Wigtownshire Ramblers 15 October Castle
Kennedy Circular
The ramblers met on Saturday, barely fitting into
the marine car park, which was congested with vehicles and caravans from the
autumn shows. Nineteen members walked to the ferry terminal, crossing to North
West Castle hotel to view the neglected Panels representing the
connections between Northern Ireland and Galloway, with people migrating both
ways, with names mixing and origins blurring. Sibyll von Halem created
‘Watermark’ in 1995 as a contribution to the 400 year celebrations
commemorating the Burgh of Barony status of Stranraer.
The
Garden of Friendship, into which the route now led, also has a story to tell.
First laid out in the 1920s as a quiet attractive entrance to the town, it has
always been a community involved garden, from first donations of plants, to the
2001 refurbishment by ‘Friends of the Garden’, guided by the ‘Beechgrove
Garden’ celebrities artwork attached to the wall here.
Two
more members joined the company on Westwood Avenue, bringing the numbers up to
21 (Cath, Frances,
Thomas, Allan, Richard, Sue, Mary Sloan, Peter Bedford, Paul, Ken, Jim,
Christine Sloan, Irene, Duncan, Carl, Peter (Portpatrick), Mike, Kathryn, Jack
and Audrey cut through the Avenue, went
through the trees to cross Commerce Road).
The town was left behind suddenly as the beautiful
beech avenue of the ‘Approach’ was followed; the path was strewn with gold, red
and russet leaves, the trees showing their glorious autumn colours to
perfection. After crossing Commerce road the woods
continued to the old Stair house of Culhorn, where the family lived when the
old castle at Inch was burnt down in the early 1700s. All is now demolished
except for a couple of red brick walls and a great archway.
The Southern Upland Way footpath was soon joined.
Culhorn Loch could be glimpsed shining through the trees and the sight of three
roe deer cheered the walkers on what was proving to be a dull day, weather
wise. The path became muddier. A hedged track between fields led to a lodge
house on the old Military road. The railway now determined a slight detour from
the original direct avenue of trees that leads to Castle Kennedy, but once
under the railway bridge it was rejoined, and the first wartime remnants were
seen - overgrown bases of huts and blast shelters that the grounds of the
estate abound in.
Although the weather remained dreary, the rain just
held off whilst the Ramblers had lunch by the canal which joins the two lochs.
The walk now left the Southern Upland Way and
contoured around the Black Loch, along a track bordered by exotic trees and
rhododendrons, some of which were flowering, deceived by the mild wet weather.
After crossing a bridge spanning a narrow part of the loch, another drive was
followed giving a good view of the west side of Loch Inch Castle.
The outfall of the loch continues on to enter Loch
Ryan near Innermessan but the walkers left the burn and track to climb a grassy
hill which gave good views over the surrounding countryside. Another track led
to the A751, joining up with a farm road through High Balyett, and crossing the
line of the old Cairnryan railway, picked out now only by small embankments and
hedge lines. By the gate a lone remnant was found – a single iron rail.
The shores of Loch Ryan were soon
reached and whilst some walkers were transported back to Stranraer in waiting
cars, others opted to walk along the cockle shore, just arriving back before
the rain began and rejoining the company for welcome refreshments at ‘Stir It’
tea rooms. Cath
and I opted to walk, along with others, including Sue, so we got to Stir It
sometime after most of the walkers! Beth
had saved my scone – bless her – and I told Cath I would pay for her
coffee. However, I had to borrow the
money off Thomas to do so as I didn’t have enough in my purse! Clever eh?! 16 of us were having drinks and
cakes – Allan, Audrey and Jack didn’t join us.
It had been a varied and most enjoyable
walk, a pleasant way to spend a day of dismal weather. Wales was
playing France in the Rugby World Cup semi-final in NZ this morning and I wore
my Welsh rugby shirt and pinned a Welsh map on my rucksack. Despite this Wales lost!