Maybole to Kirkoswald 24 August

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Ian, Kenny R, Kenny T, Malcolm, Paul, Rex

It was a perfect morning for a walk as we met at the Green in Maybole i.e. blue skies, warm, but not roasting, and no forecast of rain. So, in shirt sleeves from the off, we made our way out of Maybole (thanks to Allan who thankfully could remember the correct route) and headed towards Kildoon Hill. By this time our new recruit, Dougie Muir, had managed to introduce himself to all the guys and fitted seamlessly into the body of the kirk. Good to have you on board, Dougie!

Ian's brother played cricket with Dougie

As we were about a third of the way up the hill Gus succumbed to an Achilles tendon injury and decided to return to Maybole. (Thankfully he had his car with him and we met up again at Kirkoswald). At the top we yet again ignored the chance to go up to Fergusson’s Monument and went straight on, but only for a short distance as coffee was called for.
The path down to the tarmac was now overgrown by whins (or gorse, let’s not go there again) so we took to the field and made the road in no time at all. Turning left and then right we made good progress until we left the track to take the swampy, muddy track at the Greenwell. Soon we had passed the cairn and were enjoying the view down to Dailly and over to Barony Hill (a walk we have done on several occasions). Turning right we made tarmac again without incident.

Looking down into Dailly

Dougie manages this one without incident

Tradition was destroyed as we took lunch, not back at Kirkoswald, but beside this road. The temperature was perfect, there was no wind, and no midges. We could have sat there all day! However, needs must, and we had an appointment with Gus, so we set off to the end of the road before turning right and the left, heading for the path down to the village. The last time we took this path it was badly overgrown with nettles, brambles and all sorts of stuff, but it was nothing to this time. After a few minutes the wise majority climbed the fence into the adjacent field and had a much easier time making the bottom of the hill before Allan, Malcolm and Paul, who had decided to finish what they had started, appeared shaken, stirred and stung. It was reported to your scribe that, on climbing the aforementioned fence, Dougie decide to show his acrobatic skills in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics where the ‘one metre barbed wire fence vault into nettles’ will make its first appearance. Eat your heart out, Max Whitlock!

Heading for Kirkoswald with Arran in the background

We made Souter’s in Kirkoswald at ten to two, just in time for the bus, but decided to have FRT there and take the next one. A very pleasant hour was spent in the late summer sunshine.

Notes
1.      For a fuller description of the route see the blogs of 26 Jan 2011 and 1 Aug 2015 and/or google Maybole Walks.
2.      For those who made up the rear guard going up the hill, the current world snooker champion is Mark Selby.