Recce Straiton circular walk yet again. September 2012

My two fellow walkers.

Yesterday Tuesday September 19th I went with the colour co-ordinator (yes she is back from her recent globe trotting expedition) and the faithful teacher to Straiton to try and complete the recce for a future walk I have agreed to do for Cunninghame Ramblers NB. they now have an excellent new web site under a new address. www.cunninghame-ramblers.co.uk also for Ayr and District Ramblers. The first 6 miles to Auchenroy Hill is comparitively straghtforward albeit on some rather soft ground.Once we came off the hill we walked for 3 miles through the forest to a deserted cottage called Meikle Shalloch to climb up the The Big Hill of the Baing (362M) where we could see a distant Blairquhan Monument . Now the fun began what we could not see was  the Baing Burn which unknown to us was in full flight after the recent torrential rain which made crossing it a major obstacle. After several unsuccessful attempts we eventually crossed near a small ford but it definately was not ideal and certainly not suitable for a group of ramblers.We eventually made it back to the start some two hours later than planned, this is a part of the walk I need to recce yet again there must be an alternative way through at the Baing Burn but that will be for another day, not too sure if I will have to do it on my own I did not hear any of my fellow walkers volunteering to go back up to that area again on another day. This is a B+ walk at the top end of the scale and a lot will depend on the weather of the day I lead the walkers for the different groups.