Ballageich Hill 16 January

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Ian, Johnny, Kenny T, Malcolm, Rex, Robert

As we met in Eaglesham an executive decision was made to take some cars up to Ballageich Hill and therefore cut out the two-mile walk along the road. The weather was bright and cold but, with wintry showers promised, we didn’t hang about and were on the top of the hill at 10.15. The view was grand, but we pushed on and followed our leader, who shall remain nameless, on an unfamiliar, some would say wrong, path. After encountering some boggy stuff and loads of dougals, we emerged halfway down Lochcraig Reservoir, only to find that the track we had headed for was a muck heap. Never mind, we made it up to the head of the reservoir where we took stock.

The long and muddy road

In the past we had stayed high for a longer time and had come out between the reservoir and Bennan Loch. The road we had now come on to would have taken us back up to Bennan Loch if we had turned left, and some wanted to take this route, but the majority held sway and we turned right to head down to South Moorhouse Farm. Here we turned right and followed the track, which again was very muddy for the first couple of hundred yards, until we reached East Moorhouse Farm and its Clydesdale horses. Continuing on, we emerged on Kirkton Moor Road, where we stopped at our usual spot beside the road. We took lunch as this was going to be our only stop, even though it was only about twenty past eleven.
Ian was congratulated on having some nice chicken soup and had brought a handsome mug for the use of. Having partaken of most of it he put the mug down to have a blether. The next time he looked, Holly had her nose in the mug and had scoffed the lot. She emerged, licking her lips, to the laughs of all around.
The sky was threatening so we didn’t linger and made our way past Bonnyton Golf Club and back to the rest of the cars, which were reached just after noon. Probably one of the shorter walks we will do but we had got it remarkably dry.
FRT was taken at the Kings Arms in Fenwick where, in the warmth, we watched the heavy wintry showers outside. We had got the best of the day and had done about five miles in just over two hours. One or two would have liked a longer walk, but not many.

Two stallions and a wee Clydesdale