Wanlockhead 4 February

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Jimmy, Johnny, Kenny, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

Leaving Wanlockhead

It was as cold as it looks

The photographic evidence illustrates admirably the weather conditions but, unless you’ve got Feelyvision, you need to accept that, at times, especially in the light wind, it was awfi’ cauld.

Making good progress

Given the lying snow, why could in no’ just tell the truth. Jimmy, our leader for the day, decided that it would be wiser if we followed the road up the ‘Golf Ball’ (sorry Davie, Football). The road conditions were generally good but they did vary from being ice/snow-free to banked-up snow depending on how much the road had been sheltered from the prevailing winds. Members of the Strathaven Climbing Club, whom we had nmet back at the car park, were taking a more direct route but we made the summit of Lowther Hill (725m) first and took shelter for a snack and a coffee.

Shelter

It was too cold to delay for long so we were soon underway again with the main party heading over towards Green Trough (710m) and then the masts on Green Lowther (732m), whereas Allan, Malcolm and Johnny decided to retrace their steps back down the road. At Green Lowther, Davie major, still not wanting to push his sair ankle too much, turned round and came back down the road with Kenny (now a fully-fledged Ooter, having fell on his erse) for company. The rest of the guys came down the hillside and made for the reservoir, where they stopped for a bite to eat, before making for the road just in time to meet up with Davie and Kenny.

The guys can just be seen approaching Green Lowther

FRT was taken in the Wanlockhead Inn, the highest inn in (no, I’m not writing with a stutter) Scotland, not surprising since Wanlockhead is the highest populated village. The attraction here was that it had its own micro-brewery, The Lola Rose Brewery, making its 1531 ale – Ale With Altitude, according to the banner. (Lola Rose, after the owner’s granddaughter, and 1531, the height in feet of Wanlockhead). However when this nectar was asked for the reply was, ‘we’ve ran oot’. Nevertheless other ales were available and these sated the drouth of the non-drivers, plus one other.

Spot them coming down the hill!

A grand day oot in the snaw!