15 November 2023 - Greenock and Kelly Cuts

 Hugh, Gus, Davie C, Kenny R, Paul, Rex, Dougie.

The pouring rain had your scribe questioning his sanity as he packed his car for the drive to Wemyss Bay.  The drive to Largs and beyond did nothing to assuage those thoughts yet, miracle of miracles, arrival at the railhead coincided with a complete lack of precipitation. The Kilmarnock and Troon contingents had arrived at the assigned hour, the Elderslie one was already aboard the Drumfrochar-bound train, but of the Ayr/Prestwick pair there was no sign ... though word had been received that they were behind schedule. They weren't concerned, they said, since they thought there would be no way we would be doing the planned walk. Mistake. As it was they made it with 4 minutes to spare.

There was a light drizzle when we alighted at delightful Drumfrochar and that's how it was for much of the day. Maps of the paper and electronic variety were produced and eventually we navigated our way off the platform. 

It's a steep climb from the station to Overton where we joined our familiar Greenock Cut circuit. We took the clockwise route to Cornalees.  If we'd had a leader we could have blamed him for going wrong at a bifurcation but as we climbed, Paul remarked that the view of Loch Thom wasn't the one we were used to - it looked smaller and further away - so the lead group about-turned, gathering up the stragglers on the way.

Cornalees was reached in time for coffee.  We found sheltered and covered seats in the lee of the buildings.  Seats for the first 5 to arrive, that is.  A kindly ranger invited us all indoors and after we politely turned down his offer he brought out two seats for the perpendicular pair.

From Cornalees we crossed over to the Kelly Cut.  Whereas the track to Cornalees was fully tarmaced the Kelly Cut path is rather more au naturel. The heavy rains had taken their toll and we had to pick our way through the floods and gushing burns feeding into Loch Daff.  "It's a bit bleak up here" mused Hugh as if it were a bad thing. To be fair it couldn't have been mistaken for Málaga but you could have been in the North West Highlands and you could certainly understand why the area doubles for Shetland.

There was no obvious spot for lunch so we just plonked ourselves down at the side of the path. 

The last three miles was a doddle, downhill to the caravan park just outside Wemyss Bay.  Here we left the main track and followed the river down through woodland. Pleasant enough although a few fallen trees had to be negotiated. And so we arrived back at the station - damp but far from drookit.  In fact it was a great walk through rugged terrain.

FRT was taken in the station bar where a pleasant hour was spent. Davie thought his first pint tasted a bit odd but it didn't stop him ordering another of the same.

Arrangements for 22 November

 Meet at the car park behind Alloway Co-op at 10.15 am (bus departure 10.30 am). We will get the bus to Dunure and walk back.

Some from the Glenbuck walk

Arrangements for Wednesday 15 November.

Meet at Wemys Bay railway station at 9:30 for the 9:56 train to Drumfrochan. The walk will be back by the Greenock and Kelly cuts to Wemys Bay

Ness Glen 1 November

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Graham, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Paul, Rex

It was raining, but not too heavily, as we assembled at the car park next to the football ground in Dalmellington and, with a poor forecast, all agreed to curtail the proposed figure of eight Ness Glen walk. The plan was to motor up to the Roundhouse at Loch Doon and simply do the Ness Glen part, and by five past ten we were kitted out with our wet weather gear and had started heading up into the woods.

The rain went off and it became a very pleasant autumnal morning, so there were mutterings about doing a bit more as we progressed at a very sensible pace (unusual for the Ooters) along the path and noticing the new boardwalks that were being installed. The colours were excellent and many a photograph was taken as we reached the highest point of the trail, a point at which the decision was made to veer off to the left and go up to Fort Carrick. Unfortunately, Hugh and Graham, who had been in front didn’t get the message and they continued down to the bridge at the start of the glen. The main party took stock at the fort and then made their way down, not going round to see the remains of the Dark Sky Observatory, towards the road  from Graigengillan. One obstacle was in the way ie a locked gate, but there was a gap in the adjoining fence which some tackled more elegantly than others!

 

Having arrived at the bridge and becoming eleven again, we crossed over and took coffee whilst plans were made for yet another wee extension as the weather was fine. Wee Davie and Alan decided to make their way gingerly up the glen whilst the rest continued down the track in the direction of Bellsbank but soon cut off to the left and crossed the old bridge, a new bridge to most of us, over the river which took us nicely on to the tarmac up to Craigengillan. From there we retraced our earlier steps down to the gorge.

 

Extreme care had to be taken going up the path beside the water as, although it looked great with it being a carpet of russet and gold leaves, it was slippy and many of the stones we were walking on were covered. No matter, the glen and its majesty were safely negotiated and we were all sitting down to lunch by twenty-five past twelve. Most had gone out to the outcrop at the loch for their pieces whilst the last to arrive sat down at the benches at the Roundhouse.

We had covered about six miles in two hours twenty minutes and had really won a watch with our weather, only experiencing a couple of, light showers and enjoying better than expected underfoot conditions.

FRT was taken at the Dalmellington Inn where a convivial time was had, albeit disappointing those who wanted a coffee or a tea. The barmaid couldn’t provide those. Ah, gone are the days when you got a coffee and a biscuit!

This had turned out to be a very decent day out. As we left the pub it was chucking it down!