Thursday, August 02, 2012

The Sun Shone!………I Was Gone!

 

It was 5am, it was foggy, but the forecast said Sunshine and a high of 20 deg. This was to be the only day with good weather, so I had to take it.  I arrived at Loch Stroan  in the Galloway Forest for 6:15 am.  The Scottish Midge was at its worst, and made me know it!

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(Red Admiral Butterflies)

By 7am, we were away and heading towards the track for Barney Water, it was so thick with mist, it was all I could do to see the horses head!   Deer were everywhere, although it was hard to see them, occasionally a dark shadow flashed across the trail in front of me.

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Passing Barney Water Bridge,  we headed West towards  Loch Skerrow, I have mentioned this Loch before. by the time we made the head of the Loch, the mist was being burned off by the sun.

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Passing the Loch side, I headed onwards to join the trail for Loch Garroch.

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It was a really wonderful day, dry, warm and with a slight breeze. No flies,  even the midges had given up!   It was a little after  9am when we reached the disused railway track that ran to Kirkcudbright, long since taken up. Loch Garroch was my next target, this loch lies NE/SW with its head at Clatteringshaws.

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The trail here is hard rock and shale, and there is local traffic as well  as Timber wagons.  Noon time saw us at Clatteringshaws,  and from the trail Loch Trool was clearly visible in the looming clouds.

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(Loch Trool)

It was time to turn SE, and head for the trailer!  As soon as I did, the weather got better!

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It was a little after 1pm when we made the crossing of the Black Water of Dee.

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Gracie grabs a mouthful of sweet grass for the journey home! We crossed the river here, and a short 45 mins later, we were back at the trailer!  A cool 22 miles and 6 hours and 30 minutes later, and that includes 30 minutes for lunch!

6 comments:

  1. Wow sure looks pretty in the sunshine!

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  2. Thanks Crystal, it is really lovely. The sun has been rarer than hens teeth this year! Cant sit about and miss it!

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  3. Your right! But what the hell!........Everything has got to be somewhere!

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  4. Ooh lovely. Lucky you.That's my idea of how to spend a day.

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