Doach Wood Dalliance.

A gem of a wood with the most wonderful views from the viewpoint.  

When we were there some felling and path repair etc had been being undertaken.  I would imagine this walk will be even nicer when everything settles down again.


( I started putting wee silly titles on the walks, now I feel I have to carry on.  Will have to get my thinking cap on.)


Date of walk   -  24/5/15
Start Location  -  Forestry Commission Car park situated just off the B736, 3 miles from Castle Douglas.  Grid Ref NX79408 57786.
Surface  -  first half, fairly uphill, in fact could be steep for some, there is a small detour up to the viewpoint which is uphill through the trees, the second half which is downhill, with a few undulations is varied.  As I said above there has been quite a bit of felling and path repair going on here, which you may see in the photographs.  Towards the bottom of the hill the path becomes a bit rougher with some rooty places, take care.
What we saw - the most amazing panorama from the viewpoint, Heston Island, Screel, Bengairn and in the distance (on a good day) the Lake District.  It states in the information I downloaded from the internet before we went that there is an infromation board at the viewpoint, at the time of writing this has sadly gone, but it may be replaced at some point.  Doach is also home to some of the tallest Douglas Firs in the country, the sheer height of them takes your breath away.  Missed the waterfall on the way up so I plodded back up to get a photo.
Susan's Rating - a short walk, perhaps about 3 miles, moderately easy once the initial climb is out of the way. It says in the information that it takes about 2 hours, we did spend about that time there, probably even more as we spent a while at the viewpoint and some more time exploring round the route.  Oh and taking photos.

 We took the uphill route which was on our  left hand side when facing into the wood from the park park. It goes steadily upwards, past the waterfall which we somehow managed to miss.  About half way up this road it bends very sharply to the right and continues up.  In a short while we came to the detour up to the viewpoint.  This is marked but we weren't sure, as the marker posts didn't quite match up with the descriptions from the internet so we asked some passing people.  I think the posts have been replaced with new ones since the article was written.  Anyway if you start going downhill, you've missed the turn off so go back and have another look.

This photo courtesy of Linda Airley.

We spent quite a while up here, taking pictures, there are a couple of benches/seats and I do hope they manage to put up a new board soon.  Once satisfied we had seen everything and taken in the beauty of the place we headed back down onto the forest fire road and continued our journey downwards.

 I think this was my most favourite part of the walk, it reminded me of Kielder (a place I love).  You can see the new improved path.

 If you have ever wondered why some trees and stumps are left when there have been felling operations, then here is your answer.

 A brilliant idea from the Forestry Commission which explains the reason it appears  to be a mess

Very nearly at the bottom, the picture doesn't really do the sheer size of these trees justice.

Information from the Forestry commission.

We rounded our day off by visiting the Red Kites at Bellymack Farm.  To say I was a little bit excited about this is an understatement.

http://www.gallowaykitetrail.com/item-38-bellymack-hill-farm-kite-feeding-station

Euchan Glen Escapade

A short walk along an enchanted glen. 

Date of walk - 25.3.15
Start Location  - Blackaddie Bridge, Sanquhar  NS 775 097.  We parked in the small car park at the Sanquhar side of the bridge.  There are notice boards here which give information and some history on the Covenanters.   The leaflet we used  says you can start and finish the walk at the Tollbooth in Sanquhar, this gives a round mileage of about 4 miles. 
On this walk we crossed the bridge and turned left along the tarred road for about half a mile until we came to the bridge, there is a small metal gate beside a cottage this is the start of the walk.  This should be signposted as core path 112.  
We feel we covered around 3 miles as we probably added some on exploring.
Surface - the first half mile is on tarred road, the walk through the glen is on mostly reasonable dirt paths.  If you do the round trip the last mile or so is back on tarred road.
What we saw - A restored well, we were assured the water is safe to drink and has a slightly astringent taste, we did not partake though.  The location of Kemp's Castle, the remains of houses and of an old mill waterfalls, bathing pools and a lot of wildflowers.  
Susan's Rating - I really enjoyed this walk, it was like entering a fairy glen, you certainly could "feel" the sense of history somehow.  


WARNING 
Although the path starts off very level and close to the water as you progress further up the glen becomes more gorge like and the path becomes narrower, and rises slightly with one or two very short uphill bits,underfoot the path also becomes more uneven and rooty as you get further up.  There are steep drops on the water side of the path, with no safety rails or fences, so take extra care with your feet along here and keep a close eye on dogs and children.

Blackaddie Bridge above,  the car parking area is just before the bridge on the Sanquhar side. Also above is an example of one of the information boards, this one is for The Southern Upland Way Path which passes through Sanquhar.

The recently restored Well. Note the use of Sanquhar Bricks.

I think this may be the " Esplanade " at the location of Kemp's Castle.  http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/sanquhar-p23941

 The walk to the top was very straightforward we just kept to the path until we reached the tarmac road.  At this point we turned back and went back the way we had come as we didn't wish to be on road any more than we had to.  The core path people have been carrying out a lot of work recently on the various paths in the region,  they have sorted paths were possible, erected new bridges, put in steps and generally made the paths as accessible as possible.

Near the top before we turned around.  You can see an example of  the work being done by the core paths group.

Kona on her way back down the glen, think she's enjoying a sniff at the soon to flower wild garlic.

Note also on the above photo the use of Sanquhar bricks to line the paths. 
Here are some useful links.
 http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/sanquhar-p239241

http://www.all-the-airts.com/

Update - We have now done this walk a few times and I am really looking forward to a winter visit to see the contrasts.  

Mersehead - Sand Dunes and Seascapes

A Walk along the shoreline at Mersehead Nature Reserve

Date of Walk -   22.3.15
Start Location  -  NX 928566   Mershead RSPB Nature Reserve.  There is a car park with a box for donations and a small visitor centre where you can learn about the birds and nature of the reserve and surrounding area.  There are also facilities to make yourself a cuppa for a small fee etc.,  Toilets also.
Total Distance  - we covered four and a half miles doing the round trip out to the shoreline along the dunes and back through the wooded area back to the visitor centre.  It really is up to you it can be as long  or  short you wish.
Surface - farm track, grass, sand both soft and hard packed wet sand.
What did we see - birds galore, grasses and flowers, jellyfish, seashells, flotsam and jetsam unfortunately the inevitable detritus of man.
Susan's Rating -  a very easy flat walk, just be aware of tide times, and the weather.  The day we were there it was sunny but windy which some felt was cold.  It's the shore expect wind and be prepared to dress accordingly, take a hat or a scarf or my favourite a Buff.


UPDATE   - 15/6/15  There would appear to be a parking charge now of £3.00 per car.  Just be aware and take money.   (Free parking for members of the RSPB.)


This area was severely affected by the Winter storms and the dunes received a fair old pounding.  We noticed a distinct change in the area on this walk, however the dunes are slowly re-establishing and I suppose this is just how things go in nature, constant changing and re-arranging.

We started our walk at the visitor centre and walked down the entry road to where there is a gate leading off to the left, new signage is in place.  We then headed along the lane which leads to the shore

On reaching the beach we turned right and headed down towards the cliffs, last year before the storms there had been deep gullies filled with seawater, the whole area resembled a model of an estuary, but these have all been washed away. After exploring around this area we turned and re-traced our steps but this time staying closer to the incoming tide so that the dogs could splash in the water and have fun without disturbing any of the birds or wildlife.

Heading down towards the beach.

This is an older photo which shows the dunes before the storms.

What this area looked like on the day of the walk. Much Flatter.

We continued up the shore until we reached the lane which leads through a gate and into a small wooded area where a narrow path ultimately brought us back onto the farm track leading back towards the visitor centre.  Of course this walk can be done in the opposite direction.  There are also offshoots which lead to various hides dotted about the reserve so it is possible to wander quite a while just enjoying the peace.

Please remember though that this is a nature reserve so be very careful about dogs if taking them, particularly at breeding and nesting season.  Probably best to make sure to have them under strict control or leashed.  There are plenty of opportunities for the dogs to enjoy themselves down on the beach closer to the water's edge.  Remember to pick up the dog mess too.

Please see link for more information on the actual reserve itself.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/m/mersehead/

Ae Talking Head Stane

Susan and Linda's Big Talking Head Stane Adventure.

21st February 2015

Start Location - For this  walk we headed from Loch Ettrick along the road to Ae Village, past the Gubhill road end and down the next road off to the left (see picture of signpost), we took this road and followed it down through the forest past the exhibition of machinery and parked up in one of the bays almost opposite Craigshields Outdoor Centre.  Grid Ref  NX 985 934.   At the time of writing I know that there are parking charges in the forest and I have been told that tickets are being handed out for non payment.   Please contact Forestry Commission for advice on parking other than the official car park.  Permits are available from the Forestry Comm.  which enable you to use Ae, Dalbeattie and Mabie.
We carried on down the fire road to the bridge and crossed over.  Grid Ref NX 985 934 bearing left we continue on this road until we reached the Stane itself.  I've got to admit this was our third attempt at finding the Stane.  It is dead easy once you know how.
Total Distance  -  6 miles approx.
Surface - fire road all the way.
What did we see - windfarms, stunning and varied scenery, mountain bikers and a short but very intense snow blizzard.  
Susan's rating - a generally easy walk however it is steadily uphill all the way there, but that makes for downhill all the way back

Taken from the opposite side.  Showing the road we came along.

The Bridge at the end of the road.  Turned up left.

Followed the sign

 It was about here that the road started to climb quite steadily.  I spied some runners over the other side of the valley.  It's amazing how many different activities take place, but today was quite quiet probably due to the weather we had been having.

 Following the road we made sure to continue climbing until we came to a sharp bend where we kept going up turning right which took us back in the direction we had come albeit on a higher road.  If you look at a map the Head Stane is situated almost directly above Craigshields.  Perhaps they should just cut a road straight uphill lol. 

 Carrying on up, looking back towards Queensberry.  Linda does not like Windfarms and had a good moan about them on the way up and on the way back down.

Grid Ref NX 987 928

Linda was elated to finally reach the Stane - at our third attempt.  Now we want to collect all 7Stanes.

The view from just past the Stane.

 After having a rather nice little picnic at the Stane in the brilliant sunshine we headed  back down.  On the way it got decidedly chilly and I stopped to put on my jacket.  A few minutes later I was extremely pleased I did.  In the photo below you can clearly see the weather starting to close in on us and within minutes it was a full blown blizzard. On an adventure walk I always carry my backpack in which I have full body waterproofs, a first aid kit, spare warm top and various other bits and pieces which may be handy in an emergency.   (See kit section for backpack photos).

Had another wee side stop on the way down, Kona had a splash about in the ice cold water.  There's always something to explore in the forest, all the seasons are different, it's never the same on each visit.

On our way out of the forest and I got Linda to stop the car so I could snap this picture of how the weather had changed, from blizzard to stunning sunshine.  What is it they say about Scottish Weather "If you don't like it, wait five minutes" or "four seasons in on day".

We are now on a mission to visit all the Stanes so more adventures to come no doubt.

Susan and Linda's Big Forest Adventure.

Loch Ettrick to Clauchrie Lay by.

Saturday 14th February 2015

Start Location - Loch Ettrick  Grid Ref  NX 944 936
Finish Location - Clauchrie Lay by Grid Ref NX 912 885
Total Distance 6 1/2 miles.  (from Garmin Oregon GPS).
Surface - Predominantly  Forest Fire Road - easy walking even when wet.
What did we see - obviously lots of trees, however not all forestry trees lots of variation.  Quite a few Buzzards, Sheep, spring flowers, catkins and some stunning scenery.  Met absolutely nobody whilst out and about today.
Susan's Rating - very pleasant walk, easy going and for the most part downhill until you come to Clauchrie and then it undulates for about a mile and a half.  This is why we did it this way round.

For this walk we employed the services of my long suffering husband to drive us to Loch Ettrick and pick us back up from the lay by at Clauchrie.  For the really energetic not averse to walking on roads, it is possible to park your car at Loch Ettrick or Clauchrie and do a complete circuit by walking back along the road through Park and up to Loch Ettrick, just don't ask me at the moment how much this adds.  I may do this at a later date though.


Word of warning.
Just be aware that mobile phone coverage can be sketchy to say the least in the forest.  So if two or more people are heading out check your provider and all the better if they are different.  Make sure you are fully charged up too.  Always leave a note or tell someone of your start point and destination and estimated time of arrival. 

Back to the adventure -

This walk was an outing to see what sort of route/journey two of our sort of favourite forest walks would make when joined together as one fairly longish walk.

We started at Loch Ettrick and made our way to the location of the mast.(  If you keep on the road and go straight, don't take any of the off shoots then you will arrive at a cross roads NX 937 921 the mast will be on your left on the top of the hill.  You can make a detour to have a look of you want, on a nice day there is a really good view of the surrounding countryside. You can also make a round trip here which will bring you back onto the fire road heading back to Loch Etrrick Lay by and this is a lovely walk in itself (approx 4 miles). ) However today we carried on going slightly uphill  and by following the road round to the right it brought us out onto Gawinmoor, keeping on this track we just kept going slightly downhill until we came to the new sign posts put in place by the core paths people.  We passed them and again kept going downhill (more pronounced) this time, until we reached the gate at the bottom of the forest.  We carried on  downhill by keeping the forest to  our right hand side and the fields to our left, there are large piles of stones in the field so when we saw those we knew we were in the right place.

The photos apart from showing what the walk looks like etc serve the function of illustrating the route and general direction.   I would advise anyone walking in the Forest to take a map, not only for route finding but also a map shows where there are bits and pieces of interest along the way, there are quite a few cairns marked up in Auchencairn and these will probably be the focus of another wee adventure for me soon.   The grid refs on my blogs are taken directly from the wonderful OS Get a Map pages.  You don't need to subscribe to see the mapping functions but if you do subscribe you can print off maps to suit your own needs.  I find it brilliant for making my own route cards and things.  Can spend a good long while just pottering abut with it really.

At the mast junction - take the Uphill Road for this particular route.

Head along here, road drops down hill to a righthand bend.

Not the clearest pic, but this clearing is on the left.

Just love this section.  Look out for the Look out tower.

Stones in field on your left side going down. Photo Linda Airely.

Gate Leaving forest (this is taken from the other side)

Leaving the forest by the gate we headed left and up lane to Auchencairn Cottage gate, from here it was just a case of following the core path signs down hill to the start of the Clauchrie Plantation.  Before we crossed the wee wooden bridge we stopped for a short picnic, out came the coffee and shortbread. Kona and Tess duly mugged us for treats.

 

Me (Dora the Explorer Mode) and Tess Auchencairn Cottage Road.

After entering the forest we once again just followed the signs, it is however basically a straight route up and down (this is probably the most undulating section of the route) up and finally downhill all the way to Claurchie Farmhouse.  To finish the walk we left the forest by the gate and made our way up the lane to the lay by.

Kona Heading down to Clauchrie.

 More photos can be seen on the blog "Clauchrie Clamber".

However here is one of Linda's.

 Just a reminder to any readers (if there are any) that these are my walks, I blog them for me (and Linda) they are not prescriptive in any way.  If they give inspiration then fine, but go out walk, make your own routes, but always be aware of your surroundings take note of where you are and how to get back to where you started.