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Return to the Moorfoots

Return to the Moorfoots


Postby McMole » Sat Mar 26, 2016 4:14 pm

Donalds included on this walk: Dundreich

Date walked: 25/03/2016

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 11.6 km

Ascent: 412m

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Dundreichroute.gif
My last walk from Gladhouse was in the late 60's to Bowbeat and Blackhope Scar, but neither then nor later did I visit Dundreich having been diverted to concentrate on higher peaks and the underground. I still have the rather abused 1" map with our route marked on it, and I see that we parked at Moorfoot farm. This time I used the parking by the reservoir and set off in sunshine and a light southerly breeze to 'collect' that missing Donald and possibly go hug a wind turbine or two if I felt enthusiastic enough to visit the other Donalds and make a round trip of it.
Before reaching Gladhouse Cottage I turned right to follow the wall heading up Cotly Hill. At 520m it started to descend and just past a gate through it I found a circle of ten fenceposts around a concrete marker announcing an underground HV cable - I assume it comes from the wind farm on Bowbeat Hill. Without it and another solo concrete marker further on I wouldn't have known that a cable had been buried there.
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Reasonably solid ground with only a few really boggy bits led by a new fence over Jeffries Corse to the cairn and trig point on Dundreich. By then the freshening and chilly wind had encouraged me to don my jacket.
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Half a pork pie later I decide to retrace my steps and on my way down diverted to look at the ruins of Hirendean Castle and the circular sheep stell just below it.
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Early sheep were much smaller than modern breeds and had to be sheltered from the Scottish climate. Initially covered sheep houses were used, but as sheep became hardier these were replaced by high-walled enclosures providing shelter. The one at Hirendean is a an unusually late example being built in the early 20th century.
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McMole
Walker
 
Posts: 183
Munros:141   Corbetts:50
Fionas:40   Donalds:89
Sub 2000:149   Hewitts:25
Wainwrights:4   
Joined: Mar 25, 2016

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