Wigtownshire Ramblers 2 July 2011 Port
Logan – Damnaglaur
Jim’s photo
A
warm sunny morning greeted the 22 ramblers assembled at the picturesque harbour
of Port Logan for the walk. Two visiting walkers from the Kilmarnock and
Loudoun group were given a warm welcome. Elaine, Cath, Frances, Avril and Jim, joining us from the Kilmarnock
group, Peter, Mary, Jim, Paul, Sue, Andrea, Richard, Mary Mitchell, Audrey,
Irene, Allan, John Smith, Peter, Leslie, Linda, Christine and Susan set off
southwards from the harbour.
They
began by taking the steady incline on the track leading south out of the
village. Soon after the start, a hard pressed but cheerful farmer gathering
stock, necessitated a slight detour through a field. Before long they'd
gained enough height to appreciate the wonderful views back to Port Logan Bay.
Rolling
fields of sheep and cattle meant a number of gates to open and close.
Moving
through to the fields of Cowans Farm a quaint message by one gate read
'Be ye man, be ye wumman - Be ye gaun, or be ye comin - Be ye early, be
ye late - Be ye share tae shut the gate'.
Crossing a field of inquisitive young heifers
the group now reached Low Clanyard.
With tarmac and concrete now beneath them,
they made their way to Castle Clanyard Farm. Here they took a break while the
walk leader got a volunteer to read out the history of Castle Clanyard, the
palatial residence of a branch of the Gordons of Kenmura and Lochinvar. All that remains of the 16th castle is a
tapered corner of the walls in a nearby field.
They
continued south along the Glen of the Hole, passing an unfinished new build of
some grandeur. With Cairn Fell to the west they next reached the crossroads
below Inshanks Fell. From here they turned east on the unclassified tarmac road
to Kirkmaiden. In the sunshine, the views over Luce Bay to the Galloway Hills
were magnificent and most summits quite recognizable.
Next
stop and lunch was at the 17th century Kirkmaiden Old Kirk. During and
after lunch the group looked in and around the Kirkyard. They looked at the
memorial to the merchant seamen who perished in the first world war when the
steamers the 'Main' and the 'Rio Verde' were sunk. Inside the church they
viewed the bell gifted by the Gordons of Kenmure to their kinfolk in Clanyard
Castle, the Latin inscription around the outside proclaiming it was made in
1534.
It was a struggle for some people to bring themselves back to
walking mode after lunch and continue, back to Damnaglaur.
After
a leisurely lunch the group now walked along the B7065 to the walk finish at Damnaglaur. An unusual sight along here was a
Jacob Sheep with one of its horns straight up like a unicorn.
Upon
reaching Damnaglaur the group toured the walk leader's wonderful garden in
bloom. Tea and cakes in the sunshine
rounded off a glorious day.
We came through the back gate and I
urged everyone to go around ALL of the garden as I had spent so much time in it
this week in readiness for their visit!
Three kettles were put on to boil water for many pots of tea and for
coffee, Andrea doing most of the work in pouring out the liquid refreshments. I got the tray bakes and shortbread biscuits
put onto plates and these were taken outside for people to help themselves. I am so annoyed with myself that I
forgot to put the waterfall on, only
remembering it when they had gone. It
was not really all that long after 2pm when people starting making a move and
Cath and I took our cars and the drivers to Port Logan for them to collect
their cars, come back to Damnaglaur and pick up their passengers. It was over so quickly! I had a great feeling of anti-climax when
they had all gone.
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