Darvel Circular 12 August

Alan, Allan, Billy, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Gus, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny, Kenny R, Kenny T, Malcolm, Rex, Robert

We assembled at Davie’s in Darvel on a hot summer’s morning and were glad that wet weather gear would not be needed today. This would be a trainer walk i.e. on tarmac and solid paths, and the exact route would be new to a lot of us.

Walking through the park we continued straight on, past the ever-improving ‘Junior’ ground (Recreation Park) on our left and emerged on to the main road before cutting up to the left bypassing the path towards Loudoun Hill and continuing up past the New Cemetery. At the small crossroads we went straight on observing Loudoun Hill to our right. The route so far had been a continual steady climb, but nothing untoward. Twice on this section Davie met friends of his, meaning that a breather was taken by the rest of us. After an hour or so Kenny T, who had indicated that he wouldn’t be able to do the whole walk, turned back as the rest of us ploughed on to our coffee spot on the parapet of a wee bridge over The Tongue Burn.

Bridge of Thighs

Fifteen minutes later and we were ready for the off again but we had to retrace our steps for fifty yards or so, as the circular route would be anti-clockwise, and we continued on this road up to the next junction when we turned right going past the entrance to the farm which was Sir Alexander Fleming’s birthplace. Billy pointed out that the cottage in the distance was the old schoolhouse and the one that the scientist would have attended. Marching on, we then took a steep downhill towards the bridge over the Glen Water, our lunch stop. A good choice today as we were in the shade and our guide was congratulated on his local knowledge.

Moving on back up from here we turned left (the road to the right would have taken us towards Eaglesham and Whitelee, a walk we have done in the dim and distant past) and past the schoolhouse before descending again to cross the Mucks Water and climbing past the entrance to Tom Grant’s Plant Hire yard.

It wasn’t too long from here until it was downhill all the way towards Darvel, taking a left into Burn Road on our way back to Davie’s.

The walk had taken three and a half  hours all in (long enough in today’s heat) and was calculated to be about eight and a half miles, although it seemed longer. Thanks to Davie and Kay for offering to host a post-walk beer in the garden, but, with almost all of us driving, we had to decline. Hopefully, the day will come before too much longer when we can socialise after a walk and have curry nights to celebrate birthdays.

This had been a good day out, in great weather, with only a few complaining of ‘burning feet’ after the road walk.