Glenbuck and Hareshaw Hill 27 July

Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Hugh, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

As a group, we had done this walk, from Glenbuck over Hareshaw Hill, last August, and today we were presented with similar bright and sunny conditions, albeit a few degrees cooler than last time. Walking up from the heritage village we were looking down into the ‘big hole’ after half an hour or so, whereupon Derval Davie took Alan McQ and Paul down to the water’s edge whilst the rest remained outside the fence.

 

 

Being creatures of habit, we stopped for coffee at our usual spot at the flat stones before our climb up the windfarm road to the top of the hill. Just as we stopped, Isla spotted a leveret, or was it a baby rabbit? and tore after it. Luckily, Davie managed to call her off before any damage was done and the wee creature ran away seemingly unscathed.

The climb sorted the men from the boys, or maybe the sheep from the goats, and whereas DD indicated that, on looking at his watch, Mickey Mouse said that it had taken him and his minders twenty-one minutes to do the climb from our coffee spot, your scribe took half an hour and, remarkably, he wasn’t the last. The views of the surrounding countryside were excellent, and Robert suggested having lunch at the top, but with it only being about twenty to twelve, he was overruled in favour of stopping at the side of Glenbuck Loch.

 

And so, the steep descent of the grassy hill began, with it suiting some, whereas others found the descent to be the hardest part, given the pounding that the knees were taking. Forty minutes later we were well settled for lunch and a bit of relaxation.

  

Normally we would have walked round the loch before heading back to the cars but, surprisingly, not today, as the consensus was to simply make our way back from our lunch spot. We were back at the cars at one o’clock having covered about six miles and looked forward to our FRT at the Black Bull in Mauchline.

A very enjoyable hour was spent in the sitooterie at the back of the pub where, as usual, the world was put to rights.

 

Images of the walk at Glenbuck featuring Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie McM, Gus, Hugh, Malcolm, Paul, Rex and Robert

Arrangements for Monday 1st August

 Meet at Allan Sim's house for a local walk.

Arrangements for Wednesday 3rd August

Meet at Chez Gus at 9am for bacon rolls.

Walk between Crookedholm and Galston.

Please let Gus know if you plan to be there.

Croy to Maidens 20 July

Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Hugh, Malcolm, Paul, Robert

Thankfully, the weather was cooler than the last two days making today’s walk bearable. As we got ready at the car park at the top of the hill at Croy, Derval Davie waved as he passed and indicated that he would park at the beach car park, meaning that he wouldn’t need to climb back up at the end of the walk – too smert for his ain guid! The plan was to walk to Maidens and back which we were told was eight miles in total, but, in the end, these turned out to be Jimmy miles. 

 

Making our way down on to the beach at Croy shore we were at Culzean in about thirty-five minutes on a bright and breezy morning with most choosing to climb up to the castle and find a spot for coffee. Alan, Paul, and Robert stayed on the shoreline to explore the caves before we all met up again at the pagoda near the Swan Pond. It was then back on to the beach for the last section towards Maidens where we encountered some really soft sand, more like quicksand, just before the harbour. Lunch was taken at the benches here at quarter past twelve whilst a couple of local women tended the flower tubs. Well done to them!

 

 

  

Twenty minutes later and we were on the return journey, this time sticking to the grass areas along the front of Maidens for as long as we could before dropping back down on to the shore. Entering Culzean at the first opportunity we walked up the road to the Swan Pond where DD and Isla ‘disappeared’. Robert went to find them whilst the rest continued up through Culzean via the Happy Valley before taking the steps down on to the shore at the cottages. Fortuitously, Robert and Davie (and Isla) met up with us as we hit the beach for the walk back to Croy and, for most of us, the climb up to the cars. It was quarter past two by this time and we had covered ten miles or so, and were ready for FRT. It has to be noted though that on our walk back along the beach we noted a number of dead guillemots, a sign of the avian flu times.

A discussion followed about where to have our refreshment and it was decided to motor to the Greenside in Maybole where we could relax in the sitooterie and where Neck Oil was on tap. As usual, after about five minutes of our quiet banter anyone else near us had left and we had the place to ourselves and a good time ensued. A number of us had coffees for our second drink, very average at that, but we were respectful of Robert’s blood pressure, and nobody ordered cappucchinos! DD who, let it be known, had a black coffee, was first to leave, fortunately by car as he is no longer welcome on the Darvel bus!

A grand day out!