inside Barholm Wood

..............with very colourful gardens.
I'm told this is a Peony Bloom

Walking through Bridge Street, Creetown

The Gem Rock cafe and the Triquetra Sculpture


With the exception of the first one, the next few photographs taken on the Moneypool Burn were taken by Scoop, fabulous creations.

I once met a local old gentleman who wasn't sure if this pool was the Money Pool that the burn was named after. It seems he might be mistaken, there's also a small pool just above the Clints of Dromore car park that people throw money into for luck. Come to think of it, I've seen that pool too. Maybe I'll go do some wild swimming to get the truth !

Chain Bridge

Heading across open fields......................

..........................northwards

Gnarled old beech trees

Gnarled old ........? Only kiddin  'Two Sticks'

Military road above Greenburn

Feathers in the cap for this lucky trio

Views across the Cree estuary

A self explanatory collage

Rounding Blair Hill

View north-west towards Newton Stewart

Looking  down on Palnure

A 'posed for' shot...............

..............ditto

Descent to Cuil

Maw, Paw and the wean (thanks miss goodnight)
One for the family album

Cuil Farm Road

Last stretch and the refurbished Cairnsmore Lodge House

I think most of today's walkers were happy with the change, I know I was ! 

Ramblers Report

Saturday the 13th of July

With the current heatwave continuing, the strenuous scheduled 11 mile walk was deferred and a shorter less taxing walk replaced it.
14 walkers gathered at the walk start at Cairnsmore Car park.
The walk began by following the route of the old Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Railway between Palnure and Creetown. This was converted to a walk and cycle path in 2000 and is a part of the National Cycle Route. Vetch and foxglove added an abundance of colour.
After passing through Cuil and Blairs woods the open aspect of the Cree Estuary and Wigtown Bay came into view where the tide was receding.
The path now crossed above Blair House and Spittal farms to reach the road into Creetown. This was followed for a few hundred yards to Lennies, before accessing the public footpath down through Barholm Mains.
Friendly horses in a neighbouring field came up to the fence. Some walkers treated them to fresh pulled grass.
A line of old large beech trees led to the 'Coach House' of Barholm Mains. These were the stables of Barholm House, a Robert Adam designed classical country house unfortunately destroyed by fire in the 1950's, but now beautifully restored to a magnificent dwelling.
After a short walk through the woods and passing a garden where Peony blossomed beautifully, the Barholm bridge was crossed into Creetown.
Bridge Street led to the Moneypool Burn and the steps up to the Gem Rock Museum. The outdoor tables of the cafe were soon filled with the fine fare on offer from the cafe.
Before resuming the walk, the Ian Cant 3D sculpture Triquetra was admired and remarked upon. It's a layered stone sculpture representing eternal life through a form taken from the Celtic symbolic system. A number of layers are inscribed with a thought, a memory, a story of the past, hopes and visions of the future, it's a unique time capsule.

The route now followed the Moneypool Burn to Chain Bridge. After a short road walk, the riverside path was accessed. Shafts of dappled sunlight through the trees created patchwork pictures on the pools of the burn.  
Crossing Chain Bridge the group now took to the fields to cross the disused 'Paddy Line' on the Gatehouse to Creetown section. After following a line of old gnarled beech trees a drystone dyke was crossed to access the military road to Crinan. A local farmer remembers as a youngster the sparks created by the tanks rumbling up this road.

Now concrete road became farm track and led to Clanary where a garden radiating colour was admired. Limousin cattle grazed a neighbouring field.
Now a hill track was taken up the slopes of Blairs Hill. A rocky outcrop provided ample seating for a lunch break with a view down to Creetown and Wigtown Bay. To the north east, the 'Door of Cairnsmore' and the route of the original scheduled walk was pointed out.
On resumption the walk now followed the farm track over Blair Hill. Sheep and lambs grazed the foothills of Cairnsmore  Soon the forest at Kirroughtree and Newton Stewart became visible. Reaching the sheep pens above Cuil, a wonderful vista lay below. The Cree, the Machars and the Minnigaff hills were all in view.
At Cuil farm a short time was spent talking to the farmer. His excellent local knowledge answered a few questions from the walkers.  
From here it was a short distance to the car park and the end of the walk.
Next weeks walk is a section of the Ayrshire Coastal Path from Maidens to Dunure taking in Culzean Castle.
Meet for car sharing at the Breastworks, Stranraer 8.45am,the Riverside, Newton Stewart 8.45am or the walk start at Maidens Car Park (NS 211 079) at 10am. For further details or if going to the start please phone walk leader 01776 840636. New members are always welcome.

A WORDLESS PICTURE POST

Wigtownshire Ramblers Maybole Circular July 2013

I am now the owner of a Nikon Coolpix P520 , I've also resurrected my Fuji S7000

If I hadn't damaged my Canon, I wouldn't have given my Fuji S7000 another thought, but the truth is it takes wonderful macro shots. I'm happy with the way things have worked out.

Saturday 6^th July 2013

Today's walk is one I partly reccied with the Teacher and the Ranger last December.

December Walk 

It's a great summers morning.

Today's leader is the Ayrshire Blogger

There'll be a joint walk report compiled by him and myself after the photographs.

Leaving Maybole

A young Texel

Crossing the ford on Abbeymill Burn

Couldn't see a name on this tractor but it looks an old one.

There's quite a few horses down this lane.

The monument on yon hill is our first target.
What's our walk leader up to with that woman?

The incline gives us a view back to Maybole

Rucksacks off to go to the monument.

It's about half a mile of undulating green fields.

Erected by public subscription it's to the memory of Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet

Back to the rucksacks and heading south west.

One of these is our leader, can you pick him out ?

The roof of a barn at the kennels of Lower Burncrooks. There's also plenty of signs for walkers.

A slight incline. Slew keeps warning us about the sun and he's right too. I have never deliberately tried to get a suntan since a very painful experience up the Essiquibo in the early sixties.

Hello !

Lunch break in the quarry.

A bit boggy round the Green Well Spring.

The Drummochreen cairn

Scoop snaps me snapping

She also managed to get me in the pictures a few more times.

Onto the moors via Glenshalloch Hill

A few long shots try out the zoom on the Nikon Coolpix P520

I take a lot of pictures of wild orchids...................

..........................this is the best

Views from Carscallan

A plane buzzing overhead. This is G - ZOSA, the technical information is on this page.
Airport-Data

Hello leader, I've been taking too many wild orchid pictures.

Another look at Kilkerran House

There's a hint of a breeze on the top of the moors...........just right !

Time for another breather.

Lochspouts Reservoir
They found a crannog in here when the water level was down in the 19th century.
Mainly Roman-Iron Age date finds were discovered, along with some medieval pottery and other artifacts. All the items found were donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland

Craigfin Hill Trig Point

The happy wanderers

The ruins of Craigfin farm

Springarden Bridge

There's a lot of youngsters about today.

The last stretch back to Maybole.

The Town Hall.
Gordon had arranged tea and scones at the Dairy Tea room.
Nice one mister.


Saturday 6^th July 2013

Sixteen ramblers met at Maybole swimming pool car park in South Ayrshire for a 9 mile circular walk.

It was a lovely sunny breezy morning as the group left the car park beside the local golf course and made their way south along a quiet country road. A minor road was now accessed where a gradual incline led them to Kildoon Hill. Rucksacks were temporarily discarded to climb to the summit. Here stood an impressive monument to Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran, a local landowner who died in 1849. This was also the site of a prehistoric fort and the monument stands within its ramparts. Some time was spent here admiring views while the walk leader identified local hills and landmarks.

Back at the road, rucksacks were again donned and the group now proceeded downhill to cross the Altewan Burn near High Burncrooks. A wooden stile now led to a tarmac road where a short stretch east brought them to Lower Burncrooks. Today’s walk was billed as a “Howling dogs and murder”. The kennels at Lower Burncrooks were the ‘Howling’ dogs who were very excited to see such a large group of people.

Now the route turned south leading to Sunny Brae and the serene Ghaist Glen, belying its name. The public road ended at Lochspouts, once the water source for the local community and the thriving lace business sadly long since gone.

Lunch was enjoyed in a disused quarry where lots of stones provided excellent seating.

 At this point the leader warned everyone to be careful of the hot sun; with the breeze blowing there was strong chance of getting sunburnt in the strong rays.

After lunch they continue straight ahead past Craigdow road-end onto a grass track where the Green Well spring kept the ground somewhat boggy . The path soon improved and shortly they reached a cairn with a plaque attached, the 'Murder' part of the walk. The Drummochreen cairn is a reminder of Carrick’s bloody past when clan feuding was commonplace. The plaque states that Andrew MacAlexander of Drummochreen, was attacked and murdered by Hew Kennedy of Girvanmains in September 1599.

Reaching High Newlands, a change of direction to the east took the walkers up Glenshalloch Hill. Now in open moorland they walked along a ridge of summits with views either side. Kilkerran House, the ancestral home of Clan Fergusson could be seen to the south while more distant views included Shalloch on Minnoch in the Galloway hills.

Wild orchids and other moorland plants flourished as they first passed Carscallan Cairn on one summit before reaching the trig point on Craigfin Hill. A short break was again taken to admire the views and for the distribution of sweeties.

Still generally heading east the route now dropped from the top of the hill to reach an old drovers road. This led to Spring Garden Bridge where the route continued under Kildoon Hill to return to Maybole. Fields of sheep, cattle and a surprising amount of horses were passed on this last stretch.

Afternoon tea and scones was enjoyed by the group in the Dairy Corner tearoom to round off another excellent outing.

The next outing on Saturday the 13^th of July is an 11 mile circular walk of open moorland and woods past the Door of Cairnsmore. Meet at 09:30 at the Riverside Car Park in Newton Stewart or at 09:00 at the Breastworks Car Park in Stranraer to share transport.  The walk will start at Cairnsmore Car Park (NX 464 632). New members are always welcome but please contact the walk leader on 01671 403351 for further information.