Meaul, Louise Wood and a green hill sub

[weaselmaster]

Back from Ireland where we completed the Furths we drove from the ferry at Cairnryan to Creebridge Campsite. A pleasant evening in the late sunshine drowning in birdsong. Twas the same the following morning - one disadvantage of summer camping in contrast to that in the winter is the infiltration of sunlight at 4am and the morning chorus Our target for Saturday was the 4 hills on the Rhinns of Kells which we'd tried to climb on a morning of heavy snow when Allison's back gave up the ghost and led to her being off the hills for months. No such weather problems today - despite the forecast promising a rainy day we were basking in the sunshine.

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Left the car at the bridge at Carsphairn and set off past the farm and along to the track at Knockower, meeting a group of Scouts/leaders on the way. We continued over Bow and Meaul before the steeper ascent to Carlin's Cairn with its immense, prehistoric cairn. Why not just tag on neighbouring Corserine? Just a kilometre away so down and back. Then contoured round the east of Meaul to the bealach with Cairnsgarroch. We saw the group from earlier heading down NE towards 3 large trees and decided to follow their route (local knowledge is useful) rather than the standard return down the NW shoulder of Cairnsgarroch. This took us back to the farm, fording the river on stepping stones. Altogether a fine day out,.

Donalds in sunshine? Some mistake surely!!
P1160054 by Al, on Flickr

Meaul
P1160057 by Al, on Flickr

P1160058 by Al, on Flickr

Towards Carlin's Cairn
P1160060 by Al, on Flickr

P1160061 by Al, on Flickr

Corserine
P1160062 by Al, on Flickr

P1160063 by Al, on Flickr

Freeloader
P1160065 by Al, on Flickr

Cairnsgarroch
P1160066 by Al, on Flickr

Descent route - you can just see the 3 trees
P1160068 by Al, on Flickr

P1160069 by Al, on Flickr

Drove to Dumfries for a proper meal after a full week of tent grub, then to a campsite at Penport. We were the only tent and had a field to ourselves, with the exception of numerous rabbits. Sleep was however broken once again by early morning sunshine and a cacophony of crows, drowning out the song of the smaller birds.

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Today's target was the 2 eastern Lowther hills we had missed out on due to poor weather when climbing Green Lowther. Looking at the map (and the RHB book) I thought we could do them from the Wanlockhead side, then drive up to Wanlockhead itself and nip out to Green Hill as a wee bonus. Drove along the road to Wanlockhead which was surprisingly busy (lots of folk out panning for gold) and has a number of useful wild camp spots along it. Parked up and walked to where a track starts up Glen Ea's hill - warning- there is a river crossing at the start! Once at the summit we followed a line of grouse butts to the col with Dun Rig then a faint path up to the summit of that hill. Showery weather - sunshine then cold wind and driving rain/hailstones.

Track up Glen Ea's Hill
P1160070 by Al, on Flickr

The Lowthers
P1160071 by Al, on Flickr

Dun Rig
P1160072 by Al, on Flickr

On the mighty cairn of Dun Rig
P1160074 by Al, on Flickr


Walking over to Louise Wood Law we met a couple of folk and chatted about Marilyns and other hill stuff. The lady was doing 50 hills before her 50th birthday (something I hadn't come across before). We parted company when the next band of hail came in and took shelter at the top of LWL to have lunch. From here we just cut down the hillside towards Leadburn Rig and then back to the car.

Louise Wood Law
P1160075 by Al, on Flickr

P1160076 by Al, on Flickr

P1160078 by Al, on Flickr

green.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Keeping kit on we drove on to Wanlockhead, parked and set off into the village to find the track leading to Green Hill, which isn't marked on the 50000 OS map but is the highest point of a hill otherwise titled Stood Hill, which we visited also. Spent some time trying to decide the highest point of Green Hill - Allison decided it was a patch of moss Back to the village - had considered going into the Lead Mining museum until I saw the admission price. Returned to the car and headed home. Allison now has just 2 Donalds remaining, one at each side of the Ochills


Wanlockhead
P1160079 by Al, on Flickr

Towards Green Hill
P1160082 by Al, on Flickr

P1160085 by Al, on Flickr

P1160086 by Al, on Flickr

I claim this splodge of moss as the summit
P1160087 by Al, on Flickr

Green Hill
P1160089 by Al, on Flickr

P1160090 by Al, on Flickr

[Sgurr]

I use to think that Lousie Wood Law was Louise Wood Law as well....until I started wondering who she was. Now I just wonder why it is.

[weaselmaster]

I use to think that Lousie Wood Law was Louise Wood Law as well....until I started wondering who she was. Now I just wonder why it is.

I've just realized my error - I too had been wondering who Louise Wood was and had googled her unsuccessfully in the past to try and find an answer. There are some strange names for places down in that part of the world. It's amusing how the brain just takes a word that is almost the same as another more frequently encountered word and convinces you they are the same. Looks like a common error too, I see "Louise Wood Law" appears in Hill-bagging in brackets after Lousie Wood Law

Thanks for noticing - and no, it doesn't help answer the question does it - not much evidence of a wood, not even a Lousie one