Hurlford to Loudoun Kirk 13th August

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Francesco, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Malcolm, Paul, Rex

 

It was a seriously hot morning as we met at Hurlford Bowling Club for our proposed walk to Galston going along the Chris Hoy Way and it was great to welcome Francesco once more into the fold. However, Davie preferred the route along the Grougar Walk as it suited Isla better and he was only going to do part of the walk anyway. There was no disagreement to us all following this route with the intention of going to Loudoun Kirk and then returning the same way. This would avoid the long, boring walk, which provided no shade from the sun, along the CH Way.

We set off at a sensible pace and after twenty minutes were at the wee bridge which took us on to Milton Road. Discussion the ensued as to whether continue up the road or take the riverside path. The latter option was agreed but this proved not to be the best choice as we had to negotiate the initial steep, slippy descent, overgrown paths, a muddy patch, and a field of longish, wet grass which at least got our boots cleaned. Nonetheless, we emerged back onto solid road again and marched on taking in some golden fields ready for harvesting.

The next deviation was to take the path round Ladyton Loch which afforded us some shade whilst in the woods and which brought us out close to the farmyard where, in the past, a joke has decorated the entrance. Not today however and, if your scribe’s memory is correct, not the last time either. It looks as though that ship has sailed. We were at Loudoun Kirk at twenty to twelve and we sat down for well-deserved coffee/lunch/water and a restful break.

This was as far as Derval Davie was going so he and Isla awaited the arrival of Kay to take them home whilst the rest went back the way they had come sticking to the road all the way this time and being back at the cars by twenty past one. For the record, Jimmy caught sight of a kingfisher as it flew down river. None of the rest of us, though, managed to catch a glimpse of it. The gizmos said eight miles in three hours and twenty minutes although the walking time was two hours and fifty minutes, this being more than enough in the hot conditions.

Gus suggested the Kings in Fenwick for FRT, and this was accepted as a good idea, so off we went there to meet up again with Derval Davie and Robert, who couldn’t make the walk earlier because of a hospital appointment. The pub was very quiet, but we enjoyed the hour spent there replacing the fluids that we had lost during the walk. Another good, if tiring, day out.

The Ooters wish Jim a happy 70^th birthday, We hope to see you soon, Jim.

Arrangements for 20th August

Annbank Circular

Meet at Annbank Bowling Club at 10am for our weel-kent walk to Auchincruive and back going the long way out and the shorter way back. 

Some from the Loudoun Kirk walk

 

Lugarite

 Geology: the Lugar Sill

Lugarite from the Lugar Sill near Lugar, Ayrshire

Close to the village, and cropping out for a length of about 5 kilometres in a NE-SW direction, is the Lugar Sill, an internationally studied geological feature and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It has been intruded in several phases (on or close to the Carboniferous-Permian boundary) in molten form (magma) into the local sandstone and then crystallised. The thickness of the igneous rock is estimated at 42-49 m. It extends in a general north-easterly direction from Lugar, 2.5 km beyond the village of Cronberry. Its composition overall is outer teschenite units and a thick core of layered theralite and picrite including lugarite, (a coarse-grained rock consisting of euhedral crystals of titanaugite and kaersutite up to 7cm long with corroded feldspars and ilmenite set in a cloudy greyish base of analcime, nepheline and alteration products). The sill represents a nearby magma source differentiating in situ to give sequentially injected layers of slightly different chemical composition.

Cumnock, Lugar, Logan 6th August

Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Graham, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Johnny, Paul

After the recent storm (Storm Floris) it was a nice calm, dry morning as we met at Knockroon. Jimmy would normally have taken us up Rigg Road for today’s walk, but since he deemed part of the path to be too wet, he led us down to Woodroad Park where he pointed out where the swimming pool once was and the remains of the bandstand where the late queen attended in 1956 to meet her lieges. Passing under the railway viaduct, we started on the Broom Braes Woodland Walk noticing that work was taking place to upgrade the path. Having got so far along, the stone chippings surface ran out and we were onto a long section which had been dug out ready for the chippings. Given the recent rain, parts were muddy and slippy, particularly on the downhill sections where wooden steps had been torn out, hopefully in preparation for new ones. Care had to be taken but, glad to say, nobody landed on their backsides, and all made it out of the wood and on to open fields. Jimmy’s initial route from here was quickly curtailed and we turned left and followed a track which eventually emerged at the entrance to Lugar. Walking up through the village, we admired the housing and crossed over the A70 to the wee gardens that take you down to the outlet which was ‘the original source of Lugar’s water supply’. Being twenty past eleven, we took coffee at the benches there.

Walking over the wooden bridge, we immediately turned left to follow the path towards Lugar viaduct (over Glenmuir Water), which we went under on another muddy, slippy path, and on to open fields again. We took time to look back and admire the viaduct and to look at the stone rockface across the water which Jimmy tells us contains Lugarite, a rock only found here and at a site in Chile. Moving on through a field of sheep we found the track which took us up to fields of cows which we crossed next to the boundary wall and headed for Longmore Farm but took a left before it and followed the road down past Knocknaib Farm and on to Glenmuir Water Road. As we did so we admired the skill and strength of electricity workers who were climbing poles to sort the lines.

From here it was a walk down the road to Logan and on to the A70, which we crossed and headed back into Cumnock and back to the cars at Knockroon. Seven and a half miles in three hours and thirty-five minutes were today’s figures although, for some, it seemed longer. There had been enough wee, steep climbs to get the heart racing and it was good to sit down at the cars, get changed and have lunch. FRT was taken at the Black Bull in Mauchline where, yet again, sausage rolls were the order of the day. Thanks again folks!

A most pleasant time was spent here, and some discussion took place about the proposed Ooters’ logo. It was decided to have the logo embroidered in gold thread onto navy blue polo shirts. The next step will be to source a supplier and to get the Ooters to provide sizes needed. Prices will also need to be ascertained.

 

Arrangements for 13th August

Meet at the bowling club in Hurlford at 10am for the Loudoun Kirk and Galston walk. There is a view to do the walk anti-clockwise this time.

Some images from the Cumnock/Glenmuir Water walk