free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Map: OS 1:50,000 no. 82
Attendees: Me, Big Dog, Small Dog
Time taken: 45m
Family commitments took me to Northern Ireland for a long weekend. I had a mid-afternoon sailing from Cairnryan and left Edinburgh early to knock off Cairn Pat on route. I made separate plans to tackle Beneraird and Knockdollian on the reverse journey.
Fog was widely forecast. It arrived on cue and was particularly bad in the Scottish Borders. I arrived at Cairn Pat later than anticipated. I wasn’t entirely happy parking on the A77 so turned south on to the minor road just opposite the mast access track. At the first house on the left -a whitewashed bungalow- I got chatting to a Yorkshireman who was pottering about in his garden. He directed me to a wide grassy verge near his home (GR 046552) and said the car would be okay there for an hour or two.
Dogs hitched, I crossed the A77 and followed a fingerpost sign for Cairn Pat up the access track. It was concrete to begin with but soon degenerated to gloopy mud. There were 3 gates to go through in quick succession. Overhead conditions were slightly better than the drive down although still tending towards grey and grim.
The track later veered left up grassy slopes to Cairn Pat’s summit – complete with radio mast and outbuilding. I took the following pictures on my iPhone and returned the same way I went up. I had walked slowly, trying to avoid getting too grubby. I was still back at the car in 45 minutes. I hadn’t seen any wildlife on the hill and -as far as I’m aware- it doesn’t have any significant history. It’s not one that’ll hold many memories for me. Nor for Big Dog – he didn’t consider it worth leaving a scent mark over. Perhaps he and I might have felt differently on a better day. Anyway, there were more pressing duties ahead. The diversion for Cairn Pat had involved minimal time, distance and effort.
View north from Cairn Pat summit Untitled by
NDM, on Flickr
East from Cairn Pat summitUntitled by
NDM, on Flickr
Radio mast to south of trigUntitled by
NDM, on Flickr
West from summitUntitled by
NDM, on Flickr