Penpont 16 October

Alan, Allan, Davie Mc, Gus, Jimmy, Paul, Robert

The weather forecast for later in the day was awful, so a decision had to be made at Cumnock as to whether we would do the scheduled walk at Penpont or do a local walk, and hope to complete it dry.

Autumn colours were just beginning to show

‘Go for it’ was the concensus of the two who heard that a vote was taking place, and so we set off down the road for Penpont and our round trip of the Scaur Valley. One of the reasons for this walk is to pick sloes for our annual sloe gin competition. Having said that we didn’t have one last year due to a poor season for sloes, and them that know suggested that this year might not be much better. Undaunted we took our more usual clockwise route out of Penpont and cut off up the wee road to the right. As we walked, we started to find the elusive sloes, not in the quantities we’ve seen in other years, but, after perseverance, enough were picked to satisfy the needs of Alan, Gus, Paul and Robert. The other three helped with the picking but decided to pass on the idea of participating in the competition.

The route is amply described i.e. Corfordine, Auchenhessnane, Druidhall and back to Penpont, on previous blogs and the post of November 2011 contains a route map, so suffice it to say that we took a well –earned coffee stop at our usual spot on the bridge before pressing on. Holly had been enjoying herself chasing pheasants and it brought back to mind a previous visit when we encountered a host of well –healed shooters and their entourage. Scary to think that it was five years ago!

Alan wonders why he has to clear up after Holly

We pondered taking lunch at the bridge just beyond Druidhall but it was felt that we should get as much of the walk done while it was still dry and so we continued up to the junction with the Penpont to Sanquhar road before sitting down for sustenance.

“Thirty-five minutes back to the cars from here”, said Davie, “and it’s all downhill”. For once he was right, other than a wee incline which, even to Allan, was nothing, and the cars were reached with the weather still holding out.

It wasn’t until we were in the Crown in Sanquhar that the rain appeared. A much better day than we had hoped for, rounded off by some reminiscences of previous walks spurred on by the copy of our calendar proudly on display in the pub.