To try and make Jimmy’s Annals of the Early Ooters as full as possible, and since I’m sitting here bored, not able to make today’s outing due to a bad bout of sinusitis I have decided to compile reports for the first Byne Hill walk, for the Leadhills cycle on the 25th April 2007 and the walk from Darvel to Eaglesham on the 5th September 2007. I hope I will be forgiven for the memory lapses, but some of the details have been lost in the mists of time. It comes to us all, aye …
29 March 2006 Byne Hill, Girvan
Only two Ooters were available today, Rex and Davie. Since Rex had business to attend to at his shop in Girvan, Davie suggested a walk up the Byne Hill. We parked the car at the cemetery wall, Davie thinking that he would just follow his normal route through Brochneil Farm onto the hill. Alas there were notices on the telegraph poles saying that there was no longer a right of way through the farm, which, we discovered from a neighbouring farmer, now had new owners. We were eventually to meet the old crone who now has the farm on our walk of the 26th November 2008 who indeed barred us from going through the gate. This has been a favourite walk of Girvanites (Girvanians?) and holidaymakers for generations. How can they get away with this?
Mumbling a few oaths, Rex and Davie took the longish detour through the other farm and eventually set up the green, grassy slopes of the Byne.
29 March 2006 Byne Hill, Girvan
Only two Ooters were available today, Rex and Davie. Since Rex had business to attend to at his shop in Girvan, Davie suggested a walk up the Byne Hill. We parked the car at the cemetery wall, Davie thinking that he would just follow his normal route through Brochneil Farm onto the hill. Alas there were notices on the telegraph poles saying that there was no longer a right of way through the farm, which, we discovered from a neighbouring farmer, now had new owners. We were eventually to meet the old crone who now has the farm on our walk of the 26th November 2008 who indeed barred us from going through the gate. This has been a favourite walk of Girvanites (Girvanians?) and holidaymakers for generations. How can they get away with this?
Mumbling a few oaths, Rex and Davie took the longish detour through the other farm and eventually set up the green, grassy slopes of the Byne.
(all together now: oh the green grassy slopes of the Byne
Where Orangemen with William did jyne
Enough of this frivolity McMeekin, just get bloody on with it!)
It was turning out to be a very pleasant day weather-wise. So once past the cairn and the monument, we decided to cross over to the Grey Hill. All hillwalks should be as easy as this, you know. At the top of the Grey Hill, we decided to keep on walking along the path until we reached Pinbain Hill where we had a very satisfying lunch, taking in the views of the Merrick and Galloway Hills and looking across to Ailsa Craig. We returned via the same route. All in all the walk only lasted about 3 hours, but an extremely pleasing day was had.
We had our pints in the Swee which became the Fish Inn We certainly did not learn our lesson on this first visit. (See the later reports of our return to this pub!)
25 April 2007 Leadhills Cycle
Only Rex and Davie were available today for some reason, now long forgotten. Rex picked Davie up in Darvel and with both bikes stowed in the back of his car, we set off down the M74 for Abington. Davie thought he had sussed this out as a reasonably easy cycle-run, but forgot about the vagaries of the weather. We set off from Abington for what should have been a gentle climb to the village of Leadhills, but with the wind in our face, we even had to pedal on the downhill stretches.
At Lettershaws Farm, Davie took the opportunity to show Rex an oystercatcher’s nest complete with eggs. Rex ho-hummed at the excitement of this so we set off for Leadhills; it probably took us an hour or so to cycle the 6 or so miles from Abington to Leadhills so you can guess that the pace wasn’t Chris Hoy standard.
Once we had turned left into the Elvanfoot road, we were sheltered so decided to have lunch near the remains of the Risping Cleuch viaduct. It’s a shame they gave this viaduct to the army for explosive practice, for it would surely have been a good idea, possibly a tourist attraction, if the local miniature railway enthusiasts could have eventually extended their line down to Elvanfoot. The bed of the old railway is in perfect nick.
Lunch devoured, the intrepid pair got back on the saddles and thoroughly enjoyed the 5 mile freewheel all the way down to Elvanfoot. Joy unbounded!
At Elvanfoot we turned left, went under the motorway and onto the old A74, with the river Clyde on our right hand side. At the junction we turned right into the village of Crawford, with its hotels which would have been busy with motorists in a bygone era but which now are decaying and showing signs of lack of patronage.
Just before Crawford Mains, we turned right, over the railway, and then left onto a traffic-free single-track road passing the remains of Crawford Castle and a Roman fort. The Clyde was now on our left hand side and this wee road proved to be a delightful road to bike along, being reasonably flat all the way back to Abington. We had our pints in the Abington Hotel which was a bit devoid of atmosphere even although there was a bunch of workmen in, seemingly being stood a drink by the owner.
This run is probably about 15 miles and worth repeating in good weather. The scenery is marvellous.
5th September 2007 Darvel to Eaglesham
The weather certainly did not favour those of us who turned out for the ten mile walk to Eaglesham today. Exactly who was present I can’t remember. Davie had done this walk several times in both directions and was confident that there would be no mishaps, but the best laid schemes …… gang aft agley.
We set off up Burn Road, past Templehill (so-called because the Knights Templar had lands hereabouts at one time) and even at this stage of the walk the weather was anything but promising. Indeed waterproofs were donned long before the old school house high above the Irvine Valley; we headed for the last farm, High Overmuir, on this road, passing close to Lochfield, where Alexander Fleming was born. Although rain and thick mist were now the order of the day, Davie’s confidence in his path-finding abilities were still undented and he set off up the Crook of the Lench towards Crook Hill. There should have been a bench here to sit and have lunch on, looking out on the moor. Instead there were roads and JCBs everywhere and workmen busy with the new Whitelee Wind power scheme. It may have been at this point that the Ooters’ motto ubi coitus sumus? came into existence. Davie’s proclivity to get lost in the mist surfaced again as he battled manfully on, pursued by the ever-doubting members of the Werthefekarway tribe. Paul, it was, who eventually sussed, with the help of his GPS that we were heading in the wrong direction. We came across some workmen and asked them the way to Eaglesham, but they were about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
“You shouldn’t really be here, boys!”
“We don’t want to be be here, we want to be ower there!”
Eventually the mist rose a little, long enough for Davie to spot Carrot Farm about ½ a mile away and before long we were back on the road heading down to Eaglesham.
Not a good walk, due to the weather and the way Whitelee has been despoiled, but the pints in Eaglesham were nevertheless enjoyed. Since some of us had left cars at this end, we returned to Darvel to pick up the remaining cars.
Davie
Where Orangemen with William did jyne
Enough of this frivolity McMeekin, just get bloody on with it!)
It was turning out to be a very pleasant day weather-wise. So once past the cairn and the monument, we decided to cross over to the Grey Hill. All hillwalks should be as easy as this, you know. At the top of the Grey Hill, we decided to keep on walking along the path until we reached Pinbain Hill where we had a very satisfying lunch, taking in the views of the Merrick and Galloway Hills and looking across to Ailsa Craig. We returned via the same route. All in all the walk only lasted about 3 hours, but an extremely pleasing day was had.
We had our pints in the Swee which became the Fish Inn We certainly did not learn our lesson on this first visit. (See the later reports of our return to this pub!)
25 April 2007 Leadhills Cycle
Only Rex and Davie were available today for some reason, now long forgotten. Rex picked Davie up in Darvel and with both bikes stowed in the back of his car, we set off down the M74 for Abington. Davie thought he had sussed this out as a reasonably easy cycle-run, but forgot about the vagaries of the weather. We set off from Abington for what should have been a gentle climb to the village of Leadhills, but with the wind in our face, we even had to pedal on the downhill stretches.
At Lettershaws Farm, Davie took the opportunity to show Rex an oystercatcher’s nest complete with eggs. Rex ho-hummed at the excitement of this so we set off for Leadhills; it probably took us an hour or so to cycle the 6 or so miles from Abington to Leadhills so you can guess that the pace wasn’t Chris Hoy standard.
Once we had turned left into the Elvanfoot road, we were sheltered so decided to have lunch near the remains of the Risping Cleuch viaduct. It’s a shame they gave this viaduct to the army for explosive practice, for it would surely have been a good idea, possibly a tourist attraction, if the local miniature railway enthusiasts could have eventually extended their line down to Elvanfoot. The bed of the old railway is in perfect nick.
Lunch devoured, the intrepid pair got back on the saddles and thoroughly enjoyed the 5 mile freewheel all the way down to Elvanfoot. Joy unbounded!
At Elvanfoot we turned left, went under the motorway and onto the old A74, with the river Clyde on our right hand side. At the junction we turned right into the village of Crawford, with its hotels which would have been busy with motorists in a bygone era but which now are decaying and showing signs of lack of patronage.
Just before Crawford Mains, we turned right, over the railway, and then left onto a traffic-free single-track road passing the remains of Crawford Castle and a Roman fort. The Clyde was now on our left hand side and this wee road proved to be a delightful road to bike along, being reasonably flat all the way back to Abington. We had our pints in the Abington Hotel which was a bit devoid of atmosphere even although there was a bunch of workmen in, seemingly being stood a drink by the owner.
This run is probably about 15 miles and worth repeating in good weather. The scenery is marvellous.
5th September 2007 Darvel to Eaglesham
The weather certainly did not favour those of us who turned out for the ten mile walk to Eaglesham today. Exactly who was present I can’t remember. Davie had done this walk several times in both directions and was confident that there would be no mishaps, but the best laid schemes …… gang aft agley.
We set off up Burn Road, past Templehill (so-called because the Knights Templar had lands hereabouts at one time) and even at this stage of the walk the weather was anything but promising. Indeed waterproofs were donned long before the old school house high above the Irvine Valley; we headed for the last farm, High Overmuir, on this road, passing close to Lochfield, where Alexander Fleming was born. Although rain and thick mist were now the order of the day, Davie’s confidence in his path-finding abilities were still undented and he set off up the Crook of the Lench towards Crook Hill. There should have been a bench here to sit and have lunch on, looking out on the moor. Instead there were roads and JCBs everywhere and workmen busy with the new Whitelee Wind power scheme. It may have been at this point that the Ooters’ motto ubi coitus sumus? came into existence. Davie’s proclivity to get lost in the mist surfaced again as he battled manfully on, pursued by the ever-doubting members of the Werthefekarway tribe. Paul, it was, who eventually sussed, with the help of his GPS that we were heading in the wrong direction. We came across some workmen and asked them the way to Eaglesham, but they were about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
“You shouldn’t really be here, boys!”
“We don’t want to be be here, we want to be ower there!”
Eventually the mist rose a little, long enough for Davie to spot Carrot Farm about ½ a mile away and before long we were back on the road heading down to Eaglesham.
Not a good walk, due to the weather and the way Whitelee has been despoiled, but the pints in Eaglesham were nevertheless enjoyed. Since some of us had left cars at this end, we returned to Darvel to pick up the remaining cars.
Davie
1 comment:
Hi Davie,
Its been a long time coming but nice to read your reports. I will coppy them into my hard copy and leave the rest to do for themselves.
Hope you recover from your thinuthitith for next Wednesday.We need the kitty!
If you haven't recovered, can Holly come out to play anyway? Johnny had nobody to throw sticks for. Peter refused to fetch.
Jimmy
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