Greenock Cut 27 December

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny

The dog whisperer strikes again!

As we assembled on a dreich morning at Cornalees, we asked ourselves ‘Where are the guys who suggested this walk today? Where indeed?’

No matter, whilst waiting, we passed the time by talking to another chap awaiting his group of twenty fellow walkers. He was a Greenock Cut virgin (Greenock and virgin has to be an oxymoron) and reckoned their plan was to do the walk anti-clockwise. But we had a sense of adventure today and set off, ‘haud me back’, in the clockwise direction. There was moisture in the air, more like low cloud rather than a smir, but it was very mild for the time of year and progress was good until our coffee stop at our usual lunch spot, after all we were doing the walk backwards.

Ten minutes later and we were off again, now in dry conditions, and with us able to see Greenock and across the Firth, but not much beyond. We were about fifteen minutes away from our turn up the hill when we met our friend from earlier, now accompanied by his fellow travellers. As we passed some time with him again, he explained that they were a group of former teachers from Eastwood H.S. in Newton Mearns, so, in turn, we explained the composition of our group and the origins of our name and told him to look out for us on the blog.

We stopped for lunch at our traditional coffee spot, two-thirds of the way up the hill (for the non-mathematicians, that is one-third of the way down the hill from the opposite direction) and had a decent view in front of us.

The last leg over the brow of the hill and down to the reservoir was uneventful, but we did notice that work had been done to improve the rough path over to Old Largs Road. We used this once before and we reminisced about our route that day and how we had entrusted Gus to be our leader. Aye, the Whangie (20 September 2014) will not be forgotten!

The Cut today had been busier than we had ever seen it with groups, individuals, families, joggers and mountain bikers, and this was borne out when we got back to the car park as it was choc-a-bloc. As we got changed the drizzle appeared again, but no matter, we had got the best of the day and had had a good walk.

Our official time keeper said two hours and fifty-three minutes. He couldn’t give us the number of seconds as Mickey Mouse had only two hands.

FRT was taken at Wetherspoon’s in Largs where Davie the younger transformed himself into Ena Sharples by making milk stout his choice for the day (albeit abv 5.6%). We spent a jovial hour and a half there before time was called. And before anyone asks, it was a three-pint day, at least for some.

A grand day out!

Notes

For details about the upturned sugar boat on the sandbank, see the report of 28 August 2013.

For details about Gus’s route, see the report of 17 June 2015.

 

Arrangements for THURSDAY 3rd January

Annbank to Ayr
Meet at Annbank Bowling Club at 10am for the walk (going the shorter route) to Ayr. Bring bus passes for the return journey.

Panto and Curry 19 December

The Panto

 

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Johnny, Malcolm

Six Ooters thoroughly enjoyed Oran Mor’s ‘A Play, a Pie and a Pint’ Pantomime ‘The Lying Bitch and the Wardrobe’. Stalwart Dave Anderson was incapacitated so Billy McBain stood in at short notice and his relative unfamiliarity with the role of the Dame added to the hilarity, right from the very first minute when he tripped making his entrance on to the stage and landed flat on his face losing his hat and wig. As they say, ‘You couldnae write the script’. Brilliant!
We then got back to the Jewel in the Crown in Kilmarnock, via Wetherspoon’s, for our Christmas curry.

 The Curry

Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Ian, Jim, Jimmy, Johnny, Kenny T, Malcolm, Paul, Peter, Rex, Robert

The Jewel in the Crown had prepared well for us and were most hospitable. The food was excellent and the banter lively, just as well we had the place to ourselves. As well as the customary rendition of the Ooters’ song Derval Davie treated us to his own song, now apparently on the Jewel’s Facebook page. Please note that the rest of the Ooters claim no responsibility.

Thanks to the ladies who served us for their forbearance and good humour. Well done, girls!
On leaving there, we made our way to Wetherspoon’s, but it was so busy we could not get accommodated.
Some decided to go home at this point but eight (the Killie four, Allan, Dougie, Johnny and Rex) went round to The First Edition, a clone of Wetherspoon’s but with umpteen screens all showing football, where we were comfortably seated. A nice end to what had been a great day.

Valley Circular Walk 19 December 2018

Present: Bob, Davie M, Ian, Jimmy, Paul and Peter and eventually Gus.

The above 6 met chez Davie in Darvel to partake of scones and coffee prior to doing an Irvine Valley walk, the rest of the Ooters attending the pantomime at Oran Mor. Jimmy entertained us by reading out Kay’s Scottish quiz which she had made up for the Cumnock History Group party the following night. All acquitted themselves fairly well, even he from south of the border coping with words like taigle, shilpitand shelfie. 

Eventually about 9 40, minus Peter who had a cold and a sore back, the legs were set in motion and we proceeded through Darvel Park and entered Lanfine Estate via the gatehouse at the east end. (There are three gatehouses to the estate, the middle one being kept private by the owners.) We continued up the ”avenue” towards the big hoose but there was no sign of the wild boar which normally inhabit the woods hereabouts. Ian postulated that they might have been turned into Christmas sausages!

Having passed Lanfine House we continued down the other avenue towards Newmilns, crossed the main road and went up past the Newmilns Tower. This was probably erected around 1530 as a temporary home for the Campbells of Loudoun after the Kennedys destroyed Loudoun Castle in an attack. 

Proceeding up the High Street past the ski slope we started the long slog up Dalquhatswood brae. Once at the top, we were grateful that it was a lovely winter’s day, perfect for walking, for the views over the valley now opened up before us.

Once we had reached the crossroads at Knevocklaw Farm, three of our number decided that, due to time constraints, and the fact that they would have to get home to put their make up on for our pending night out, they had better quit the walk here and return to Darvel via Temple Hill.

Bob and Davie, and Holly, reluctantly, as she didn’t want to leave her pals, now continued on the “Five Miles” as it is known in the Valley although it is actually a 6 and a quarter mile walk. We passed the old country schoolhouse attended by Alexander Fleming and as we sat down on a bench by the Glen Water we were met by Gus who had been doing his grandparental duty by attending a nativity play. 

The rest of the walk was a dawdle with the three of us arriving back in Darvel roughly three and three quarter hours after setting off. However the so called short walk actually turned out to be 17 km long, Davie ending up with a blister because of the hard road surface. 

As a winter walk this was an excellent work-out. 

Arrangements for THURSDAY 27th December 2018

Meet at the Cornalees visitor centre at 10am for a clockwise circuit of the Greenock Cut.

Ness Glen 12 December

Alan, Allan, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny, Paul, Robert

It was dull and a bit dreich as we set off from the car park next to Station Park for the familiar Ness Glen figure of eight. There was a bit of moisture in the air, but hardly noticeable, as we followed the Muck before heading up the road to the footbridge and hence up to Dalcairnie Linn. Little time was spent here as it was decided to have coffee at the bench (all right for some who put on a sprint to get to it first) at Barbeth.

Ten minutes later and we were on our way down to the Craigengillan road where Jimmy took his leave of us and headed back to his car. Elizabeth was in hospital and he was going to visit her, and he did so with our best wishes.
The going up the gorge was better than anticipated with only the heavy leaf cover and slippy wooden walkways to worry about, but with adequate handrails these were negotiated easily. One wee section had succumbed to the weather, but nothing to worry about.
As was to be expected there was a cold breeze blowing off the loch, so we took lunch at the benches outside the Roundhouse café, with the permission of the owner who was just leaving.
Although we had some shelter it was getting cold as we sat, so by half past twelve we were on our way back, taking the higher route to the footbridge at the foot of the glen and then following the path to where it met the tarmac of the Craigengillan road. We were back at the cars three hours and fifty minutes after having set off and had covered about ten miles. The weather had stayed dry with any moisture on our bodies coming from the inside out, indeed some of our number had had to shed layers on the last part of the walk.
FRT was taken in the very hospitable Dalmellington Inn where we accepted graciously their offer of cups of chicken and rice soup. Just what was needed!
This was another good day out.

Arrangements for Panto on 19th December

Meet at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall café at 10am. We'll travel to Oran Mor by underground, planning to be there by 11am. Thereafter, we'll return by bus to Kilmarnock to be at the Jewel by 3.30pm.
**Remember to bring your ticket!**

Arrangements for the walkers on the 19th Dec.

Meet at Davie's in Darvel at 9.00.a.m. for coffee and scones before departure on a valley walk .
The walk should be completed in plenty of time to allow everyone enough time to return home ,change and make their way to the Jewel in the Crown for 3.30p.m.

5 December - Whitelee Windfarm

(Ian, Malcolm, Paul, Davie M, Davie C, Robert, Gus, Rex,  Dougie, Kenny T, Jim, Kenny R)

A brief report for the record and to fulfil the request of one of the absentee Ooters who was keen to know how "(expletive deleted) miserable" it was.

We met, as arranged, in Eaglesham and were unanimous in our opinion that the Ballageich Hill walk wasn't a goer.  It was raining and the temperature sat at 0 C.  Instead we opted to head for Whitelee Windfarm where we were soon drinking coffee and tucking into cakes and scones - all paid for by our generous treasurer. Beforehand, we had welcomed back Holly after her absence of a few weeks and it was good to meet again the old bloke she brings along.

The visitors' centre staff kindly allowed us to use the facilities for changing, rather than having to hang about the cars. We were even given a key to the shower room.

The decision was made to go for a walk around Lochgoin Reservoir and to have lunch back at the cars - so most of us dispensed with our backpacks.

We headed to the viewpoint where we had a fine 360 degree view of mist and low cloud, but thankfully the rain wasn't amounting to much more than a bit of drizzle.  At this point we said goodbye to Kenny T and Jim - Kenny hurrying back to Freya and Jim going home to prepare for the impending Rangers' home defeat.

Parts of the path were icy, with a coating of rainwater on top but we made good progress round the Reservoir and we completed a 7 mile walk albeit in cold, miserable conditions (I hope that provides sufficient schadenfreude for our absentee) ... but it could have been worse.

We changed back at the centre and the staff had no objections to us eating our lunches in the cafe area, so it was a relaxing, leisurely repast.

FRT was partaken at the King's Arms in Fenwick by all apart from Kenny R and, let it be noted, Davie M who claimed he was saving himself for an evening event.

Arrangements for 12 December

Meet at 10 am in the car park on the left as you approach Dalmellington.  (for any pedants travelling via New Cumnock (they know who they are), it will be the car park on the right as you leave Dalmellington).

We will do the Dalcarnie Linn, Ness Glen circuit.