Wardlaw Hill 20 April

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Gus, Paul, Rex, Robert

Sur le Pont de Sanquhar

We assembled first of all at Knockroon where Jimmy joined us to say ‘hello’. He wouldn’t be doing the big walks for a week or two yet following the effects of a virus and Covid.  It was good of him to check in though, and we wished him well as we set off for Kames and Wardlaw Hill.

The weather was excellent, although with a coolish breeze first thing in exposed places, and progress was good meaning we were at our coffee spot at the bench by ten to eleven. We decided not to visit the Bible Stane this time round but continued up the relentless path until it was time to turn off and follow the grass path up the hill. The first third of this path was wet and boggy but soon we were on drier ground and, although we got stretched out on the climb, we were all sitting down for lunch by ten to twelve.

Coffee with Cairn Table in background

Heading for the cairn on Wardlaw

         Idyllic lunch venue

Ditto

 

The cairn

Sitting on the heather slopes getting shelter from the breeze and enjoying our pieces it was difficult to move on, and we sat for half an hour, but move on we must.

But, Jings! Crivens! Help Ma Boab! Although the’ A’ team decided to go back down the way they had come up, the ‘Famous Five’ decided to go straight down the face of the hill and make their way to Tibbie’s Brig by going overland. The former found going down the hill on the path obviously easier than going up and it appeared to be drier too. What they noticed on the way down was that all the conifer trees that were growing sparsely in the area had been recently chopped down and had been left on their side to wither. As they were approaching Macadam’s Cairn they could see the others coming up the path from Tibbie’s Brig and it was the larger group who arrived back at the cars first by about ten minutes. Their journey had been OK with some wet bits and doogals to contend with but nothing daunting.

The walk was about nine miles and had taken a maximum od three hours and fifty minutes with the post lunch part done in very warm temperatures. It was the first time for a while that some of us had done a hill walk and we really welcomed our FRT at the Black Bull in Mauchline. A fine day out!

(Wardlaw Hill is 497m compared to Cairn Table’s 593m)

 

  

The sun has got to Gus