Allan, Davie
Mc, Jimmy, Johnny, Paul, Rex
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| Note that the shorts make their first appearance of the year |
The forecast
was wall to wall sunshine for most of the day but where we were, although the
day was bright with plenty of blue sky, there were lots of drifting clouds and
an icy wind.
Parking at Loch
Doon Castle we left one car and motored up to our ‘normal’ starting point at
the Loch Finlas road end. As Allan was removing his rucksack from Johnny’s car
he clattered his leg against the tow ball assembly with the resulting large
lump causing amusement, sorry, concern, amongst the gathered company. Compensation
was discussed and then rejected on the grounds that the Ooters’ insurance
policy only covered those who had lost a limb and were over two hundred years
old.
Anyway,
progress was swift on the first leg of the journey following the track into the
trees, past the muddy part, which was not too bad, and emerging to view Loch
Finlas. ‘Fifty minutes to the top of the hill from here’, said him that knows
these things, as we hit the trail over the open ground up to the highest point
of the day overlooking Loch Bradan and looking back on Finlas. As per usual we
took coffee here having donned jackets to protect the cooling bodies from the
wind. It had only taken us forty minutes and we enjoyed the break from our
sprint.
The second
leg followed the path down to the edge of Loch Bradan and took us on a westerly
route to the forest road which we made by 12.45pm. Another half an hour and we
were at our lunch stop overlooking Loch Riecawr. Alas however, the picnic
benches had been removed so we had to content ourselves by sitting on various parts
of the children’s (and Jimmy’s) adventure playground. The views across to the
Merrick, Kirriereoch and Shalloch on Minnoch were excellent, with patches of
snow still visible in the early spring sunshine.
The third and
final leg of this familiar route took us down the road past the dam, and
noting, possibly for the first time, another small loch on our right hand side.
A check on the map suggests that this is Loch Gower but this may need to be
verified. As we continued down the road, avoiding a strangely large, well for
this walk, amount of cars, a distinctive bird call was heard. This turned out
to be that of a crossbill which was perched high up on an adjoining tree. Approaching
Loch Doon again, Jimmy named the burn on our right hand side as the Eglin which
flows from Loch Enoch. This meets the Whitespout just prior to Loch Doon and becomes
the Carrick Lane (at least according to Ordnance Survey). You learn something
new every day with the Ooters!
The cars
were reached at 2.50pm, four hours and fifty minutes after setting off on the
first leg. Five of us piled into Rex’s car for the journey down the loch to the
other cars whilst Jimmy ’volunteered’ to walk Holly down the road for as long
as it took Davie to get to his car and return to pick them up. See us, see
compassion though. As we passed Jimmy and Holly, we did stop and asked Holly if
she wanted a lift. Jimmy did say something like ‘Oh,you are a bunch of rogues!’
FRT was held
at a busier than usual Dalmellington Inn. A chankin’ day out!
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| Heading up the hill |
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| Looking up to the Bradan dam |
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| Is it something we said? |
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| Holly with Shalloch on Minnoch, Kirriereoch and Merrick in the background |
