Arrangements for Wednesday 3rd November.

 Meet at Kirkfieldbank near New Lanark at 10.30a.m. The walk will take in the falls of the river Clyde and the wonderful colour of the Autumn leaves.

Troon and Curry Night 27 October

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

Many thanks again to Malcolm and Anne for hosting the pre-walk breakfast by providing a copious supply of bacon (and tattie scone) rolls washed down with tea and coffee. Greatly appreciated.

Given the rain that had fallen recently, it was felt that the walk up the woods and down to the old reservoir would be too mucky, so it was agreed to start the walk at Fullarton House. Allan and Johnny couldn’t make the walk, so eleven Ooters travelled to the starting point.

From there, the Smugglers’ Trail was followed to Crosbie Kirk and then over the golf course to the beach. Turning left, now in rainy conditions, the beach was followed up to the Pow Burn and from there the caravan park was passed and the cycle path was reached. Taking to the path the direction of travel was back towards Troon before it was decided enough was enough in the conditions and to return to the cars.

The Jewel in Kilmarnock was the venue for Dougie’s 70^th Birthday curry. Jim decided to punish himself by watch his team play so couldn’t make it, but we were joined by Alan McQ, Alan, Billy, and Ian for, what turned out to be, a grand evening out. Special thanks go to our waitress who was on duty on her own all evening but still coped with everything we and the other customers threw at her (not literally of course). Well done! Ian also deserves an award for managing to get there despite the afternoon’s monsoon conditions and who spent two and a half hours on the train from Glasgow Central to Kilmarnock. Mind you he got his reward when Robert said he could sleep with him sleep at his place for the night. Ian gratefully accepted. We await Ian’s report, and pictures, in the near future.

 

Some images from the Troon walk

 

Some images from Durisdeer

 

20 October Durisdeer

Davie C, Hugh, Jimmy, Robert (Davie Mc)

Four intrepid Ooters made it to Durisdeer this morning. (Actually, five did but more of this later) Since there was just the four of us, we decided not to do the usual Kettleton Bothy-Morton Castle walk and take to the hill. And to this end we set off up the well path.

The sun was shining, the wind was on the back and the slope gradual. In high spirits we walked easily up the well path. Up past the new shooter’s road climbing the hill on our right; up past the Roman fortlet; up to the head of the pass. Though the slope was gradual and the walking easy, it was a pechy, sweaty quartet that sat out of the wind behind a drystane dyke for refreshment. We had tried the shepherd’s hut just beyond but this didn’t prove as accommodating as the drystane dyke so it was here that we sat.

Now the decision had to be made – should we go left or right? One slope looked as steep and daunting as the other but taking the advice of he who knows things, we opted for the right. If we were peched climbing the Well Path, now came a greater test of legs and lungs. The wind was now no help as it blew coldly on our right sides. And the slope was steep. Up we climbed: Up through the heather: Up beside a drystone dyke topped with barbed wire: Up on the vestige of a sheep pad: Up on the remains of another dyke: Always up! Half an hour of muscle tightening effort and we topped out on Durisdeer Hill. It was here that we saw the road that we had seen leaving Durisdeer. And it was here that three quarters of us donned jackets against the chilling wind while the other relied on internal insulation. It was also here that we met the man.

He was and ex-pat Dundonald man now residing in Dumfries and he was ready for a blether. We are not folk to refuse a blether so there we stood, chatting away and getting colder as the wind picked up. Then we left the man to his own devices and moved onto the road.

Though this eased the slope to the summit of the hill it went no further. He who knows things said we should continue along the dyke to Scaw’d Law where we would find a fence running away on the right and this would take us down to Kettleton Bothy.

At our age the certainty of youth has gone and doubts creep in. When we reached the summit of Scaw’d Law there was no fence on the right. Doubts crept in to the mind of he who knows things. We could see down on our right the Kettleton gap near where the bothy sits and that was our destination. We headed down in that direction. There began our adventure.

Just off the top we found another new shooter’s road heading in our direction so we followed it downward. Then the road swung away to the north. That wasn’t helpful but quadbike tracks continued down into the cleugh. We followed them and, just as the quadbike tracks turned back up to the right, we looked up to the left and there was the missing fence on the skyline. We had come down the hill too soon. But it was higher up and the father of the group had had enough of climbing for the day. He found a sheep pad going across the face of the hill and took off along it. We followed.

The pad petered out but in the middle distance we could see the new road coming down the hill. We trudged through the heather and eventually came to the road. Now we stopped for lunch. We could hear the shots as we sat, and the shouts of the beaters but we couldn’t see them nor even guess where the shooters were. We were out of the wind and sat for a wee while and the shots stopped as we sat. They were gone by the time we set off again. This time we followed the road down the slope of Blackgrain Shoulder. We found the shooters packed up and the beaters still hanging about blethering. They were at the junction of the road we were on and the one we wanted to be on. We passed the time of day with them and then moved on.

We strolled casually along the Kettleton road past the cemetery and it was here that we saw a familiar figure walking up the road into the village. It was Davie Mc who had tried to catch us up on the Kettleton – Morton Castle walk. He joined us for the last hundred yards back into Durisdeer. We will leave Davie to tell his own interesting story.

The five of us took FRT in The Crown in Sanquhar which has recently changed hands. We wish the new, young proprietor the best of luck.

 

 

Dougie’s 70th birthday curry night.

 Meet at 7.00 p.m. in the Jewel (in the Crown) on Wed 27 th October. The list of members attending are as follows:-

Dougie ,Robert,David C, David McM, Billy, Alan St,Allan Sim, Johnny, Rex, Ian B, Ian D, Malcolm, Jimmy, Gus, Kenny R, Alan McQ , Hugh .

Can’t make it, Kenny T , Paul , Jim D , Peter.    Peter might get there if his son is at home.

Any changes to the list attending please let me know ASAP. before the 27th.

Catrine Sorn Ballochmyle Viaduct 13 October

 

Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Gus, Jim, Jimmy, Johnny, Malcolm, Peter, Paul, Rex, Robert

It was grand to see Peter with us again for a walk from Catrine to Sorn on an overcast morning. He led us past his house to the steps up to the war memorial and then on a path through the woods to join the road down towards Sorn. On the way, the inquisitive amongst us went down into an adjoining field to explore a wee building which we assumed to be an icehouse but later found out it covered an old spring or fountain. Whilst in Sorn, we stopped (we had quite a few stops today) and chatted to a fellow who was standing beside a newly erected standing stone in the community garden at the old mill, now the church hall. He explained how they had got it there and then had a blether about the covenanters, a topic not lost on the Ooters.

Is this a cottage I see before me?

The next leg was via the River Ayr Way back to Catrine where we decided to stop in the square for lunch as it was nearly twelve by this time and we had not had a coffee break. In keeping with the rest of the day we took our time before heading for the viaduct, although Jim departed for home at this point. Having passed under the Howford Bridge we noticed an ambulance beside the old bridge and noted the crew trying to pull up a woman on their trolley from the wee beach. Some of us went down to see if we could lend a hand but, thankfully, we were not needed due to the efforts of the paramedics and the design of their trolley. It looked as though the woman, who had a friend with her, had fallen and hurt herself and hopefully would soon be on the mend.

Just beginning to see the autumn colours

Time for lunch

Lots of shrubbery growing near the top

In another fifteen minutes we were at the viaduct, a masterpiece of Victorian, not Georgian, architecture but were a bit dismayed to notice the amount of vegetation growing from its mortar joints, and ultimately weakening them. A job surely for Network Rail! We didn’t delay here but set off back to Catrine with some taking the time to view the Fishers’ Tryst and the Cup and Rings.

We were back at the cars just after two having covered eight miles in total. We wished Peter well as he returned home and hope it will not be too long before he can join us again.

FRT was taken at the Black Bull in Mauchline where we just about stayed dry in the beer garden as by this time the rain had started. The conversation, as always, was lively and varied with the highlight being when Robert, the artist and well-versed in the technique known as frottage, demonstrated it on Davie. Robert seemed to rub Davie up the wrong way, but both ended up with satisfied smiles on their faces. At the other end of the table, the group got themselves into a bit of a lather by discussing the advantages of soap versus shower gel and then reminisced about various soaps e.g. Palmolive, Imperial Leather, Lifebuoy, Pear’s, Coal Tar, Knights Castile. The conversation reached a crescendo when it was disclosed there was a book about soap erotica entitled ‘The Camay Sutra’. Boom! Boom!

Time for home!

Arrangements for Wed 20th and Wed 27th October.

Wed 20th,

 Meet in the car park on the right beside Knockroon on the approach to Cumnock. Meet at 9.30.a.m . to decide whether the weather is suitable to continue to Durisdeer or walk locally. 

Wed 27th,

Meet at Malcolm’s place at 9.30a.m. for bacon rolls. The walk will be the Smugglers Trail to Troon. This is a relatively short walk to allow plenty of time to freshen up before attending the curry celebration for Dougie’s 70ieth birthday in the Jewel in the Crown. ( 7p.m. For 7.30.p.m.)

Arrangements for Wednesday 13th

 Peter confirmed tonight that he is willing to join us on our outing to Catrine. Meet in Catrine square at ten  o’clock for the walk to Sorn and return. We can have a coffee/ tea break on our return to the square before extending the walk towards the Mauchline gorge and the viaduct. FRT can be accessed in the Black Bull , Mauchline.

Note for your diary . I have booked the Jewel in the Crown for 7.p.m. on the 27th October to celebrate Dougie’s 70th birthday. Let me know before the 27th if you intend to be present.

Dean Park to Craufurdland 6 October

 

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Jim, Jimmy, Johnny, Kenny R, Kenny T, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

It was good to have Alan, Jim, and Kenny T (complete with Freya) back with us for the first time in a while for a walk which we guaranteed would not be too taxing. The weather did us proud again as we had blue skies above and a cool temperature making for excellent walking conditions.

Davie led us up through Dean Park before we found the tarmac road taking us up towards Craufurdland. Following the signs for the Castle View Trail we passed the castle and soon were at the Laird’s Table for our coffee stop. Some went down to a bench beside the loch for their break whilst others, searching for warmer, sunnier spots, found tree trunks to sit on. We were also treated to a piece of Malcolm’s tasty birthday dumpling as we enjoyed the autumn sun.

It was almost half-past eleven when we arrived, given the leisurely pace, and after another twenty minutes it was decided that we would all simply retrace our steps rather than some of us extending the walk. The return was a tad quicker meaning that we were back at the cars by ten to one having covered nearly six miles.

Most of us then made our way to Wetherspoon’s for FRT and lunch where we were joined by Billy, still recovering from his foot injury. Davie treated us to the first round to celebrate his 65^th and 66^th birthdays. Thanks Davie. A very pleasant two hours were spent before it was time to head for home.

N.B. It was provisionally agreed that we would have a curry night on Wednesday 27^th October in honour of Dougie’s 70^th. This will be confirmed in due course.

Heading out from Dean Park

Craufurdland Castle

It's difficult to believe these guys are twins

Coffee spot