Wigtownshire ramblers. Dailly circular. November 2013

Lunch by the river

Anyone for golf??

We even had a rainbow.

Todays group.

Finished the day with a cuppa in the local tearoom.

Yesterday I was walk leader with my mother group for a walk up Barony Hill but due to the wet weather we switched it to a low level walk in woods and parkland. As leader I have to prepare a press report for publication in the  local paper and as my grammar and speling are not very good it has been edited corrected and altered by my very good learned friend the Newton Stewart Blogger.
  for whom I am extremely grateful for his assistance.

Press report.

Saturday the 2nd of November

On a very wet morning, fifteen walkers gathered in the village square in Dailly, a former mining village in South Ayrshire. With waterproofs donned they started the walk by leaving the village going east to Lindsayston Woods. Here they passed some interesting path markers. These were designed as over-sized curling stones due to the proximity of the curling pond. Once in the forest it was a wee bit drier due to the canopy of the large trees. The path followed the tumbling, bubbling Lindsayston Burn where a heron was spotted taking off. Steady progress was made due to large amounts of fallen leaves making the path slippery. Climbing out of the woods, an unclassified tarmac road was accessed. Turning left down the hill they passed Lindsayston Farm. On a previous visit, a satellite dish had been spotted on top of a pig hut. With the dish now lying against the hut, it’s assumed that ‘Sty TV’ has gone off the air.

 Continuing along the road they reached a crossroads at Gettybeg. Once the back markers had caught up, the walk leader declared it was “decision time”. At this junction, heading east would be up to the summit of Barony Hill, shrouded in wet mist, while heading west was an alternative walk, keeping lower down to avoid the worst of the weather. It was unanimous to stay lower down. A track was now followed back to the village. On re-crossing the Lindsayston burn, the second heron of the day was spotted wading. 

After passing through the village, a trail took the group into the grounds of Brunston Castle golf course, almost deserted due to the weather conditions. Crossing the fairways, a stop was taken to admire some very fine sorbus trees with the groups’ amateur dendrologist explaining that the sorbus is a member of the rowan family. After climbing a couple of fences they entered the woods of the Bargany Estate to walk along the side of the River Girvan. The river was in full spate after all the recent rainfall. A temporary break in the weather allowed the group to sit on the river bank to have lunch watching the water raging past with a backdrop of woodland now in full autumn colours. After lunch the river was followed through Brunston Castle golf course. The river splits the course with a number of foot bridges connecting the fairways, a water hazard for several holes.

After a particularly torrential hail storm, the walk leader wisely decided the plan to visit the remains of Brunston Castle be shelved till the next visit as most walkers were ‘drookit’. A break in the rain brought a highly colourful rainbow into view.  

Arriving back in Dailly and donning dry clothes, the group retired to the local tearoom for some well-earned hot drinks and fresh scones. Apart from the weather it was an interesting and varied 6 mile walk in a part of the country not often visited by the group.

Next Saturday November 9th is a ‘Trail of the Lonesome Pine’ walk from Barclye to Minnigaff.

Meet at the Breastworks Stranraer at 9.00 AM, Riverside Newton Stewart at 9.30 AM for car sharing or at the walk start at the R.S.P.B  Car Park Barclye  (NX 386 697) at 10.00AM.

If making your own way direct to the start please telephone the leader on 01988 840268 who can also give you any further details you may require. New members are always welcome.