Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Hugh, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert
We met at Craigmark Burntonians' car park on a lovely morning and there was no dissent to continuing on to Loch Doon castle to do the walk up to Loch Riecawr and back. It was great that Robert could join us again and by 10.15 we were ready to start walking. However, the weather here was different with overcast skies, the hill tops covered on low cloud, and with a distinctly cool temperature. Anyway, it was fine for walking and progress was good along the forest road where we eventually caught up with Derval Davie and Isla. Davie had parked about a mile beyond the castle in order to shorten the walk a bit and save his back from too much discomfort. Isla was glad to see us, no doubt in anticipation of the titbits she could get at coffee and lunch.
As we walked, Alan the Younger proposed a wee detour to the left at a signpost down to a wee waterfall, a good place for coffee. The path had been recently strimmed and it was only two hundred metres after all, so most followed him with some choosing to stay on the road and have coffee further up. The coffee spot met with favour but before too long it was time to move off and all were reunited further down the road. We didn’t take up Alan’s suggestion to make another wee detour to visit the site where the grouse perform their lek but chose to march on to the dam at Loch Riecawr where most stopped for lunch. Four, Alan McQ, Gus, Hugh and Paul, decided to walk further on to the bench at the viewpoint over the loch, a spot well-known to those of us who have done the four lochs walk, and they had their pieces there.
As we retraced our steps after lunch back to the cars the skies lifted, and we were eventually blessed with some warm sunshine. The road itself is closed to all vehicles other than forestry/logging ones, and we were passed by only one truck today, the driver of which knew the combination to the padlock on the gate. We had come across a few cyclists but other than that, thankfully for Isla, we had had the road to ourselves. We were well spread out, but the back markers were at the cars by twenty-five past one with the four who had gone further on only five minutes behind. Eight miles in three hours and ten minutes or so were today’s figures and it was good to get changed in the warmth of the sunshine.
FRT was taken by ten of us, Paul and Robert had gone straight home, at the Dalmellington Inn where a convivial hour was spent, but we were disappointed on leaving to find the sunshine had gone to be replaced with overcast conditions again.
Nonetheless, a good day out!