Return from Mull of Galloway.

Saturday 30 May.

 

We got up at 7:30 am and after breakfast we started to pack everything that we were taking out of the 'van when we put it back into storage then tidied it up. I brushed the carpets outside the 'van and emptied the waste water and the loo again while Moira cleaned inside. We were all set and on our way home at 8:30 am.

 

The road was quiet as we made our way up the coast to Stranraer and Ayr. We didn't take the country lane to bypass Stranraer but went to the edge of Loch Ryan and up the waterside before cutting through Glen App to Girvin and Ayr. After Irvine we had to use the TomTom to find our way to the road to Burnhouse to the storage farm. It was a peculiar route, we came off the dual-carriageway and it looked like we were heading down the other side when there was a tiny slip road that the instrument directed us to take. We wouldn't have found it if we didn't have the satnav.

 

When we turned into the farm it was excellent timing the young guy was just bringing our car round to the carpark. We put everything we were taking from the 'van into the car then after leaving the keys for the motorhome we were on our way again. We were having Hollie for our last weekend before going off to SA for 2 months. There was nobody at home when we arrived at their house but Moira had keys to let us in. We had a cup of tea and later our lunch before they arrived home at 12:30 pm. Suzy had been visiting a friend with Hollie while Gavin had played golf this morning. We left at about 1:30 pm as I wanted to get back and trim the hedges while the weather was still fine. Gavin was going off to Hampden for the Scottish Cup Final between Inverness and Falkirk. There wasn't any problem with Hollie coming with us now, Suzy put her into the seat in the car and off we went, she was quite content and didn't make a sound.

 

As soon as we got in and the car unpacked I started on the front hedge. It was very warm now but the wind was strong and it made it difficult to keep the sheets I have for catching the cuttings from blowing away. I got the front done but was feeling tired and didn't feel like doing the back. Moira checked the weather for tomorrow and it said it would be dry in the afternoon so I left the back until tomorrow. Hollie had been watching me with interest through the window as I worked on the hedge now they came out and Moira helped me by brushing up the path and the pavement at the front. While she was doing that I decided I could manage to trim the grass on the front lawn. It wasn't too long and it took about half an hour to finish that off. Hollie and been running about and enjoyed the echoes as she went through the close squealing. It was worth the effort as the front is looking very nice, there is just the back to do and hopefully it will stay presentable until we get back from SA at the beginning of August.

 

I put on the Scottish Cup Final when I got finished. There was about 15 minutes to play and Inverness were 2-1 in front. This was the way it finished. Next it was the FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa. It was a good game but Arsenal were far superior and won 4-0.

 

After dinner Moira got Hollie down to sleep and she settled quite quickly. After the football there was the lottery quiz. We got 2 numbers correct in the lottery but no prizes for that. It was 9 pm when that finished and I watched some rubbish on the Challenge channel for a few minutes then decided to turn the TV off. I worked on the 'Telegraph' crossword and managed to finish it and enter it hoping for the prize.

 

I wasn't feeling very good again. My throat was sore and my nose choked up and feeling raw. It's either something in the house or maybe as Moira suggested from cutting the hedge and grass. I took an antihistamine pill and got to bed early. Moira was still suffering and came to bed as well. She had another coughing fit before she settle done.

 

 

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Day 3: Mull of Galloway to Drummore.

Friday 29 May.

 

We had a good night's sleep but Moira was still feeling lousy and coughing when she wakened. I made a cup of tea and after the sport's news on TV I got up and made the breakfast. We had the choice today of walking the final section up the side of Loch Ryan to Glenapp or take the bus to Drummore again and walk down to the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway. If we did the latter we would have to walk back again to Drummore to catch the bus to return to the site. The forecast said that it would be a good day weather wise, maybe one or two showers but generally OK for walking. We decided to go to the point as this would be the most awkward to come down to do in the future whereas from Stranraer to Glenapp we could do by getting the bus down from Glasgow and return on the bus via Ayr.

 

 

We caught the same bus as the other day but it was 5 minutes late this time. It was the same meandering route over to Port Logan and back along the narrow country lane to Drummore. The trail began down at the harbour again and it was along a road that passed some nice cottages on the sea front as we left the town. Once the tar finished it was a gravel track for about a kilometre then it narrowed to a path along the grassy bank above the beach. Soon we got a view of the end of the Mull and the lighthouse on the point. We met a woman on the path who,had stopped to admire the views. She said she was from Carlisle and staying at a caravan at a site a little further up the track. The Maryport caravan site was where the peninsula turned for the last section and we looked for a place sit and have a cup of coffee but there weren't any seats.

 

 

The next part was slower going, at first it was through thick grass, then the track narrowed and made its way along the edge of the cliff. It wasn't a steep cliff but it was a drop and underfoot it wasn't very smooth. It wound its way up and down, sometimes down to the beach and at others high up in the fields with sheep and cows. All the way we now had excellent views of the point and the top of the lighthouse sticking above the drop at the southernmost point. When we got close to the tarred road the route seemed to go down to the beach and make its way along the side of the cliff but as the direction wasn't apparent, we decided to take the road for the final kilometre.

 

 

 

As we neared the lighthouse there was a compass with the points of interest marked on it. We could see land ahead which I took to be the coast of Ireland but the compass indicated Ireland to be more to the right. The only land it had to the south, straight ahead, was the north coast of Wales, but I thought that would be too far away for us to see. We had a walk round the outside of the lighthouse, it was £2:50 each to climb to the top and the same again to visit the Mull of Galloway exhibition, we didn't bother. Instead we found a seat in the sun and had our lunch of sandwiches and coffee. As we left I spoke to the man in charge of the exhibition and he told us the land to the south we could see was the Isle of Man. Ireland was more to the right and he pointed out some hills on the distant horizon, the Mountains of Mourne.

 

 

For the walk back we decided to take the road. It was a kilometre shorter and a much quicker walk on the tarred surface. We were now into the wind which was strong and cold. We donned our rain jackets that we had taken off earlier when we were feeling warm. The road back was undulating and it was a climb to the top of the ridge before dropping into Drummore. It had only taken 2 hours for the return trip and the first bus wasn't for an hour and a half. We went into a pub near the bus stop and had a couple of beers while waiting for the bus. They had a log fire burning in the bar and it was lovely and warm.

 

 

We went out and waited at the bus stop for the bus, we had 5 minutes to wait and were soon on our way back to Sandmills. The first thing I did on arriving at the 'van was to empty the loo, then I relaxed with a cup of coffee and some nuts. The weather had been excellent today and it was warm as we sat in the 'van, we had to open the window in the the roof to keep cool.

 

After dinner Moira was coughing and feeling sick again so after the washing up was done I made up the bed and she got under the duvet and felt better. We had watched 'Eggheads' then I put on the radio for the 'News Quiz' but for some reason the sound kept breaking up. I tried everything but it didn't help so I turned it off and worked on the crossword when we got to bed. At 8pm there was a 'Lewis' on ITV3 but I had to retune the set to get that channel. This must have helped the problem with the sound as it was all right afterwards. We had seen it before but watched it anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

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Day2: Sandmills to Stranraer.

Thursday 28 May.

 

The rain had cleared overnight and the sky was blue when we got up with just a few white fluffy clouds about. The forecast said that it would be fine this morning but become showery by lunchtime. After making a cup of tea to drink while reading the newspaper in bed I got up at the usual time and made the breakfast. Once Moira had the daypack loaded with our lunch and rain gear we set off for the next stage of our walk. As we were straight on the route from the caravan site there was no hanging about for a bus and we were on our way at 8:20 am.

 

Even though it was dry there was a strong wind blowing and it was cold. It's direction seemed to have changed since yesterday and it was now blowing from the north and straight into our faces as we started off. Instead of going back to the Sands of Luce caravan site to pick up the trail where we left it yesterday we walked along the B7084 road that goes to Dumfries for about a kilometre and met the trail where it came up from the coast and crossed the road at the Clayshant Quarry. The road had a little traffic but now we turned on to a country lane which was practically traffic free. We were on these country lanes for about 5 km and passed a few farms that were surprisingly very tidy, not the usual piles of scrap machinery in the yards. The farms were Low Mye, High Mye, Mosscroft and Barnultoch. We also passed a road sign warning about low flying aircraft and an info board told us that it was West Freugh airfield, but it just looked like a field of thick grass. This had been a RAF airfield and was closed in 2002. There were airships here during WWl.

 

 

It was good brisk dry walking on the lanes until we reached the access road to High Barnultoch Farm. It became a gravel track then when it reached the farm there didn't appear to be any way to go. We had been admiring more bluebells in the hedgerow, this time blues, whites and a pale lilac shade and thought we had missed a turning while distracted and taking pictures. We backtracked to investigate but the last waymark definitely pointed towards the farm yard. When we had a closer look we spotted the kissing gate that we were to go through on the other side of a small field that he had been cut off with an electric fence. We managed to squeeze through at the side of the fence and get across to access the continuation of the trail. Now our nice dry conditions changed we crossed fields that were muddy and had warnings about bulls. There was a herd of cattle at the far side of the field but they weren't interested in us, they just lay chewing the cud in the now warm sunshine. The track left the field and crossed a hill through a small wood and down the other side to another field. At the bottom of the hill the kissing gate latch had a bolt through it, we couldn't open it and had to clamber over. The route through the field now was through ankle high grass and slow going, if this is an official route and the legislation in Scotland gives us the 'right to roam' why can't they at least cut the grass and make it a bit easier to walk on. Down the dip at the end of the field we could now see in the distance the outskirts of Stranraer.

 

 

Once we left the field it was again onto a nice dry gravel track that headed for a forested area. As we walked along this section we saw on the fence a string of dead rats (or maybe they were moles) tied along the top wire. Further along there were the small parts of the remains of previous 'kills' that had probably been devoured by birds.

 

 

Just as we entered the woods there was a clearing and we decided to stop for a cup of coffee and a mini Bounty bar. We took our jackets off, it was now very warm, and sat on them. On the far side of the clearing was a beautiful copper beech tree and a red rhododendron bush side by side. It was a lovely setting for our break. As the track now made its way through the woods there was a carpet of white flowers. It wasn't the rare 'white bluebells but wild garlic and the pungent smell was quite powerful. The sun of the previous few minutes had disappeared and it was getting cold again. When we came out of the trees and on to the streets of the Stranraer suburbs it began to rain. We stopped and got our rain jackets on again. Fortunately it didn't last long and the sun was shining once more.

 

From the woodland a street, Ladies Walk, took us down to the road along the edge of Loch Ryan. The loch was a natural harbour with the gap through the narrow points at the end leading out to the Irish Sea. The ferries run from here on a regular basis to Northern Ireland. We could see the town of Stranraer about 1/2 km away at the head of the loch and made our way in that direction. We visited the tourist information office first and picked up some leaflets of walks, the one for the continuation to Glenapp, the Southern Uplands Coast to Coast and the Firth of Clyde trail. The woman confirmed the time of the next bus as 12:55 pm and told us where to catch it. We had an hour so decided to have a walk about. It hadn't been a long walk today, only 14 km, so we were finished early and decided to wait until we got back to the caravan site before having our packed lunch.

 

 

We headed along and round the esplanade with lovely views of Loch Ryan. Unfortunately there were black clouds appearing again so we decided to head for a pub and have a beer while waiting for the bus. We made our way into the town centre and found a pleasant enough pub there. We got in just on the as the rain came down again this time it was heavy. We sat and read the leaflets we collected at the tourist info and made use of the pub toilets. When we came out the sun was shining once more as we continued through the town centre. The only attraction we could see in the town was the Castle of St John built in 1500 by one of the Lairds of Wigtonshire.

 

On the way to the bus we called in at Tesco for bread and milk. The bus arrived exactly on time and it took about 20 minutes to get us back to the farm. The driver dropped us off at the road junction where we began this morning and it was just over the road to the 'van. We got in just on time as the rain came on again. For the rest of the afternoon it the rain was on and off, when the sun had its turn it was very warm. We spent the afternoon in the 'van after we had lunch. Moira still wasn't feeling good and keeps coughing. She stretched out on the couch and had a sleep for an hour and felt a bit better afterwards.

 

After dinner tonight we listened to the radio until the latest edition of 'Springwatch' came on TV. We didn't watch anything after that but got to sleep early as Moira still wasn't feeling very good.

 

 

 

 

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Day 1: Drummore to Sandmills.

 

 

Wednesday 27 May.

 

It hadn't been very comfortable in bed last night with the makeshift pillows. I didn't sleep very well and Moira was also awake a lot with her coughing again. I got up at 6:30 am and made a cup of tea which we had in bed while reading the newspaper which we had downloaded. Moira had brought the dongle for the Internet and it is working all right. I got up at 7:30 am and made the breakfast then Moira got the daypack loaded with the lunch and our rain gear, the forecast said rain for this afternoon.

 

The woman in charge of the caravan park/farm didn't know anything about the local buses other than that we were to stand at the corner just outside the farm and flag down the bus when it came along. One of the other residents on site said that if we had any trouble getting the bus to give him a shout and he would run us down to the start of the walk. The bus was due at 9:15 am but we were out waiting 15 minutes before that; there was a cold wind blowing and it was quite chilly standing waiting at the corner. Fortunately the wind was blowing up the peninsula and we would have it at our backs while walking. The bus arrived on time and there was no problem getting him to stop, we were soon on our way.

 

The route for the bus wasn't a direct one but after the village of Ardwell it crossed to the other coast to Port Logan. It turned out to be a quint little fishing village with a lovely harbour. The road back to the other side was on a very narrow country lane that I would have been worried about driving along with the motorhome never mind a bus. When we turned on to the coast again on Luce Bay we could see the town of Drummore nestle in the shelter of a small headland further along the coast. It was another beautiful little town with attractively painted cottages. It seemed a busy place with lots of houses and cars, we wondered what the people did here other than fishing and farming. The stop the bus finished in the town was next to the tourist information office but it was closed and didn't open for another 20 minutes. It also said that it was manned by volunteers and the opening times might not be strictly adhered to. We wanted to get some info about transport to the end of the peninsula at the Mull of Galloway but didn't fancy waiting on the off-chance the office would open on time. Instead we decided that we would just start the walk from Drummore and head back to the caravan park, about 16 km. We would leave the 9 km from the Mull of Galloway to Drummore for another time.

Moira said that she had read from the write up of the route on the internet that the trail went past the harbour. So we headed down the hill in that direction. There was a minor road that ran beside the harbour and along the sea front heading out of town. On the way we stopped and asked a man working in his garden if this was the coastal route. It turned out that he was quite knowledgeable and told us we were on the right track and the road we were on soon met the main road then after a short distance on the busy A716 the waymarked trail left the road and headed up through a wooded hillside.

 

His descriptions were very accurate and soon we were out of Drummore and on the main road heading along the coast. The sky had been a bit overcast when we started and it didn't look like rain but now it began to spit then got a little heavier. We stopped and donned out rain jackets and trousers before it got too heavy. It went the other way and stopped but we kept our rainwear on just in case and it was cold from the wind.

 

The road wasn't too busy and it was quite pleasant striding out on the tarred surface with magnificent views back to Drummore and across Luce Bay to the hills of the Machars, the broad headland south of Newton Stewart. The hedges on the roadside were again thick bushes of bright yellow gorse while beneath were bluebells and red campion.

 

 

Soon we left the road and onto a gravel track that took us over a hill as a detour from the road. At the top of the hill we missed a turning and end up walking into the gardens of a house. We backtracked and found our route through an overgrown field to a stile then a track down to the main road again. At the road junction there weren't any more waymarks and we were looking for an off-road path when a car stopped and the driver hailed us.

 

The two men from the car were David Kirkwood and Ronnie Irving from the Stranraer Rotary Club. They were involved in the route maintenance and we spoke to them for a few minutes. We told them about the long distance walks we had completed and they said that the Galloway route was the start of a long distance trail called the International Appalachian Trail that ties in with the Ayrshire Path, the new Clyde Coast trail, the West Highland and Great Glen ways all the way to Cape Wrath in the far north of Scotland. We asked about the continuation of the trail we were on and Ronnie pointed out a path on the other side of the crash barrier, he said that the farmer had taken down the signposts for the trail when he was doing work on the drive we had walked down from the hilltop. They also had leaflets with a map of the trail as far as Stranraer and a write-up on the route; they gave us one. After some photographs we were on our way again.

 

 

The path, now beside the crash barrier, was very wet and we had to dodge puddles to keep our feet dry. Eventually it became firmer and went through some nice wooded countryside before crossing the main road to a rocky path beside the beach at Terally Bay.

As we walked along the beach an oyster catcher sea bird noisily circled overhead obviously protecting its nest.

The track continued round the bay to reach the road into the New England Bay caravan park. It was along the rocky beach path again after the caravan park and when it turned the point at the end of the bay there was a structure on a hill that looked like a turreted tower of a castle. After crossing a wooden bridge over the Balkelzie Burn we came to an information board and it told us that the tower was the remains of the Logan Windmill, it dates from the 17th century.

 

 

We now left the beach and turned into magnificent woodlands with a carpet of bluebells beneath the trees. Further into the woods the flowers changed to a profusion of white belled blooms very similar to the bluebells. These are known as 'white bluebells' and according to Google are incredibly rare. The route through the forest eventually came out on the main road and we followed it into Ardwell village. Before entering the village we came to a picnic area and it was conveniently place as it was now lunchtime. We sat down for half an hour to have our sandwiches and coffee.

 

Unfortunately the rain that had held off now started to lash down. Even though it was heavy it was coming at our backs so the walking was still quite pleasant. Through the village and for some time it was beside the road but as we rounded the headland at Ardwell Mill we were off-road on a mixture of rocky paths and grassy overgrown tracks that were now very wet from the rain. When we reach the small town of Sandhead there was a nice tarred lane that took us along the final part of the coast before we turned up through the Sands of Luce caravan park to the main road and the short distance to Sandmill Farm and our motorhome.

We stripped off our wet jackets, trousers, shoes and socks before getting inside. Moira hung everything up in the toilet and I put the fan heater on to try and dry them. I made a cup of hot chocolate for Moira and I had a coffee to heat us up as we relaxed. After watching 'Eggheads' on TV we had dinner. I did the washing up then we listened to the comedy on Radio4 extra. Later on TV it was 'Springwatch' which was quite good but after the long walk today we were tired and it took us all our time to keep our eyes open. Later there was 'New Tricks' and we were wide awake to watch that before getting to sleep.

 

The rain eased off during the night and we weren't disturbed with it bouncing off the 'van roof. We both had a good night's sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Off for the start of the walk

Tuesday 26 May.

 

We got up at the usual time and I made the breakfast then Moira finished packing the 'van. I had a shower then we were ready to go. I drove and we cut off the M8 at Ibrox to pick up the M77 all the way down to Prestwick and Ayr. It was then on to the single carriageway coast road to Stranraer. We had a stop at a lay-by for a cup of coffee about 11am before continuing.

 

TomTom directed us around Stranraer and then along a very narrow country lane before picking up the main A716 down to the Mull of Galloway. At Sandhead we went into the Sands of Luce caravan site by mistake. They directed to the farm site that we were booked into, it was on the other side of the road, Sandmill Farm. It was only £10 per night compared with the Sands of Luce at £20.

 

The owners weren't in but a woman told us where we could park. I filled up with fresh water first then we got on the hard stand site and hooked to the electrics. We had lunch then I got the TV tuned in, it was working all right and I got the radio going.

 

We relaxed for the afternoon and I managed to finish today's 'Telegraph' crossword. In the evening after dinner we listened to the radio then watched 'Springwatch' after I had made up the bed. Later we tried to watch a programme about Joan of Arc but we both started to fall asleep so I turned it off and got settled down. Moira had forgotten to bring the pillows so she filled up the pillow cases with some of our clothes. It wasn't very comfortable. There were about another half a dozen caravans and motorhomes on the site but it was all very quiet and peaceful.

 

 

 

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