Christmas Eve 2008 walk Annbank- Auchincruive circular

At Wallace' name what Scottish blood

But boils up in a spring-time flood?

Due to seasonal commitments, or being hen-pecked and not allowed out by their wives, today only two Early Ooters, Bob and Davie, made their way across country to the wee carpark at the bowling club in Annbank. Davie decided to cut out the boring road bit of the walk down via Mossblown church an instead headed straight downhill through the trees to Auchincruive estate. The weather was extremely mild but unfortunately not as frosty or bright as it has been of late. The River Ayr was also much lower than recently but it could easily be seen how high the water had been during the heavy rain. 

We decided to have our morning coffee at the Burns-Wallace Memorial at Oswald's Brig; hence the quotation above from Burns. 

Question: On which of the Ooters' walks have we come across this quotation elsewhere? Jimmy, being a smart-arse, is excluded from answering.

It was at this point that Bob was totally gob-smacked by Davie, who for the first time ever, produced a camera and proceeded to take a picture of him (proof above).  However this sudden rush of technical expertise quickly vanished when he tried to take a second photie, and couldnae get the bloody thing to work again. 

Having partaken of coffee, we set off back upriver noticing that some snowdrop bulbs had been uncovered by the recent flooding, and that viburnum bushes were blossoming pink. (At least that's what Bob said they were!)

Now that she had access to the water, Holly spent the rest of the walk swimming after sticks - right up to Tarholm Brig and then as as far as the old mill at Annbank. We chose to have our lunch at the lovely spot where the river Coyle enters the Ayr, whereupon Holly was mugged by a wee broon dug as she waited for her stick to be thrown. The walk between Tarholm and the pond at Annbank must be one of the loveliest stretches of the whole river Ayr walk, although admittedly it would be hard to beat the Mauchline Gorge.

A couple of pint of Boddingtons went down well at the Tap o' the Brae, where we witnessed the old folks' Christmas bottle being emptied and the cash therein counted. The old guy at the next table told Bob that every pensioner receives a bottle of whisky, ten pounds in their hand and six free drinks. Lucky Annbank pensioners!

Finally, another word of thanks to Jimmy in lasting appreciation for all the work and effort in compiling the Annals of the Early Ooters.