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 Valley

Navigation 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 Rig

Navigation 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 Lamachan

Fit 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 Buss

030 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 terraces

Craiglee 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 Views

But 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 Cairn

Fit the seventh - The Descent

Not 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 Return

There 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