Windy Standard 14 September

 

 Alan, Allan, Davie Mc, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Malcolm, Rex, Robert

The forecast was for decent weather, but as we approached New Cumnock and headed up the Afton glen, the tops of the hills were covered in low cloud. Nevertheless, we set off from the parking area beyond the waterworks in good spirit on a decidedly cool morning and headed for the dam. There was a suggestion to take the shortcut up the grassy path to the right towards Wallace’s camp to meet the windfarm road, but this was outvoted in favour of returning by that path. So, on we went up the towards the dam and followed the path before taking a sharp right up to the gate which leads into the windfarm.

 

It had been some years since most of us had been up here and we were taken aback by how much the farm had grown and by the network of roads serving the turbines. The higher we went the cooler and stronger the wind became but the walking was straightforward and after an hour or so we stopped for coffee at the bridge over the Water of Deuch, our usual coffee spot.

Moving on down the road, we discussed whether to take the shortcut up the firebreak at Jedburgh Knees or continue on the road. The former was adopted although those at the front walked past it before being called back by Davie. By this time there was a smirr and the climb up the grassy slope certainly got the heart racing, but we all made it and stopped briefly at the first tower to catch breath and to allow the pessimists to don waterproofs. The optimists were correct as the smirr ceased after a few minutes and it was to be dry and bright for the rest of the day. On the long road walk up to the top Robert found it cold enough to give his gloves their first outing of the season, but despite this, the views were excellent with Ben Lomond clear in the distance. The front markers took the opportunity to go up to the trig point (698m) whilst the rest satisfied themselves simply by getting to the highest tower. It has to be said that many of the towers on the older part of the windfarm were showing distinct signs of rust, a maintenance job for the future.

 

Normally we would take lunch here but as we could not get any real protection from the wind, we moved on down the hill face on the grass path until we (Jimmy, that is) found a sheltered spot where we had our pieces in warm sunshine. Isla was well fed!  It was about twenty to one when we got the show on the road again, climbing the fence and going up and over the hill before descending to a turbine. From there it was simply a task of following the road back up to join the road we had been on earlier in the day and back to the gate mentioned above. (In days gone by, we would have descended the hill right down to the head of the Afton reservoir and then walked down beside it to the dam, but using the road made the walking a bit easier). 

 

As was said earlier, we didn’t go through the gate but went left until we saw the path towards Wallace’s camp and then the steep descent to the car park, a descent that those with dicky knees found challenging.

 

Four hours for about nine and a half miles were today’s numbers and the consensus was that it had been a good, but tiring, walk. On checking, it seems to be 2015 when the Ooters, not a lot of them, last did this walk. How time flies!

FRT was taken inside at the Black Bull in Mauchline where we were well-received and where we relaxed for an hour. Another good day out!