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Fit the first - The Arrival"Just the day for the Jarkness," the Scotsman cried,
As he lathered on suncream with flair.
"There's a breeze against midgies, and if we're not fried,
We'll lunch at Craiglee, we pair."
002 Watching whitethroats above Gairland Burn 001 One of many whitethroats 009 Golden-ringed dragonfly 012 Small pearl-bordered fritillary mating 013 Argent and sable with small argent and sable Fit the second - Reaching Loch ValleyNavigation is easy, just follow the birdsong
Through bracken, by burn and uphill.
It's muddy and rocky. It's hot and it's long
Til you get to the loch where it's still.
014 Two miles in at Loch Valley Fit the third - A Jig on the RigNavigation is simple. Hop over the burn,
Then wade your way up in a splurge.
Hop over the heather, each tussock in turn,
And up on the Rig you'll emerge.
018 Burn crossing 019 Burn crossing 021 Terrain to Rig of the Jarkness 022 First blaeberries 023 Rig of the Jarkness top looking at Curleywee and LamachanFit the fourth - What's a Jarkness?It's the Rig of the Jarkness, a mystical name
For a stroll all the way to Craiglee.
Clints of Buss on your way, Point of Snibe in the frame,
And a stop by Dow Loch for some tea.
026 View west down Loch Trool 029 Over Round Loch of Glenhead S to Curleywee from Clints of Buss030 The Deils cloven hoofmark 031 Craiglee - Millfore - Curleywee 032 Loch Narroch - Point of the Snibe -Meikle Millyea beyond 033 Grassy ascent to Craiglee before terraces 036 Lovely Dow Loch 037 Failing to photograph newt Fit the fifth - A lesson in false tops and terracesCraiglee has a trig, but it stays far away
No matter how much you walk to it.
To make it get closer could take you all day,
Or that's how it feels. You may rue it!
039 Large red damselfly 040 Many terraces and false tops 041 Boggy ground and erratics 043 Not a rocking stone 044 Trig point and deceptive foreshortening 045 Between terraces again 046 Broad-bodied chaser Fit the sixth - The ViewsBut once at the top, it's a fine place to gaze
On the vista in every direction.
This amply repays all the wearisome ways
The Jarkness and co can be vexing.
047 Trig finally 048 SE to Clatteringshaws Loch - R of Ks on left 049 Euans hat - Craignaw left - Corserine right 050 Rhinns - Clatteringshaws - Loch Dee 051 Meikle Millyea 052 Corserine and Carlins CairnFit the seventh - The DescentNot wanting to fall off the end of Sound Clint
We headed downhill at its back.
Through cattle-churned mud, a burn-and-grass stint
Delivered us on to the track.
052 Descending 053 Lochs of Glenhead and Trool 053 Merrick left - Craignaw centre 054 Craiglee buttress - Sound Clint 055 Craiglee from below - summit circled 056 Merrick pano 057 Tussocky boggy hard-going descent 060 Our clamber up to the road 061 First terra firma since summit Fit the eighth - The ReturnThere are adders down here and toads if you look,
And Galloway names for your glee.
Well worth an explore of each cranny and nook,
For the Jarkness is fun as you see!
063 Adder 065 Gairland Burn from little bridge 066 Bufo bufo - common toad [For a proper account, see nxmjm's from 10 years ago at
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25978