May Day, the beginnings of summer:
The bus dropped us off at the Lead Mining Museum in Wanlockhead on what should
have been, according to the forecast, a lovely spring morning; should have been
but wasn’t. The sky hung heavy, pregnant with rain. Already it had plattered on
the bus window on the way up to the museum and it threatened to come any time
again.
The
intention of the day was to walk part of the Southern Uplands Way from
Wanlockhead to Sanquhar, an easy and not too long a walk and a very pleasant
walk in fine weather. So, given the glorious spring weather of the day before
and the forecast for today, we looked forward to a pleasant walk in fine
weather. Now it looked as though all we could look forward to was a soaking.
But it was still dry when we left
the bus strop to follow the Wanlock Water down past the old lead workings. (Which
Paul helped to restore as he keeps reminding us!) Down past the old cemetery we
came and the first spots of rain hit. It didn’t last long, just a slaver in the
wind. But, as we crossed the Wanlock Water, it came again. This was enough to
have the pessimists among us don the waterproof trousers. Jimmy & Robert
were the optimists who walked on regardless. This passing shower took its own time
to pass and we walked up the old track towards the pass on Glengaber Hill in
the constant downpour.
We topped the pass and Robert succumbed
to the weather and donned the waterproof trousers. This might have been an
easier task if his trousers hadn’t been soaking and his boots just as bad. To
watch him struggle, standing on one foot, pulling and tugging at his
waterproofs and trying desperately hard not to land on his backside was our
only enjoyment on this particularly dreich part of the walk. Eventually he
succeeded. He shouldn’t have bothered for no sooner than had he the waterproofs
on than the rain went and we came down to the ruined farm of Cogshead in the dry.
And was that the sky beginning to break up? We would see.
We had coffee/lunch at Cogshead
while Davie Mc delighted in drawing Allan’s attention to the path climbing
steeply up the slope of the unnamed hill opposite, Allan whose dislike of climbing
is legend in the Ooters. And it was to this path, whether Allan liked it or
not, that we headed after coffee.
The slope was not quite as steep as it looked,
just steep enough and long enough to catch the breath and burn the legs and
string the group out in a long crocodile. But the sky definitely cleared as we
climbed and this cheered even the most reluctant of climbers. By the time all of
us had reached the col between this unnamed hill and Conrig Hill and looked
down on Nithsdale, the sun was out and the fresh breeze was chasing the rain
south-eastward. And waterproofs were dispensed with, such was our cheering up. ‘It’s
all downhill from here’, said out expert. And so it was – mainly.
We
dropped down in the sun towards Brandleys Cottage then through a boggy stretch and
through a wood. Some were calling for lunch/coffee so we made the four hundred
and ten metre detour from The Way to the Black Loch where we had our second
break of the day. Some waterfowl rose from the lochan at our approach. ‘Four tufted
duck and a pair of mallard’ announced our birders. We couldn’t argue, and didn’t.
We sat down beside the Black Loch for lunch. Like Dr. Johnson said of the Giant's
Causeway, the Black Loch and its crannog are worth seeing but not worth going
to see. Some were disappointed but we all sat in the sun and enjoyed our peece.
Back
on the way, we still came down, down past the riding of the marches centenary
fence and down into Sanquhar by the Coo Wynd.
As
Shakespeare said ‘All’s well that ends well’. This was a day that started poorly
but ended in lovely spring sun and we had a fine walk after all.
FRT
was taken in our usual howf in Sanquhar, The Crown (Established 1739) where we
were treated like long lost friends. We can highly recommend this hostelry for
its homely atmosphere and friendly staff and clientele.
While we sat there enjoying our fluid replacement therapy another heavy rain shower soaked the streets of Sanquhar. How lucky were we!
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