Darvel to Loudoun Hill 9th July

 

Allan, Davie Mc, Gus, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Robert

Many thanks to Davie and Kay for providing coffee and scones for a small band of Ooters on an overcast July morning. It was a thought to have to leave the comfort of their house and get underway, but we are a walking group, aren’t we?

Anyway, we started walking at exactly ten o’clock in what was not even a fine drizzle but just a smirr, and we crossed Morton Park before heading out beside the river to the A71. By the time we reached the start of the path to Loudoun Hill we were beginning to feel the warmth, although it was still overcast and with the smirr coming and going jackets were on, off and back on again before it finally dried up halfway along the track. The path itself, as has been mentioned before, could benefit from some maintenance to curtail the vegetation which is narrowing the walking area.

As we walked on, Allan realised that he had dropped his phone somewhere along the route and turned back to try and find it. Fortunately, he found it on the path about thirty yards from where he discovered his loss. Crisis averted! Soon we were off the old railway line and down on to the tarmac for the trek up towards Loudoun Hill. This is a steep road, and all were glad to make it to the path that skirts the hill. No-one was for climbing it today, so we walked round and down and up to the benches above the Spirit of Scotland monument where lunch was taken.

Davie had done enough for the day, so he phoned Kay who came and picked Isla and him up whilst the rest made the return journey by the same route as last October. Namely, having crossed the main road and having made a wrong turn, quickly rectified, we set out on the Long Cairn Path before veering off it down the minor road which would take us back to the A71, but turning off this road and crossing the field and onto the road into Priestland. By this time there was some concern as the Good Ship Gus was listing to starboard, but he said he was fine and marched on.

We chose not to go to the cars first but walked straight to the Black Bull in Darvel for FRT meeting up with Davie who had just arrived before us. The walk had taken three hours and forty minutes for about nine miles, and it felt like it. We had come back from our lunch stop in an hour and twenty-five minutes which all agreed was a good effort. A relaxing hour was spent before heading back to Davie’s to pick up the cars and setting off for home. By this time Gus was thankfully back to normal, whatever that is!