Beasts! Red squirrels, red kites, foxes, deer, rabbits, greylag geese, lambs, calfs, pheasants, sculptures, topiary and views.
16.5 miles in a figure of eight. Cold enough for hats some of the time but thankfully dry. We began at Crocketford, initially going up the Shawhead road but turning along a farm track passing Larghill farm. Here we encountered, or were spared from encountering THE BEASTS ! Then on to the road to Glenkiln, with the Turner monument high on our left most of the way and the first of many pink farmhouses.
We paused for a comfort break at Moore’s reclining figures then on for a photo opportunity at the topiary bird. Could it be a green finch? I am no good identifying birds but I’m told the bird of prey hovering here was a red kite.
Just past the beware red squirrel sign we saw a red squirrel dart across the road. Then we walked along the reservoir with greylag geese (these I do know), more pink farms, several Henry Moore sculptures (king and queen, Glenkiln cross, standing figure), and Rodin’s John the Baptist.
The road forks after the last sculpture and we went left past Shalloch farm with the discarded ammunition box and bullet pocked sign. Two deer ran across our path but I was too slow with the camera though one has been caught as a brown blur. The woodland beyond here had been recently cleared leaving a “post-nuclear attack” appearance with the odd forlorn stripped tree trunk left standing for birds of prey. The woodstacks were very high. No climbing! Andy spotted a fox further along the path as we continued on down.
The snow topped Galloway hills were visible as we began to descend towards Lochenkit Farm (pink). Here I couldn’t see the path short of the farm so we walked past the farm before turning left. This was the one place where a herd of cows stood in our way, but they moved from the gate as we approached. I’m glad we didn’t have dogs with us.
This section was a pleasant walk coming quite close to the Turner monument. The stream we forded was not particularly full but I wouldn’t have fancied crossing it during the recent wet weather.
We then dropped back down to cross the Glenkiln road and had an unexpected climb over to Nethertown (pink). Then our walk took us back to Crocketford, with several rabbits seen along the way, to recover at The Galloway Arms.
16.5 miles 5h 5mins Ascent 434m
PS the GPS batteries ran out at 12 miles, up until then our mile paces were:
The 9 and 10 mile paces probably include our 15 minute lunch stop. We did the remaining miles at about 16mins/mile. Looks pretty fast to me.
