The Foumart Stane

5.3 miles  3h 20m  ascent 215m

McKay's LochThis was a leisurely stroll around the forest at Stroanshalloch. We were able to park near the road below Auchenstroan Craig and from there walked along to Trostan Loch. The air was clear and the Rhinns of Kells were our horizon.

The track ended a little short of the loch so we had to muddle through the tussocks for five minutes. There is a wooden hut at the foot of the loch, presumably an angler’s bolthole. It was empty except for a rusting garden chair and the veranda was a bit chilly being shaded by the nearby trees, so we didn’t hang about.

From the loch we retraced our steps back to the main track and continued on towards the Foumart Stane. This track also didn’t extend as far as we might have liked, but we continued on in the same direction until we reached the stone wall, then turned left and followed the wall up to the the stane. This proved to be closer than I had thought but it was guarded by pools, tussocks, fallen/cut branches and dense bracken.

Foumart Stane

Foumart Stane

A foumart, the foul marten is, I believe, a polecat, so named for its unpleasant odour and to distinguish it from the sweet mart, the pine marten. The foumart stane is actually a small mound rather than a stone, which judging by the size of the lower rocks is a natural feature rather than man made. We neither saw nor smelt any polecats, and I’m sure the dogs would have let us know if any such creatures were about.

Rhinns of Kells

Rhinns of Kells

From the stane we followed the stone wall south west until a forest break between younger and mature trees and then climbed along that to the end of another track. This looked as though it should have been an easy walk through long grass, but obviously the grassy tussocks hid holes, ditches and pools. The dogs sometimes gave warning of water but Audrey stepped into one pool deeper than her walking boot.

McKay's Loch

McKay’s Loch

Once back on the track we walked along to McKay’s Loch. My 1:50k OS shows a junction of three tracks, so I was a little confused to reach a crossroad, though the 1:25k has the fourth track marked as well. McKay’s Loch, which we had seen earlier when we were near Trostan Burn was quite pretty close up. There is quite a large hide at the southern end.

After the loch we stopped for lunch then ambled back to the car.

Despite it being mid-October the last few wildflowers were still on show: tormentil, buttercups, cat’s ear, wild mint, foxglove (just one), yarrow, marsh thistle, sowthistle, daisy, ragwort (aplenty), and scabious coming into its own.

[osmap gpx=”http://www.screel.co.uk/walks/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/RK_gpx-_2015-10-18_1026.gpx”]

McKay's Loch

McKay’s Loch

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