Scoops Reports 2012 - 10 November Castramont

10 November Castramont    Report by Cath Birkett

Frances, Cath, Thomas and Rachel drove to the car park at Knocktinkle where we found Robert there before us.  Soon afterwards Ken arrived with Peter, Jim with Mary, Audrey with Margaret and Susan. A ‘new’ walker whose name I was told was John but which was in fact David Pride, came with Carl and Leslie – a total of 15 walkers.  Rachel was to be our leader, Cath having passed on this job to her as she was a quick walker and could keep others who wanted to surge on, in check!

On Saturday, 15 ramblers met at Knocktinkle car park, Gatehouse of Fleet, for an 8 mile walk over moorland, hills, and woodland and farm tracks. The weather was bright, but showers were forecast.  The car park is dedicated to the memory of the late Betty Murray-Usher, who, along with the Stewartry Drystane Dyking Committee, founded the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. 

Setting off over moorland towards Benfadyeon the group crossed a part of the lade made to transport water to Gatehouse-Of-Fleet.  In 1790 the water power scheme started to supply the new mills in Gatehouse as the Fleet did not provide enough. It cost £1400 and supplied 4 cotton mills, 2 tanneries, a brass foundry and brewery. The water came from the end of Loch Whinyeon through a tunnel and was canalised down the burn to two mill ponds at each side of the village. The system was extensive, originally 6.4 km long and there are over 4.6 km remains. 

Our first obstacle was a dyke which had an electric fence beside it – we were not sure whether it was live or not but could not take the chance!  After removing a number of stones from the dyke we had a good space through which to scramble and were guided under the wire – great photos!  Quick repairs were made to the dyke after we had all got through and the fields were enclosed once again.  We were led through a marshy area which we had avoided on previous walks there but we got through it quickly.  

The climb up Benfadyeon was rewarded with 360 degree views over the surrounding area which included Gatehouse of Fleet and the Solway with the Wigtown peninsula just visible. To the west threatening clouds loomed above Ben John and Cairnharrow.  Loch Whinyeon, a popular fishing destination, well stocked with brown trout, could be seen for the first time.   

This brought back memories to David who had fished there many times during the period when he lived in Gatehouse with his family from the age of 13. 

The descent from Benfadyeon disturbed a well camouflaged snipe and a couple of grouse.  On reaching Loch Whinyeon, the end of the lade tunnel and sluice gate for the water power scheme were explored. Today water is extracted from the dam at the opposite side of the loch and is now used as the local water supply.

After leaving the shore of Loch Whinyeon a short steep climb led to the summit of Craigtype where ramblers paused just long enough to don waterproofs before a heavy shower encouraged them to head downhill and back up to the highest point of the walk, the Fell of Laghead at 292m. 

After descending and crossing the Lauriston road, the forest road led to a footpath following Castramont burn. Due to the recent weather the path here was very muddy.  Lunch was taken close to waterfalls with a red kite circling above.  The burn was followed down to Culreoch farm road with a pause to admire a beautifully patterned new dry stone wall.  

The track down through the glen, sometimes around small trees, their branches low and often rooting into the ground which was usually boggy, sometimes giving us glimpses down onto the waterfall littered burn, always through orange-red bracken and always with fabulous views with autumnal colour, was littered with duck boarding and bridges – either side of which would be surrounded by almost impossibly traversable ground!  Boots disappeared often below what had been thought to be a stepping stone and trousers and gaiters became the universal colour of brown!  I was keeping close to a dyke and trying to make the most of stones alongside it to get through a particularly muddy bit, followed by Robert when I suddenly heard the sound of one stone hitting another behind me and felt some of the grungy stuff hit my legs!  I squealed and Robert couldn’t have apologized enough!  I just thought it was funny and assured him I was fine – he had thought I was out of range of his stone throwing action.  Even funnier was Cath’s response, offering my body to be lain down in front of him so that he could walk over it!

A screeching jay announced the entry of the walkers into Carstramon Wood. Bronzed fallen leaves covered the meandering path through predominantly oak woodland with many glorious, gnarled old coppiced beech trees along the way. The remains of charcoal burning platforms from the 19th century were passed. Oak was chopped and burnt here, to produce charcoal for the iron, copper and brass industry. Timber from Carstramon Wood was also used to make bobbins in the Gatehouse mills.

We reached the road along which we walked for a short while before turning off into Castramon Wood.  Its map was perused and discussed before we had another uphill track to follow.  I knew from previous visits what to expect and was able to enjoy sharing my love of this place at this time of year with Carl who was trying to record as much of it as he could.  At one time he and I were following closely behind a walker who was trailing a long piece of grass, tucked into his boot/gaiter, having obviously been noticing it for a while when, suddenly, both of us decided to put a foot on it to remove it!  It’s such a daft thing to have thought so funny but we could not stop laughing over our instinctive synchronised response!

Photography took over again and we followed Cath’s gaze and then footsteps as she headed for a dead tree trunk which was extremely rotted, broken off in many pieces, which was covered in many different fungi.  We heard shouting from ahead and had to make a move to try to catch up with the others.  Soon afterwards we reached the tree which had double trunks through which our track took us.  Then we reached the tree with the ‘bumps’ and carvings which kept many of the walkers amused for a while before heading on to find the charcoal platforms.  These were found by most of us but Leslie, who had taken a wrong turning, was missing and Thomas went off to find him.  Cath gave a bit of information about the platforms but then we had to get a move on as we knew that from here the downhill section would be difficult.  It is usually slippery down this way but now we had to contend with slippery wet leaves overlaying slippery wet ground!  No-one actually landed on his or her own backside but it was often a close call!

As we reached the road and caught up with the quicker walkers we were joined by Thomas who had found Leslie waiting at the other entrance to the wood.  He was suitably apologetic!  

Leaving the woods the walkers continued along the road to Lagg Farm passing a field of blackface tups with magnificent spiralled horns. A farm track was followed towards Laghead Farm, before crossing some fields to the car park and retiring to Galloway Lodge for tea and cakes. 

We were met by a curious flock of sheep which held their ground for a long while before moving away from the early group of walkers and then headed for the rest of us.  Carl and I were treated to the sight of these lovely looking creatures coming our way and then making a run for it!  

I phoned the cafe/restaurant to inform them of our estimated time of arrival (about 4pm) and said that 15 of us would be there.  However, after we had been sitting there for about 10 minutes, having given our orders, we realized that Susan, Audrey and Margaret had obviously decided to go straight home.  No doubt Susan was looking forward to soaking in a hot bath to relieve her knee/ankle jarring from her fall in the late morning.  As usual, she had continued walking without complaint for the rest of what was quite a long walk!

Scoops Reports 2012 - 25 February Loch Whinyeon , Castramont Circular

25 February Loch Whinyeon , Castramont Circular  Report by Cath Birkett

Fair weather greeted 18 ramblers when they met at Knocktinkle car park, Gatehouse of Fleet, on Saturday. This was a welcome change from the dreary wet walking days of late, but still there was no sunshine.
The car park is a fairly new facility dedicated to the memory of Betty Murray Usher who died in 1990, and whose family were the proprietors of the lands through which the day’s walk would explore. Cath, Thomas, Frances, Isobel, Rachel, Jim, Ken, Mary, Sue, Debi, Jack, Peter, John, Forbes, Leslie, Florence, Audrey and a visiting walker gathered there ready for the start of a new walk.
The dyke with its electric fence gave us the first excitement of the day and many stones slipped down as we tried to negotiate this obstacle.  However, quick repairs were made after we had all got through and the fields were enclosed once again.

The immediate steep climb up Grey Hill and Benfadyeon caught out those who had not walked for some time. The way across the wet lands was not too boggy and the extensive views from the top were worth the effort. A 360 degree panorama was laid out, covering many of the hills the company had walked in the last year.  In the west, from the Mull of Galloway peeping out behind the Isle of Whithorn, to Ben John, Cairnharrow and the masts of Cambret Hill, the view continued through Cairnsmore of Fleet, before taking in bronze moorland and the forests of the Grobdale walk.  To the east, with Loch Whinyeon in the foreground, it was easy to trace an earlier outing through the Glengap forest.  I was really worried that I would be totally unfit to climb the first hill but had been spurred on by Cath who called me a coward when I suggested missing this one out and meeting them all at Loch Whinyeon!  Jim has recently been ill and is still not 100% so he was struggling as were a few others.  I found the climb better than when I had done the recce and we reached the summit fairly easily.
The route now descended to the shores of Loch Whinyeon, and the sluice gate and remains of the tunnel which used to take water to the mills in Gatehouse, were explored. The modern outflow could be seen on the opposite shore, where the water now flows eastwards, to the works at Glengap.
The other two hills and the expanse between them were negotiated well, led by Cath who did an excellent job in remembering the way to go, occasionally being put right by Thomas! 
Two more hills were climbed, Craigtype and the Fell of Laghead, the highest of the day at 292metres.
Now the hardest work was done and the company approached the Castramont walk by crossing the Laurieston road and following a forest road for some way under the Craig of Grobdale.
Once on the rather muddy path, energy was restored by a lunch break overlooking
 Castramont Burn, before continuing by bridges and walk boards to ulreoch farm road. The sound of rushing water accompanied the walkers and a rather fine waterfall fell picturesquely through the trees.
A new dry stane dyke, bounding the fields above, was a fitting reminder that Mrs Murray Usher founded the Dry Stane Dyking Association of Great Britain.

Once on the farm road, bordered by old sessile oaks, it was downhill to the Castramont woods entrance, where the walkers once again endured a steadily rising path.  Through fallen beech leaves and increasingly wonderful gnarled old coppiced beeches, the way meandered through the woods, which are maintained by Scottish Nature.

After a brief view of Castramon House well below the path, the destination of the coppiced wood – charcoal platforms - were examined. A low wall and a cleared grassy circle are all that remains of this ancient craft.
As I had expected, the climb in Castramont wood was a bit of a slog for me and for others. However, it was well worth it to get to the site of the charcoal platforms and to get Cath’s description of their history. Despite the autumnal colours being well past, we could not have found more colours on an artist’s paint palet!

Laghead Burn was crossed when the road was once more reached and the farm track past Lagg was taken for the homeward stretch of the walk. Here a heralder of spring was spotted; a lone, shiny, golden celandine glowed by the path.
A gentler walk, gradually uphill, past unused pheasant pens, and many fords crossing the burn, was followed, until the cars could be seen and approached across grassy fields, to end a varied and pleasant walk. The turn off on the track from Lagg Farm was found easily and we were left with one last effort upwards over fields to reach the cars, with relief!  It had been a really wonderful walk, one on which the walkers had never been in its entirety.
The ramblers then retired to Galloway Lodge in Gatehouse to replenish their energy. The visiting walker left us there and Debi chose to return home, not joining the rest of us in the cafe at the Galloway Lodge where most of us enjoyed drinks and cakes – all except Cath who skipped her cake as she is back on her diet.  It seemed pretty unfair that she then paid for ALL our refreshments, spending her recce money!