Facts are cheils that winna ding!
Robert wasn't to blame this week. It was Jimmy who suggested Durisdeer and the wee hills to the north of the Well Path so if anybody is to blame it is him. There was a gap between two weather systems that, if we were lucky, would give us a reasonable day and the sun shone when we left the cars. Our weatherman said the rain wouldn't arrive before two so we expected a dry walk for we were to be down off the hill by that time according to he who knows these things. And underfoot conditions shouldn't be too bad either for these were dry sandstone based hills.
We took the Well Path as we had done before, Robert setting the pace into the valley and Paul and Johnny going with him. This group were so busy convers talki yapping that they passed the gate in the dyke that gave access to the Roman fort. They had to be shouted back for the newcomers to the area wanted to visit the fort and Jimmy said this was the best access for a track would take us dir
ectly there. We all went this way.
Yes, there was a track but on the bottom of the valley, this was less of a track and more series of puddles. At one point, it was under mucky brown water for around twenty metres. The sensible took to the grass on the high side. Johnny, confident in his gaiters, ploughed through the flood. This might have been successful had the track not dipped into a rut. Johnny was up to the knees with cold, mucky water oozing up into his gaiters and down the top of his boots. Wet feet for Johnny, I'm afraid. A hundred metres further on there could have been wet feet for others as well for there was a real burn to negotiate before we could tackle the climb to the fort. Jimmy said the hills were dry but said nothing of the valleys.
The fort was gained with most feet dry, though, and we stood for a while as the first timers examined what was left of it. 'An overnight marching fortlet', said the expert, 'on the road between the major forts of Dalswinton and Lanark. Probably capable of holding a century'. All that remains now is a playing-card shaped ditch and earth rampart with traces of the road beside it. Imagination populated the fortlet with Roman auxiliaries and the hills around with tartan clad Celts tending their flocks. Today, the fort was populated by Ooters and the hills by sheep and cattle. However, tempus fugit and we had to move on.
We took to the hill immediately behind the fort, Penbane it is called, for it was suggested that this wouldn't be nearly as steep as the climb from the head of the Well Path and at first the climb was easy on short-cropped grass through a herd of cows and a small flock of sheep. Somebody let Rex get to the front. Bad move! There were many calls from behind for 'view stops' for Rex can set a fair pace on the upslope and today was no exception. These calls became more frequent when the short-cropped grasses gave way to the courser hill stuff and the slope steepened. It was every man for himself on this steep section. Then Jimmy found the sheep track and the rest followed. The pace was slowed as he took the lead and the group was together again although strung in Indian file along the narrow path. This led us round the side of the hill, across the face of a steep slope to the pass under Well Hill. Coffee was called and we sat down, took coffee and looked at the hill in front of us and let the sun disappear behind some high cloud.
The morning fog was clearing from the high Lowthers just to the north of us. Davie set about naming the tops - Lowther Hill with its 'golf ball', Auchenlone or East Mount Lowther, Steygail..... 'Steygail my a**e!', exclaimed Jimmy, 'That's Steygail there!'. But Davie was sure of his facts. So was Jimmy. Davie was adamant. So was Jimmy. The wager was laid and the map was to be consulted in the pub.
The debate continued as we climbed Well Hill and continued when we stopped on the top. Now the surrounding hills were free of fog and the view was extensive to the north, east and south and we could see Steygail or not according to who you listened to. However, the Lowthers apart, we could look across to Tinto and the Culter Hills, south over Durisdeer Hill to Scaw’d Law and down Nithsdale to Criffel. Davie was disappointed that we couldn't see the Daer Reservoir for Roger Law was in the way but the view was good anyway.
We came off Well Hill in roughly the same direction we had climbed it, only slightly further north, quad tracks taking us this way. Rex and Jimmy set the pace on this downward section. They could see in front the way the quad tracks would take us down into a wee gorge so opted to stay high on a sheep path beside a fence. Davie followed the quad tracks. The others followed Davie. They changed their minds when they saw the way the tracks were going and crossed the deep grasses to follow the sensible pair. The hill began to rise again and Jimmy made back towards the quad tracks. The rest followed Jimmy. The quad tracks ran out and Jimmy took to the long grasses. The others followed. ‘A path would be a fine thing’, shouted Robert from the rear as he struggled though the tussocks. Jimmy and Rex took pity on him and found a new set of tracks that took us to the top of Black Hill ‘The first tracks were taking us towards Steygail’, said Jimmy. ‘That’s no’ Steygail!’, retorted an exasperated Davie, ‘That’s Steygail there!’
Hunger called on Black Hill so we dropped of the top into the lea of the hill for the peece. We could see both versions of Steygail now for the view was now in the westward. Still the Lowthers dominated but now we could look up Nithsdale to Corsencon and the Glen Afton hills, westward to the Galloways and Cairnsmore of Fleet and southwards to Criffel.
Peece finished we came back to the summit of Black Hill for our route lay down the south ridge of this. It was downwards all the way from this top and Robert set the pace, breaking into a run at one point. He is faster on the down-slope than on the up and set a cracking pace which some failed to keep up. However, the slope wasn’t long and the speedy waited at the bottom for the slow. We returned to Durisdeer as a group.
The Durisdeer Marbles had to be visited for we had newcomers to the area with us today. The story of the jewelled ring and brooch was told to the newcomers and the damage to the marble pointed out. The craftsmanship of the Italian sculptor was admired by the artist in our company and was appreciated by the others. All agreed they are worth seeing.
Then we retired to the pub, the Crown in Sanquhar, for the result of the great Steygail debate. Davie produced the map. Jimmy opened it and immediately conceded. His ‘Steygail’ was in fact Pettylung. Davie is correct but is he one to gloat? You bet he is and no doubt Jimmy will suffer. And suffer. And suffer. However, a pint is forthcoming, Davie.
We took the Well Path as we had done before, Robert setting the pace into the valley and Paul and Johnny going with him. This group were so busy convers talki yapping that they passed the gate in the dyke that gave access to the Roman fort. They had to be shouted back for the newcomers to the area wanted to visit the fort and Jimmy said this was the best access for a track would take us dir
ectly there. We all went this way.Yes, there was a track but on the bottom of the valley, this was less of a track and more series of puddles. At one point, it was under mucky brown water for around twenty metres. The sensible took to the grass on the high side. Johnny, confident in his gaiters, ploughed through the flood. This might have been successful had the track not dipped into a rut. Johnny was up to the knees with cold, mucky water oozing up into his gaiters and down the top of his boots. Wet feet for Johnny, I'm afraid. A hundred metres further on there could have been wet feet for others as well for there was a real burn to negotiate before we could tackle the climb to the fort. Jimmy said the hills were dry but said nothing of the valleys.
The fort was gained with most feet dry, though, and we stood for a while as the first timers examined what was left of it. 'An overnight marching fortlet', said the expert, 'on the road between the major forts of Dalswinton and Lanark. Probably capable of holding a century'. All that remains now is a playing-card shaped ditch and earth rampart with traces of the road beside it. Imagination populated the fortlet with Roman auxiliaries and the hills around with tartan clad Celts tending their flocks. Today, the fort was populated by Ooters and the hills by sheep and cattle. However, tempus fugit and we had to move on.
We took to the hill immediately behind the fort, Penbane it is called, for it was suggested that this wouldn't be nearly as steep as the climb from the head of the Well Path and at first the climb was easy on short-cropped grass through a herd of cows and a small flock of sheep. Somebody let Rex get to the front. Bad move! There were many calls from behind for 'view stops' for Rex can set a fair pace on the upslope and today was no exception. These calls became more frequent when the short-cropped grasses gave way to the courser hill stuff and the slope steepened. It was every man for himself on this steep section. Then Jimmy found the sheep track and the rest followed. The pace was slowed as he took the lead and the group was together again although strung in Indian file along the narrow path. This led us round the side of the hill, across the face of a steep slope to the pass under Well Hill. Coffee was called and we sat down, took coffee and looked at the hill in front of us and let the sun disappear behind some high cloud.
The morning fog was clearing from the high Lowthers just to the north of us. Davie set about naming the tops - Lowther Hill with its 'golf ball', Auchenlone or East Mount Lowther, Steygail..... 'Steygail my a**e!', exclaimed Jimmy, 'That's Steygail there!'. But Davie was sure of his facts. So was Jimmy. Davie was adamant. So was Jimmy. The wager was laid and the map was to be consulted in the pub.
The debate continued as we climbed Well Hill and continued when we stopped on the top. Now the surrounding hills were free of fog and the view was extensive to the north, east and south and we could see Steygail or not according to who you listened to. However, the Lowthers apart, we could look across to Tinto and the Culter Hills, south over Durisdeer Hill to Scaw’d Law and down Nithsdale to Criffel. Davie was disappointed that we couldn't see the Daer Reservoir for Roger Law was in the way but the view was good anyway.
We came off Well Hill in roughly the same direction we had climbed it, only slightly further north, quad tracks taking us this way. Rex and Jimmy set the pace on this downward section. They could see in front the way the quad tracks would take us down into a wee gorge so opted to stay high on a sheep path beside a fence. Davie followed the quad tracks. The others followed Davie. They changed their minds when they saw the way the tracks were going and crossed the deep grasses to follow the sensible pair. The hill began to rise again and Jimmy made back towards the quad tracks. The rest followed Jimmy. The quad tracks ran out and Jimmy took to the long grasses. The others followed. ‘A path would be a fine thing’, shouted Robert from the rear as he struggled though the tussocks. Jimmy and Rex took pity on him and found a new set of tracks that took us to the top of Black Hill ‘The first tracks were taking us towards Steygail’, said Jimmy. ‘That’s no’ Steygail!’, retorted an exasperated Davie, ‘That’s Steygail there!’
Hunger called on Black Hill so we dropped of the top into the lea of the hill for the peece. We could see both versions of Steygail now for the view was now in the westward. Still the Lowthers dominated but now we could look up Nithsdale to Corsencon and the Glen Afton hills, westward to the Galloways and Cairnsmore of Fleet and southwards to Criffel.
Peece finished we came back to the summit of Black Hill for our route lay down the south ridge of this. It was downwards all the way from this top and Robert set the pace, breaking into a run at one point. He is faster on the down-slope than on the up and set a cracking pace which some failed to keep up. However, the slope wasn’t long and the speedy waited at the bottom for the slow. We returned to Durisdeer as a group.
The Durisdeer Marbles had to be visited for we had newcomers to the area with us today. The story of the jewelled ring and brooch was told to the newcomers and the damage to the marble pointed out. The craftsmanship of the Italian sculptor was admired by the artist in our company and was appreciated by the others. All agreed they are worth seeing.
Then we retired to the pub, the Crown in Sanquhar, for the result of the great Steygail debate. Davie produced the map. Jimmy opened it and immediately conceded. His ‘Steygail’ was in fact Pettylung. Davie is correct but is he one to gloat? You bet he is and no doubt Jimmy will suffer. And suffer. And suffer. However, a pint is forthcoming, Davie.
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