Glasgow Canal Walk 29 September

Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Hugh, Ian, Johnny, Malcolm, Rex, Robert

We assembled at the Counting House for a coffee before setting off on our canal walk. The weather was good with blue skies and not too warm, a typical autumn day. Our route was the usual one i.e. up to Speirs Wharf and then along the path beside the canal. Having passed Firhill we encountered the only obstacle of the day in that a section of the path was closed. No matter, the diversion was well signposted and all we had to do was go down on to Maryhill Road, emerging opposite the big Tesco’s, and walking up to Maryhill Burgh Halls. A path behind the Halls took us back on to the canal path until we left it at Maryhill Locks and followed the River Kelvin Way.

There were a number of possibilities open to us from here, but the one we chose was to cross the bridge leading into the Botanic Gardens (and the public toilets). From there we went down Great Western Road, turned into Park Road, and found Woodlands Road which we followed to Charing Cross, before taking to Sauchiehall Street and Hengler’s Circus (Wetherspoon’s) for lunch.

The walk had taken just under two and a half hours, and we had covered just over seven miles. As we sat having lunch and some beers, although a cheeky wee merlot was the choice for Rex, there were a couple of light rain showers, the only rain we had seen on the day. A most pleasant hour and a half was spent and for a couple of us, no names mentioned, it turned in to a three-pint day to accompany a satisfying, very reasonably priced lunch.

A cracking day out and thanks to Malcolm for buying the first round to celebrate, belatedly, his 70^th.

Arrangements for Wednesday 6th Oct.

 Meet in the Dean Castle car park at 10.00.a.m. Walk from there to Craufordland  , Fenwick and return. Alan Stewart is willing to join us for all or part of the walk especially if the pace is not too brisk. He is also going to join us in Weatherspoon’s for F.R.T. and a catch up. Peter has been consulted for the following week and he is also in favour of joining us. Details will be finalised and posted next Wednesday evening.

Wednesday 29th buses

 According to a revised timetable the buses from Kilmarnock are 8.45 or 9.30 so the 8.45 must be the option.

Annbank Circular 22 September

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Hugh, Iain, Jimmy, Kenny R, Malcolm, Rex, Robert

On an overcast morning we decided to do the familiar walk in a clockwise direction meaning that we would go the longer way out to the Wallace and Burns memorial at Oswald’s Bridge and return the shorter route on the Auchincruive side of the river. This walk has been covered many times before so what follows is only a brief description.

Walking down from Annbank we found the River Ayr Way adjacent to Privick Mill and followed the path until a choice had to be made i.e. go high up the steps, or stay low and negotiate the landslip. Some went high, some went low. Those who had gone high reached the point where the two paths met first, although they didn’t know it, and, assuming that the others were in front of them (since the low path was the shorter in length), walked on, past the fishermen’s shelter where we have often taken coffee, and stopped on Tarholm Bridge. Coffee was taken here and by this time it had dawned on them that they, in fact, were ahead of the others. It took a few minutes for the rest to arrive claiming that the debris from the landslip, although not dangerous today, had slowed them up a fair bit.

Crossing the bridge, we took to the path on the other side of the river and made steady progress as underfoot conditions were good, even the usual mucky bits were easily dealt with. By noon we were seated at the memorial for our twenty-minute lunch stop.

Having walked across Oswald’s Bridge we followed the path past Auchincruive noticing a sign for a café, only open Friday to Sunday, up to our left. This is certainly new. We were back at the cars at one o’clock having covered the seven miles in three hours, a quick time for this walk. The rain forecast for later in the day had not arrived certainly was not imminent according to overhead conditions.

FRT was taken outside at the Tap o’ the Brae where a pleasant hour was spent discussing, amongst other things, the Georgian architecture of the area! It should also be noted that Waspy has not lost his touch.

 

Arrangements for Wed 29th Sept.

 Meet in the Counting House Glasgow for coffee around 10.00.a.m. The walk involves making our way up to the canal and walking westwards towards Clydebank. The return route will take in Kelvingrove Park and probably lunch in Weatherspoon’s in Sauchiehall Street. An alternative walk will replace this by phone on Tuesday evening should we be faced with a terrible forecast. 

Buses leave Kilmarnock bus station at 8.45.a.m. or 9.10.a.m.

Muirkirk Circular 15 September

Ayrshire's nuclear deterrent 

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Jimmy, Malcolm, Paul, Rex

We had struck it lucky with the weather again as we met at Kames for our ‘lunky hole’ walk. A beautiful September morning and perfect for walking. After a brief discussion, a momentous decision was made in that we would do the walk backwards i.e. in an anti-clockwise direction. Yes! The Ooters are living dangerously these days. So, off we went along the River Ayr path until we reached Crossflat Road, from where we went up past the Kirk and followed the minor road up to the Glasgow Road. Crossing over, we went up the track towards the former opencast stopping briefly for a photo opportunity at the old Observer Corps nuclear monitoring post. Because of the recent prolonged dry spell, the lower part of the track was, for once, not flooded and so progress was steady up to the top of the hill. Davie Junior called for a coffee stop but was overruled by Davie Senior who said we would be at the Greenock bridge, our usual stopping point, in five minutes. These, of course, were Davie minutes! Fifteen minutes later we sat down just beyond the bridge for coffee, as the bed of the bridge was a bit mucky.

Towards the Greenock Bridge

The long and winding road

Aye! We should have stopped at the walkway. So much for tradition!

As we approached Burnfoot Farm, we encountered the only wet piece of ground today meaning that the choice of boots had been justified. Some debate ensued about the breed of sheep there with the question being answered when we saw the sign saying Blackface/Beltex. Of course, some of our number are more familiar with sheep than others, allegedly! Marching on up the road, we passed Netherwood Farm and soon reached the A70. Crossing over, we skirted the former opencast, now a massive loch, and took lunch, much to Derval Davie’s annoyance, on a high mound overlooking the road, rather than walking to our traditional stopping point at the wooden walkway.

From here we followed the river, looking very unhealthy in colour, up the path towards the Covenanter’s memorial and along the old railway line before eventually taking the path down beside the Garpel and then over Tibbie’s Brig. From there it was not too long before we were back at the cars. It had taken us four hours and ten minutes to do the ten miles. A walk we’ve done many times before but seems to be getting longer the more we do it!

Not very enticing. Pollution or maybe weather conditions.

Jimmy had spotted a kingfisher

The pull up  from Tibbie's Brig

A very well-deserved FRT was taken in the Black Bull in Mauchline.

P.S. The observant will notice that we did not visit the lunky hole today. Haud me back for the next time!

Arrangements for 22 September

 Meet at Annbank Bowling Club at 10 am for the Auchincruive  circular walk

Lunderston Bay to Greenock 8 September

 Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Hugh, Johnny, Kenny R, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

This was a new walk for the Ooters, a walk well-researched by Kenny with the promise of no hills, easily accessed public toilets, and wonderful views (weather permitting).

Well, the weather did permit as we were promised a very warm day, although when we met at the car park at Lunderston Bay a haar spread across the water and there was a wee breeze, enough for some of us to put on a fleece, but not, as it turned out, for long. The walk was to be on paths and pavements, and so it proved to be, with our first brief stopping point at the Cloch lighthouse. Kenny took out his camera to take a photo of us but had forgot to put as spool in it, well memory card actually, but you get the drift, so his phone became the alternative. With the haar gradually lifting, we passed the ferry terminal at McInroy’s Point before stopping for coffee at a series of benches by the waterfront with views of Dunoon, Kilcreggan and the hills beyond. Although the views across the water were the feature of the day, many a comment was made about the quality of the bungalows and villas along this stretch of road, signs of the wealth of previous years.

Haar today, gone tomorrow. Or was it a cloud inversion?

The view from the coffee stop

The manager gets his swim in before the pool opens at twelve

Reluctantly, we moved on, taking a peek at the outdoor swimming pool, before walking seemlessly into Greenock and stopping at the benches adjacent to Battery Park for lunch. Sitting there in the warm sunshine with the views down the Clyde was glorious, and it was a thought to have to move on.

Helensburgh was clearly visible across the water, and we could remember the day we did the Helensburgh to Balloch walk (22 04 2015). Also visible was the wreck of the upturned sugar boat, the history of which was posted on the Greenock Cut blog of 28 08 2015 but is repeated here for convenience.

It is the wreck of the MV Captayannis which broke free from its anchor during a storm on the evening of 27 January 1974 whilst it was waiting to deliver its cargo of sugar to the James Watt Dock in Greenock. She collided with the BP tanker, British Light, which suffered no damage but her anchor chains holed the sugar boat allowing water to pour in. Her captain beached her on the sandbank, where the crew were taken off by two small craft, but the vessel eventually rolled over and has lain there ever since. She has never been removed as confusion surrounds the identity of her owners and insurers and no-one accepts responsibility. Most, if not all, of her valuable metals and fittings have been removed by looters. Who said Scotland lacked enterprise?

A much bigger ship came into view as we approached Ocean Terminal in the shape of the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa. A massive high-rise development on water, we wondered how it stayed upright in rough water. We were in the centre of Greenock by now and it was time for Paul to take his leave of us and make his way back to his car (by bus) as he had to be in Edinburgh later that afternoon. The rest found FRT in the James Watt (Wetherspoon’s) where, as always, we were amazed at the low prices.

By the time we left, the temperature had soared and we were extremely glad we were getting the bus back to the cars, which we reached at about quarter past three. The walk itself had taken just under three and a half hours for a tad over eight miles.

This had been a most enjoyable ‘different’ day out for us and one we thanked Kenny for organising, including the weather. In fact, the cooler morning temperature as a result of the haar, was a godsend as this turned out to be the hottest September day in Scotland (in the Borders) for over a hundred years.

 

Lunch stop. We could have sat there all day.

Built in France. Remember when we could build these things?

Wednesday 8 September - Lunderston Bay to Greenock

 

Arrangements for 15 September

 Meet at Kames car park at Muirkirk at 10 am to do the lunkeyhole walk.

Darvel 1 September

 

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Hugh, Jimmy, Malcolm, Paul, Rex

 Meeting at Derval Davie’s on another lovely late summer’s morning, we were introduced to Isla, the new pup, and who, no doubt, would be joining us on our walks in the not-too-distant future. She is a good- natured wee thing, well suited to joining our band of ‘retired professional gentlemen’.

Our route took us across the park to the entrance to Lanfine, but we did not enter the estate and took the road up the side of the valley to where we found the path to the woods. Entering the woods, the track was followed until the path up to Kieland was found and we followed this until again turning right into the woods again. As we stopped for coffee, we were passed by a group of teenage girls doing their Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. Their leader admitted that they had got a little bit lost but were on the right track now. Davie, half- jokingly, advised them that we were heading for the cairn and that was our lunch spot.

Anyway, when we reached the gate that took us up the field to Gallowlaw Cairn, we noticed that they were behind us and headed in the same direction, but as we veered off to the cairn, some over the rather high barbed wire fence ,whilst the rest of us continued a bit further to find the easy path, the girls passed by and continued on their way, not to be seen again.

A leisurely lunch was taken at about midday in glorious weather, sunny but not too hot, before we started off on the second leg of our walk. Having done a fair bit of climbing up the valley, we reaped the reward of the next bit being downhill all the way on the newly-resurfaced tarmac road. On reaching a T-junction we had a decision to make i.e. go left and go through the woods into Galston and get the bus back (this would be a shorter walk), or go right, follow Windyhill Road into Newmilns, and walk back along the river to Darvel. The majority were in favour of the Galston option, but Rex discovered that he had failed to bring a face mask for the bus, so Newmilns it was.

We were back at the cars at about quarter to two, three and three-quarter hours after having set off and with a tad over nine miles having been covered. FRT was taken in the very acceptable beer garden at the Black Bull in Darvel where we relaxed for the next hour. Another superb, or was it fabulous?, day out.

Underfoot conditions were dry

The view to Whitelee

Lunch at the Covenanter's Cairn

Arrangements for Wednesday 8 September

Meet at Lunderston Bay car park at 10.00am. It is on the left hand side of the A770, heading north towards the Cloch Lighthouse, just before Cardwell Garden Centre. Ample parking. The walk is 8 miles on flat pavement, ending at Custom House Quay in Greenock. FRT can be taken in the James Watt (Wetherspoons) nearby. Return by bus. Should take around 4 hours all in.