Middle of the spring bank holiday and I gate crashed Grant my usual walking partner's spring bank walking holiday with his group of friends. By sheer coincidence we had chosen to stay at New England Bay, way down in the Rhins of Galloway and they were crossing to Newton Stewart. So a walk was arranged, the destination being The Merrick, highest point in the Galloway Forest. My first mistake of the day was to underestimate travelling time, only 42 miles but it took me over an hour and a quarter. Almost as long as it takes from home to the Lake District. Mysecond mistake was to leave my map tucked away in my rucksack in the back of teh Disco and I didn't have an atlas to hand. Third mistake was that I assumed I was going the right way but that assumption was based on a visit nearly ten years ago and once into the forest doubts started creeping in, Hansel and Gretel style. Fifteen minutes into the wood and all the trees seemed the same. I couldn't recognise anything, what a surprise! Just as I was thinking of turning around I came upon the 'postie' having his 'snap' food to southerners. Daring to disturb his solitude I was pleased to find out that he was quite happy to tell me the visitors centre was just around the next corner only about three minutes away. So I made it bang on time. Quick felicitations were exchanged and we moved on to park the cars up at the head of Glen Trool near to Robert the Bruce's stone. This spot commemorates Robert the Bruce's first battle with the English a battle, which he won and ever since gave rise the Scots wanting to fight the English at every opportunity. Needless to say we didn't stop to pay our respects.
From here there is a clearly marked and easy path heading due north to the fells folowing alongside the Buchan Burn. Our first real stop was at a place identified on the map as Culsharg. Plenty of forest clearing had been carried out here and had obviously opened up the views for the first time in a long period.
Culsharg Bothy
The weather was very good and almost warm by this point as we stopped to examine the bothy. Moving on a path heads into the woods and at this point as the path steepened it became noticeable that Grant's sojourn in the Lakes with regular walks was having a strange and pronounced effect on him. He began to race away up the hill and all we saw of him for some time was a bouncing backside, which wasn't really the most motivational object to urge us on.
An enforced rest period was forced upon us when Tony in attempting to find some relieve from the Scottish Lowland 'Mozzie' discovered that it is inadvisable to spray your 'Mozzie' repellent into your eyes.
Tony diluting the 'Mozzie' repellent
From here there is a clearly marked and easy path heading due north to the fells folowing alongside the Buchan Burn. Our first real stop was at a place identified on the map as Culsharg. Plenty of forest clearing had been carried out here and had obviously opened up the views for the first time in a long period.
Culsharg Bothy
The weather was very good and almost warm by this point as we stopped to examine the bothy. Moving on a path heads into the woods and at this point as the path steepened it became noticeable that Grant's sojourn in the Lakes with regular walks was having a strange and pronounced effect on him. He began to race away up the hill and all we saw of him for some time was a bouncing backside, which wasn't really the most motivational object to urge us on.
An enforced rest period was forced upon us when Tony in attempting to find some relieve from the Scottish Lowland 'Mozzie' discovered that it is inadvisable to spray your 'Mozzie' repellent into your eyes.
Tony diluting the 'Mozzie' repellent
Very shortly we broke out of the woods with a very clear crushed stone path leading up to the slopes of Benyellary, (2360'). A halt was called with a stop beside a stone wall and a pleasant sit in the sun, which was almost the end of the convivial walking party's spirits. The stop was so restful that Walt refused to leave his resting place and like a little child outside the toyshop watched us walk away up the hill. The age old game of will he follow us or will he go back to sleep was spoilt by the rest of the party not really giving a toss. Eventually his nerve gave and he followed on.
The view over Glen Trool to Muldonach
The Merrick from Benyellary
A steady trod with much chat brought us to the summit of Benyellary which opened up views of the Merrick in the distance. Although some way away the nature of the gentle rolling hills in this area meant that we made short work of one and a half miles to the summ
it of the Merrick. (2762)
A large circular shelter on the top provided welcome respite as the temperature had dropped significantly. The views from the summit were spectacular and created much discussion and argument as to what we were actually looking at at any one point. Arran was spotted with general agreement of being able to see Goat Fell. It took some time to work out the Lake District locations until we reckoned that we were looking into the rounded fells at the back of Skiddaw and the rounded fells above Workington some 56 miles away but the view across Galloway and out to sea to Ireland was breathtaking.
The view to Arran
From the summit we made our way down the Redstone Rig, I love the names used in this area, The Rig of Jarkness and the Rig of Gloom, to Loch Enoch. This is reported to be one of the first lochs to show evidence of acid rain. Whatever happened to acid rain as an environmental issue. A book written in 1929 talks about trout taken with what would now be recognised as the effects of acidification. Adding some weight to the argument that much of the acid rain effects came as a result of the pollution caused by the industrialisation in the 19th century and was already well established by the 20th century.
Setting off down Redstone Rig
From Loch Enoch we worked a route out that joined up again with the Buchan Burn and brought us back to Culsharg Bothy. This was much easier written about than done as footpaths on the map constantly disappeared on the ground. The ground was very boggy under foot and the whole route required close navigation. I wished that we had gone round by Loch Neldriken and visited Murder Hole, what that name does for the imagination.
On arriving back at the cars the minute we started to divest our walking garments we were attacked by a vicious and huge swarm of Mozzies, that forced everyone to dive for cover and set off, so the walk finished without the usual pleasantries and they didn't even tell me what pub they intended to stop off at.
