Tuesday 5 February 2013

30 January: Cumnock to Ochiltree



Jimmy, Davie C, Alan, Robert, Ian, Paul, Rex,  Malcolm, Peter

9 Ooters gathered at Cumnock Leisure Centre for the proposed walk to Ochiltree and back. The weather forecast was not promising, with the south of Ayrshire expected to get more rain than the north. 

Nevertheless,  the walk started with dry overhead conditions, in contrast to the underfoot conditions which, on the footpath following the Lugar Water, were decidedly muddy.

We headed towards Dumfries House, whose grounds were a hive of activity. We stopped to inspect the work going on close to the old sawmill, where skills' workshops are now housed.  Needless to say we called in for refreshments at the café, where coffee, cakes and one bacon roll (no guesses necessary …) were consumed. 

Whilst we were tucking in, the rain started, but undeterred we sallied forth. We took a look at the Prince’s Drawing School in the newly-renovated Dimplex House (even the Duke of Rothesay needs sponsorship) which, according to the noticeboard was a youth hostel in the 1960s (your scribe can find no evidence).  Next point of call was the walled garden where very substantial earthworks were being carried out – the whole of the topsoil and subsoil having been removed.

As we were leaving  the grounds of the House we were assailed by a heavy shower of hail and were obliged to shelter and huddle, Emperor penguin-style, in the lee of a tree trunk. Jimmy managed to get the highly prized central location.
 
When the hailstorm had abated we made our way up the slopes of coal waste (it’s more attractive than it sounds) to our lunch spot in the shadow of the Barony A Frame. The shelter provided protection from the rain and we all managed to find a square inch or so of bench to sit on … with the exception of our benevolent dictator who was happy to stand (or at least he said he was).

After lunch we descended the slopes and followed the Lugar Water to Ochiltree, past old Ochiltree mill and along crumbling and flooded paths. A football was retrieved from the river by Peter and this provided some entertainment;  until  our member from down under, not versed in the  rules and nuances of the  kicking game, returned the ball to the river with an action which would have been more at home on the polo field.

By now it had become clear we would not be walking back from Ochiltree because of the inclement weather and so we headed to the bus stop. Finding there was time to kill, we chose to make our visit to Ochiltree a cultural one and we headed up the main street to “the House with the Green Shutters” …easily indentifiable by the green shutters attached to the house! Not many admitted to having read George Douglas Brown’s opus, and the observations of those who had read it (or at least started it) were not likely to have the uncultured ones rushing to get a Kindle download.

In no time we were back in Cumnock (Davie C being £2.50 worse off than when he boarded the bus) and refreshments were taken in the re-refurbished Sun Inn, where a pleasant hour was spent. 


"Over Fork Over": motto of Clan Cunningham



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