Hay, hay, my, my...........

Typically, the first decent weather since November finds your correspondent somewhat hors de wotsit. Today, however, despite indifferent status reports from the feet department, I just had to get out of the house. (god, these sheriff's officers are persistent !)

My chosen route was a circuit of the Carse of Lecropt. That's



for those of you who can't read.


For latitudinally challenged readers, a carse is a flat river valley which has relatively recently been covered by the sea. The Carse of Lecropt is separated by a link of the Forth from the much bigger Carse of Stirling.

This is a local walk ( for local people) so it was out the back door and over the White Bridge, star of many a previous post.



The major local employer makes bottle tops. Now called, as a result of various corporate restructurings, UCP, it will always be known locally by the strangely 50'ish title of the Kork 'n Seal.




Down on the carse and looking back at Bridge of Allan. The tree line in the middle of the picture is roughly where the beach used to be.



Crossing the M9. The "crag and tail" in the centre is Craigforth, and hidden in the trees is the Scottish HQ of "The Pru".



The familiar Southern Highlands panorama. Bens Lomond, Venue, Aan, Ledi and Stuc a Chroin.



A field of Phacaelia. I know it has several agricultural uses such as green manure and game cover, but I can't quite work out what its doing here. Perhaps being grown for seed ?










The heavy clay soils of the carse are ideal for hay and oats. The area is famous for the quality of it's hay, and Timothy seed crops used to be very profitable. As a youth, I remember lugging hay seed in 1 1/2 cwt sacks.
Men were men in those days, and women were glad of it. Nowadays they probably pack it in 500gm cuben fibre bags.



A couple of big fields of oats. Fewer horses these days, but more muesli eaters.



Estate cottages.



Lecropt Kirk. The original 1400s version was too close to Keir House, so the landowner knocked it down and moved the church and the congregation outside the estate walls. None of the gravestones are later than the 1820s. Real charmers the Stirlings.



An unusual gravestone ! And not just for the pigeon ! The crumbling stone is encased in a cast frame.



A bad case of Oak Powdery Mildew

Had intended to continue to Doune, but discretion, what? Perhaps I'll finish tomorrow. Don't go away, now.

Ladies Night

I'm just in that kind of mood. Must be the new meds.

Menteith Hills - Aberfoyle to Callander

A section of the Rob Roy Way.





Aberfoyle used to be a slate quarrying town


As I went up past the Dounans Outdoor Centre, I saw a bloke cutting grass with what I first thought was an old MF 135, but, as he got closer, realised was an International Harvester. When I went to take this picture there was a message on the screen that images were being saved to internal memory. A quick check revealed that I had left the SD card in the card reader at home..Not clever, but I never claimed to be perfect - draw a line - move on etc. It's the modern way.
Now I had no idea of the implications of this arrangement ( would I need an endoscope to view the pictures?), but I was pretty sure that I would have to ration the photo-opportunities. Good news, eh?



Waymarking was discreet. One of two markers seen over the whole section, but the way was obvious.



Ben Lomond. My first Munro over 50 years ago.




The Highland Boundary Fault.( But I'm not here to apportion blame)




Erratics? Stone Circle ? or what ?



The highlight of the walk - this hidden lochan right up at the highest point.
 I had lunch here. There was just enough breeze to keep away the flies and butterflies which can be so annoying as they  perch all over you in a pathetic attempt to get their photographs on the internet!


A good walk on a pleasant day. Perhaps a tad too much hard surface walking, and where it was soft, there were bits where it was really soft. Not too many long views, either, until near the end.
!0 miles and 1300 ft in 5 hours. A bit more respectable

  

Campsie Glen II - This time it's personal.

Avid readers ( and News International journalists) will be aware that last autumn I set out on a little venture in the hitherto unvisited Campsies. This ended badly when I took what is known in medical jargon as "a wee turn".and had to abort the mission.
Yesterday it was time to return to the scene of the crime and attempt to make amends.
The bus goes right into Clachan Of Campsie, and there is a pleasant walk up the wooded glen to emerge at the Crow Road carpark.



The Crow Road is a steepish pass through the Campsies, popular with bikers and boy racers. Some of you may be familiar with the eponymous novel by Iain Banks. In the vernacular, to be "away the crow road" is to be dead - quite a graphic image if you have read "The Twa Corbies"
This carpark is a favourite spot for members of the Glasgow underworld for secret meetings and deals. There was a double murder here a few years ago.



Clachan of Campsie



The way up



The very stone where I succumbed last time



Glasgow !




I may have been lucky so far, but this was the wettest, squelchiest walk I have done this year. I kept hearing the phrase "What is it that's not exactly water, and ain't exactly earth ?". I have considered putting that clip up several times, but have been deterred by the possibility of causing offence to the politically correct readership of this blog.



A glimpse of Stronend






Top of Cort-Ma-Law with Meikle Bin in the background.



I had left myself three options for the completion of this walk, and, in the end, opted for Plan D, the steepish descent straight down the scarp. There was a roughish metalled track ( you know the kind - like walking on scree) for most of the way down.







Wildflower Central today, with the grasses particularly impressive. loads of butterflies, mainly Scotch Argus with some small yellow jobs which could have been Clouded Yellows. The little buggers would not sit still and spread out their wings like they do for Mark and Danny's pics - I will carry a taser next time.


And so onward to a finish in mute inglorious Milton of Campsie.
Success ? Well obviously, and I shouldn't be greedy, but I am still very slow.About 6 miles and 600 feet of up and it took me just under 5 hours. Naismith, he say 2hr 45min. However, if I can get the camping thing organised, I can do the longer day walks over two days, as I did last weekend in the Lowthers (so graphically described in the excellent "Golfing in Brobdingnag" post which most of you were too busy washing your hair to read)


Anyway

Feck it

Here it is

Birding help required

Sorry about the pic quality. This one has got me a bit confused. The neck ring and pale underside suggest Ringed Plover, but the bill seems too long.

Golfing in Brobdingnag

Wanlockhead to Elvanfoot crossing the tops of the northern Lowther Hills.


After a couple of changes, I was eventually dropped off by a wee diddy bus at Wanlockhead around 12.30 on Friday. Wanlockhead is Scotlands's highest village ( unless you count Milnathort during T in the Park !)
It was the centre of the lead mining industry along with neighbouring Leadhills, and there is a lead mining museum and lots of stuff to poke about in if your into industrial archaeology.



 However, I was involved in a wee ploy which was a bit outside my current comfort zone, and I wanted to get cracked on.




The first bit follows the Southern Upland Way up onto Lowther Hill (726m), home of the giant "golf ball " which dominates the view. There is a tarmac service road, but the SUW takes the diretissima, straight across the zig zags


Scary. Anyone remember The Prisoner ?




It's actually air traffic control radar. Most UK- USA air  routes pass over this area and around here they turn west and gain altitude, with tragic results in the case of PanAm 103  over Lockerbie




The SUW continues eastwards and I turned northish to th e next Donald, Green Lowther (732). Now, I would like to tell you that the route went through bottomless peat hags and rock outcrops. but......

Green Lowther also sports some high tech ironmongery as well as this reassuring low-tech trig pillar. This is the highest point on the ridge, but there are a lot of ups and downs between here and the bus stop.




No more tarmac, but some quad tracks, and the traditional Borders hand-rail. ( I think we are technically in South Lanarkshire here, but it's called poetic licence.)




As the ridge opens out, never knife-edged , it gives some  fantastic views if you're into rolling dods, laws, cleuchs, heads hopes etc.




All that marks Peden Head.

Which is more than marks Dungrain Law (669)
These two fall into that unfortunate xDT category - former Donald Tops. They now, no doubt spend their time pining for the fiords.


At this point there is a steep drop to a hass ( bealach) and then a steep climb onto Dun Law (677m)




Pathetic effort at a cairn on Dun Law !

I was fair pechin at this stage, and as the route fell gently towards White Law, I spotted a perfect place to pitch the tent. So I louped the fe.....


What ?


Yes, I said tent.


Had I forget to mention that this was a backpacking jaunt ?  Well ye ken noo.










The evening was perfect- just enough breeze to keep away the m*****, and warm enough to stand around and wonder.




I was woken by a snipe. It laid down the breakfast tray, drew back the curtains, and asked if I would like my bath run now.
Perfect morning. Sunshine- No Breeze. Dry tent. Not quite how I remember it from the old days, but never mind.





Away at 7.30. Another steep hass to negotiate. Then the pull up onto Louise Wood Law (618m) ,or Lousie Wood Law as these wags at the OS would have it. Final top on the ridge and now a long  (for me) downhill to Elvanfoot and the bus home.





Two pairs of hen harriers were noisily hunting a wee glen setting the oyster catchers, waups and  the sbjs all a clamour.There was a big brown bird with a white tummy and a white tail in that bit of sky just a second ago. Honest.

 If you look very carefully, you can just about see the only other person I saw over the two days.

Excellent day walk if you can sort out the transport at either end. If you're well 'ard, you can walk back to Wanlockhead by the old railway. You can also do it in the other direction. Or not, as the case may be.

Another different step for me .Good yin. Bet you never saw that coming !



a wee glitsch on the vocal track in the middle, but worth it I think.