Author Archives: drow 'n smirr

Spooky Woods: the Seventh Stane

June 7, 2022

5.8 miles 2h 40m ascent 350m Glentress Forest There are 7 stanes and, until today, I had visited only six: The Ghost Stane, The Heart Cleft Stane, The Gem Stane, The Giant Axe Head, The Talking Head Stane and the … Continue reading →

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Maxwell’s Otter, Myrton Loch and the Quarrel Megaliths

May 31, 2022

8.03 miles 3h 35m ascent 161m St Medan-Monreith-Myrton-Drumtroddan Stones (return) A bronze otter stands on the lichen covered rocks of Craigengour. His head is turned to look over the Lag promontory towards the Isle of Man, on the horizon. A … Continue reading →

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Conquering Cruggleton Castle

May 24, 2022

5.98 miles 3h 47m ascent 110 Garlieston-Cruggleton return, and Torhouse Circle Garlieston Harbour is the closest port in Scotland to the Isle of Man. A sign warns that this is a working harbour and I can understand why such a … Continue reading →

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No Particular Place to Go

May 7, 2022

3.15 miles about 1.5h 166m ascent Near Bala, Gwynedd I sat nursing the last vestiges of a hangover, warmed by the afternoon sun. The planned morning walk had not panned out. We had found the lakeside path closed. Three generations … Continue reading →

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Eden Way 7: Satan’s stiles

May 3, 2022

7.83 miles 4h 5m ascent 117m Temple Sowerby-Colby Bridge Our first Eden Way sortie of 2022, indisposition and inclement weather having delayed us. There was neither deluge nor drama and it was no great distance. But I cannot say it … Continue reading →

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Balloch Woods

April 25, 2022

3.11 miles 1h 57m ascent 94m Pond Trail-Larch Trail-Burnside Trail “Corse o’ Slakes, Cross of Rocky Hills – Slakes in Saxon meaning rocky hills or rocky brows. In Galloway there are no roads so wild as the one which leads … Continue reading →

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Eden Valley Daffodil Walk

April 4, 2022

7.35miles 3h 1m ascent 195m Armathwaite-Old Town-High Hesket-Low Hesket “The initial idea was to create 19 memorial sites throughout the UK (19 being the significant number relating to Covid 19). The sites will provide an eternal living memorial, a focal … Continue reading →

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Forrest IV: flight of the dachshund

March 29, 2022

10.23 miles 5h 36m ascent 430m Burnhead Bridge-Birger Natvig Road-Robert Watson Road-Torrs Hill-Mykola Lysenko Road-Anette Olsen Road-Caroline Currie Road (I think)-Birger Natvig Road-Burnhead Bridge This, the longest of our Forrest jaunts, was without doubt the most trying, though not due … Continue reading →

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