Ian, Paul, Malcolm, Jimmy, Davie M, Gus, Robert.
The drive down to our meeting point at Greenwell of Scotland didn't bode well, with frequent heavy showers peppering our journey, but it was dry when we stepped out of the cars.
We didn't hang about! We stepped out smartly and went at a fair old lick towards the deserted leadmining village of Woodhead, passing Holm of Daltallochan, crossing Carsphairn Lane by its 1935 bridge and passing through the outbuildings of Garryhorn. Inside 45 minutes we were at our usual coffee spot amongst the ruins of Woodhead.
The shelter from the wind was appreciated as coffee was accompanied by a shower which sped through on the stiff breeze. We were experiencing a few showers on the walk but they were all short-lived.
From Woodhead we started our climb up Coran of Portmark, pausing regularly to take in both the view and additional oxygen. The group split but we reassembled at the top to pose for photgraphs and take in the views.
We didn't linger on the top, but instead set off for our next objective - Black Craig. On the previous occasion we had tackled this walk we had veered over to the west side of Black Craig, at one point heading towards Loch Doon, and found ourselves in tussocky grass and knee-deep heather with no semblance of a path until we were close to the summit. This time, however, we made an altogether better fist of it. We picked up the line of a fence running North East and then continued in the same direction following a stone wall. With a path to the top in view we stopped for lunch, well sheltered by our boundary wall.
Fully restored we headed for the top. It was a 10 minute doddle. We paused to take in the view and pose for photographs before heading back down to our lunch spot.
Bad experiences must banish not-quite-so-bad experiences from memory. This walk was intended to exorcise the evil spirits of our original attempt at this walk, when we ended up in the awful mire close to Carsphairn Lane ... but your scribe had forgotten just how bad the descent from our lunch spot to the forestry road was! Over visible sheughs we stumbled, into hidden sheughs we tumbled. Over hidden boulders we tripped. Through shoulder-high bracken, reminiscent of the Whangie, we battled. Even a few oaths were muttered.
Eventually we reached the road. We were muddy and damp, but victorious! When we came to Jimmy's bifurcation there were no takes for the left turn and as the skies cleared and things warmed up it was a pleasant though uneventful march which took us back to our coffee spot at Woodhead and back down the road to Green Well.
Distance: 10.5 miles. Total ascent: 2000 feet.
We retired to the Dalmellington Inn for well-earned refreshments where we received our usual warm welcome ... and bowls of crisps.
Another good day in the hills!
by Paul
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