Straiton Monument and Bennan Hill

Fri, 2014 Apr 4 10:53 AM GMT

From Genoch Cottage, up Craigengower, Straiton, lunch at the Buck, back via Bennan and Bennan Hill. A lot of low cloud, mist., slightly muggy, but dry. Almost 9 miles.

We walk from the cottage down to the road. We turn left and walk along for almost a mile as far as the turning to Craigfad and Balbeg.

A left turn takes us down to a small bridge. Just before the bridge are wooden steps to the path beside the river, Water of Girvan.

  We follow the path back up to the road, just opposite a small house. We turn left. About a hundred yards on our right, after the house is a gate into the field. We make our way up the hill, tyring to follow the line of the path on the map, but it's mostly a steep grassy slog up to the top and then turn left towards the Monument on Craigengower. It celebrates Lt Col James Hunter Blair who died after the Battle of Inkerman (during the Crimean War) in 1854.  It's very gloomy and atmospheric when we arrive in low cloud.

We decide on our route down, and soon enough this becomes clear and easy as we step below the cloud. Down the hill, over a step stile into Traboyack Wood, back to the road just before the school. We turn right and walk into the village of Straiton, past the war memorial, with at least two more Hunter Blairs' names.  A little further and we stop for a very welcome coffee and sandwich at the Buck. . This is run by a couple who came to the area for the mountain biking, then opened the coffee shop, so rarely get out there. But the coffee and cakes are good.

 Now, we think, a gentle stroll back, maybe a diversion to Bennan Hill Viewpoint. We are told there are otters and kingfishers by the river, but we see none today.
We pause for a quick look at St Cuthbert's church, from the outside, then look for the footpath before the road bridge.  This leads to a footbridge over the river, where we turn right, then left for a while to join a small road, past Bennan farm, then off to the right through a large field and into Bennan Wood.

When we reach the sign promising a 25 minute walk to Bennan Hill viewpoint, we follow it, but miss the turning from the main track. We make our way through some wet ground within the plantation  and eventually find a route, where the barbed wire has been wrapped with tape. Of course a lot of the view is shrouded in mist today.

 The descent is pretty steep, but we reach the track and follow it to Craigfad. From here it's a mile or so along the road and back to Genoch.

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April 2 - cycling from Clatteringshaws to Glentrool and back.

Wed, 2014 Apr 2 11:30 AM BST

Nat Cycling Route 7, much of it on rough tracks, more so on the Glen Trool side. It was actually 34 miles in total - as garmin battery ran out at 29.12! A great ride, but quite tough.

Thirty-four miles, much of it on forest tracks, in some places steep and uneven.

We start the day out with coffee and a scone - there’s a surprise. This time we’re at Clatteringshaws Loch Visitor Centre, and we decide to take the bikes along the road and track for a while to see how it goes.

It goes along the main road, then turns off to the right, signed as Sustrans National Cycle Route 7. This is a very minor road hugging the edge of the reservoir/loch and climbing fairly gently, interspersed with some downhill sections.  

The road turns into forest track, but is easily ridden on, though hard work - climbing up to 900 feet above Loch Dee.  

The descent towards Glentrool is steeper, but the route is always clearly signed.  It drops down to below 300 feet, then climbs again before meeting the Glentrool road at the ruce’s Stone car park. We stop and chat to a man with a motorhome, who has just walked a Merrick circuit, before sailing down the road to the very welcoming Glentrool Visitor centre for lunch.

Then, it’s simply a question retracing our route. I confess I pushed the bike once or twice. A ride to dream about.

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March 31 - The Merrick via Benyellary from Bruce's Stone

Merrick via Benyellary

Mon, 2014 Mar 31 10:15 AM BST

From Bruce's Stone car park in Glen Trool.  Just over 8 miles. Quite a rugged walk.

A fine day, and we are off for an earlyish assault on the highest peak in Southern Scotland.  We are following the standard "tourist route", which involves 2,700 feet of climbing, and a walk of eight miles - somewhere between five and six hours, depending on pauses, fitness etc.

We start from the Bruce's Stone car park at the end of the road in Glen Trool.  The path is clearly marked and follows Buchan Burn with its waterfalls, and great views back over Loch Trool.

Then it's through the trees and onward to Culsharg, a very basic bothy, disfigured by graffiti on the door. After a brief pause, we continue across the forest track, and upwards, pretty steeply through more conifers.  

There's a stone marking the boundary of forest and montane zones, and we decide that we've climbed far enough to deserve a coffee.

For a fair distance now the path has been surfaced and it's easy to follow as it leads uphill, eventually turning right and up Benyellary, a flattish peak at 719 meters (2358 ft) with views over several small lochs. The wind is noticeably stronger and chiller up here.

From here we can see the wide ridge, Neive of the Spit, which leads to the summit of Merrick, at 843 m (2765 ft). A pity to lose some height, but it has to be done. Down we go, out of the wind for a while, then it's the final slog to the summit.

There's just about enough shelter for us to eat our sandwiches in comfort, huddled behind the wall around the trig point. Great satisfaction - it's been a while since we bagged a hill. Too much cloud for huge views, but we can see plenty of the nearer hills and lochs - and there is still snow on the northern side of the Black Gairy ridge.

We make sure we're on track, avoiding the tempting west ridge,  heading southwest to retrace our route. From here it's simply a question of following the path - and we have no low cloud or mist to contend with.  The path down through the woods towards Culsharg needs concentration, simply because it's steep and muddy.

We stop at Culsharg for a second coffee, and the remains of our lunch, then walk back to the starting point.  A pretty strenous walk compared to my usual efforts, but very enjoyable and satisfying.  It's grand to be in the hills.

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Glentrool circular

Sun, 2014 Mar 30 11:38 AM BST

From Visitor Centre to loch, round loch and back via Southern Uplands Way. Almost ten miles. Good tracks but hard on the legs - stony surface. Lovely weather. Over 1000 feet of ascent.

We call in at the Glentrool Visitor Centre for coffee, scones and info. By 11:30 we've decided it's to be a walk - to the loch, round the loch and back - a circular walk of somewhere around ten miles, or just a little less.  Fine weather, sunshine, and warm wherever it's sheltered.

The first couple of miles we walk along the road from the visitor centre to the loch itself. All well signposted - they are doing their best to attract visitors.  

 The first section of the path is fine, but there is a rather desolate section where trees have recently been harvested and the path laid - the stones are a tad large for comfortable walking.

This leads us back to another road section, but since the road leads nowhere other than the glen we don't meet much if any traffic. The main/only destination for cars is Bruce's Stone car park, the trailhead for the Merrick Trail.

 There's a fair bit of uphill and downhill walking - this walk is no gentle saunter by the lake. Most of it is quite a way above the water.

After the Bruce's Stone car park, we go through a gate on to an unsurfaced road, downhill for some time, and chat to a couple with a slightly nervous collie.  They tell us a bit about local walks including the famous Merrick. 

We head on through some oak forest, which is delightful after a surfeit of conifer plantations. We pass a few burns with waterfalls, Buchan Burn, then Gairland Burn before arriving at Glenhead. We cross a bridge over Glenhead Burn and join the Southern Uplands Way, turning right at the top of a slope to begin our return on the south side of the loch.

  

The  path is so steep that there is a flight of steps.

The battle of Glentrool was fought here in 1307, with the Scots rolling huge boulders down the steep hillside on the English below.

 We continue over bridges and along the path toward the Loch Trool car park, turning left along the Water of Trool trail (still following the Southern Uplands Way). A short detour takes us to the Martyrs Tomb where six Covenanters were buried in 1685.

 From now on the path is level and follows the river until its confluence with  Water of Minnoch.  We have to tread carefully, as several toads are crossing the path, diverting our attention from the covenanters. I only discover why when I look at my photographs later.

strange fungi

Over the bridge and follow the sign to the Visitor Centre - and a welcome pot of tea and sandwich. I think we've earned it.

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