Wednesday 4 December 2019 Glenbuck Loch and Hareshaw Hill

Ian, Iain, Malcolm, Billy, Rex, Dougie, Gus, Jimmy, Hugh, Paul and Davie Mc.

11 of us met at the new car park opposite where the famous Glenbuck Cherrypickers used to play. We spent some time looking at the boards and memorials which have been erected where the old village stood. Although the cherrypickers were only in existence for a short  time, of the total of  86 players who played for them, no fewer than 50 of them went on to play senior football both north and south of the border and 7 (not 4) were chosen to play for Scotland. An astonishing fact considering that, at its height,  Glenbuck only had a population a third of the size of Darvel.
Eventually we set off making our way back down the recently tarmac-ed road towards the loch, noticing the spring which gushes out of the hillside at the same rate no matter what the season of the year. We  circled the loch in an anti-clockwise direction, crossing over the wee brig and taking note of the old sluice gate just above it. Glenbuck Loch is a man-made loch and the sluice gate was opened at 6 pm  every evening to allow the surge of water to travel all the way downstream in time to power the big wheel at  Catrine Mill.
Davie pointed out the cottage which straddles the border between Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. The gentleman who lives there actually moved from the centre of London to enjoy the tranquil surroundings of Glenbuck Loch!  By the way he pays his cooncil tax to East Ayrshire!
Passing the cottage we proceeded along the old railway line and rounded the far end of the loch and headed for the log cabin where a coffee stop was called for and a discussion was had as to what to do next considering the weather.
Because the rain hadn't been too bad at this point we decided to climb Hareshaw Hill and make a further decision at the top. Jimmy and Iain found the steep going too much for them and soon decided to descend. The rest kept going and  before long the top was reached where we experienced very gusty conditions. With the weather now deteriorating we decided to head back down the same path to meet the other two, the descent actually being rather pleasant.
We headed back to the log cabin to have lunch inside rather than sit outside. It's gratifying to note that since its erection the cabin hasn't suffered any vandalism.
After lunch we returned to the cars stopping to admire the "artistic sculpture" and read the pseudo-intellectual pretentious codswallop on the board about the so-called "artist".
We arrived back at the cars roughly about 3 hours after setting off;  although the weather was not particularly nice, we all seemingly had enjoyed a good work-out.
FRT was taken in the Empire Bar in Muirkirk with those who had ordered the light beer complaining about how sour it tasted.
The canine member of the Ooters was missing today as she has been quite ill with nystagmus, causing extreme loss of balance and nausea.  She has hardly eaten anything for a week but is improving. She hopes to be back soon.