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Baidland Hill, Ayrshire

Baidland Hill, Ayrshire


Postby snodland » Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:12 am

Date walked: 14/11/2010

Time taken: 3.5 hours

Ascent: 280m

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In the search for nice easy walks with good views, I set off to Dalry in Ayrshire on Sunday, hoping to get up Baidland Hill.
Several websites mention the "historic old" town of Dalry. Followed Sharon Street to the cemetery and started walking up the road along the side of it, initially a residential area but shortly becoming a quiet country road.Presently you see a metal gate on the left hand side which leads to what is known locally as "The Velvet Path". I never knew velvet culd be so muddy. To be fair the West of Scotland had shipped a lot of rain in the prior week.Following this gradually uphill for about half a mile you come out on a country lane.Turn right past Baidland Mill and then at a t-junction turn left up the hill on what is shown on the map as a track type lane but is in fact a metalled road. In time you pass inbetween Cubeside farm and approach Baidlandhill Farm. Just before the entrance to the farm on the left hand side there are a series of 3 stiles and a footbridge obver a wooded burn. You wind up on the farm track, to begin with one that is churned up by the cows but very quickly this becomes a good track. Turn right off this after about 200 metres to follow the track up to a transmitter-ignore the attention you get from the sheep and more threateningly cows you have to walk past. There is no real track or path to the Trig Point from here. In any case I walked a couple of hundred metres past to get a nice clear view back towards the north and over to the Lochwinnoch Hills.
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It was at this point I seemed to incur the wrath of a ram. Having been followed quite agressively by a sheep in the Campsies a couple of years back I wasn't too worried about his agression,in fact it looked rather odd. Initially he kept running in a small circle at the top of the knoll which he seemed to be setting out as his territiry
P1130352.JPG
. Every now and then he would stop his running and look up at me, then back to the circle.Look at all those wind turbines in the background - I presume that must be Eaglesham in the distance.
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At one point he even stopped as this pic shows looked like a bull about to charge.
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I carried on taking some pics of Misty Law and Hill of Stake.I paused to just step over a small fence, more pics and suddenly heard a thundering sound behind me and from nowhere the ram had charged up to the fence and was keeping his beadies on what I was doing. I carried on regardless (at one point I might even have started talking to him as though he was a dog or a cat - we humans do that sort of thing) and eventually made my way towards the Trig Point. At this point the great view opened up over to the west.
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Sadly the forest that was marked on my OS map disappeared 5 years ago to be replaced by Wind Turbines (not knocking them in general - they can look quite graceful, though in terms of output to land loss ratio they come within my definition of Waste of Space). Oh and they got in the way of a teriffic view of Arran peaking up from above the cloud over the top of the Crosbie Hills.
Arran seen from Baidland Hill.jpg
Arran from Baidland Hill.jpg

Out to sea I could make out the shadowy feature of Ailsa Craig, again obscured partly by another set of Wind Turbines.
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The view around the bay from Stevenston (you can make out the Macgowan Bridge on the river garnock) round to Ayr, with the little peninsula on which Troon sits quite prominent.
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A track of sorts runs back down to the Farm Track beside a little plantation. Turning right along this I followed the service road for the Wind Farm, turned left.
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Arran was still a beautiful sight to the west. I started to notice the clouds streaming down the face of Goatfell. I had seen the Katabatic wind type effect only once before up near Achnasheen as the clouds rolled north east up to the peak of Sgurr a Choire Rainich and then seemed to tip straight over the sheer side of its north east face.
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The stony track goes downhill to meet the country road again. This time turn left, going slightly uphill and as you turn a corner you once again see a metal gate and the Velvet Path. This time rather than following this all the way down to the start, I went through a kissing gate on the right part way along the path, an ash track leads through a new plantation. I met a local out with his 2 very friendly dogs and he told me the plantation (known as Mosside 1) was a replacement that had to be planted when the forestry up on Baidland Hill had been cleared for the Wind Farm.
Back in Dalry I searched in vain for a little tea shop. I should point out that the group for whom I lead walks are tea and cake fans at the end of a walk rather than a pint of beer.The lack of anything suitable in Dalry means the walk is one I shall have to lead early next year when instead of getting the trai, we can do a car based walk and find somewhere for tea on the way back into Glasgow. I should say there are at least 3 pubs in Dalry and in the interests of Walk Research I felt obloiged to pop into each one
Baidland Hill is a short easy walk. I took 3 and a half hours as a round trip and although that doesn't inclde stopping for eats at the top, there were plenty of stops for photos on a fine Autumn day with a low sun bringing out all sorts of fine colours in the landscape. I have no doubt that I shall pop back.
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snodland
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Re: Baidland Hill, Ayrshire

Postby Craiging619 » Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:37 am

Looks like quite a fun walk, I'd never heard of this one before. Interesting views of Glasgow and Arran from a different angle too!
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Re: Baidland Hill, Ayrshire

Postby bluewalker » Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:49 pm

I actually live in Dalry and done this walk for the 1st time today!! I enjoyed the walk despite the wet and grey conditions(although i suspect my other half & dog may disagree!! :lol: ) We should have perhaps started the walk a little earlier in the day as by the time we returned to Dalry it was almost dark!!.
I have one slight issue with this report though concerning the supposed lack of places to get a cup of tea in the town!!All i can say the author of this report must have bypassed the centre of town completely as the town centre boasts 3 well established places to get your post walk cup of tea & sandwich and furthermore a few of the pubs in the town would also cater for those whom wished to have tea,coffee and a bite to eat!! HAPPY WALKING :D
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Re: Baidland Hill, Ayrshire

Postby MacAoidh » Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:15 pm

I have lived in Largs, Ayrshire all of my days, but I must admit to never having been on Baidland Hill. I must take a stretch of the legs up there one day soon.
Here is a link to one of my YouTube videos “The Hills of North Ayrshire” which shows many of the neighbouring hills near to Baidland Hill.
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Re: Baidland Hill, Ayrshire

Postby andylogue » Wed Apr 30, 2014 7:54 pm

A very enjoyable walk. I took in a part of Doggartland walk too, and then connected with the Fairlie Moor road which took me up Baidland Hill. The views are fantastic, and I found the windmills to add to the occasion, as it has been years since I was so close to one.

One thing though, which Bluewalker mentioned as well, and I wanted to bring up. I also live in Dalry, and was none too pleased about your review of Dalry, regarding lack of food and pub establishments. Unlike a few Ayrshire towns, Dalry boasts many pub and grub joints. There are 7 pubs, where a few of them will be happy to feed a customer. There are also about 10 take-aways and cafes and 5 convenience stores where you can get rolls and hot drinks. I don't know how you missed these, but I just wanted to clear that so people reading your documentation of Baidland Hill don't get put off Dalry.

No hard feelings!

Andy L
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