Report on Wanlockhead Walk
Saturday 30th December 2006

We all seemed to be looking forward to getting out walking again after the Christmas festivities. Overnight there was storm force winds so we were all happy that it died down just before we set out for Wanlockhead.

Alison, Jacqui, Helen, Irene, Keith and Peter all met up outside the Lead Mining Museum and began our walk at 10.30am. We headed north west out of the village following the river past the old mines. The track crossed the river up to a view point where we learned the history of lead mining and geology of the area. This was read out to us from a plaque by Jacqui pretending to be knowledgeable........where is Robin when you need him?

We continued into the forest for a while until we reached a clearing where we stopped for lunch. Irene and Alison went looking for a geocache nearby which Irene and Robin had found a few weeks ago then Alison entertained us with songs from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang....this may have happened because she was drinking Bailey's from her nice new pink girlie hipflask which Santa brought her!!!

We continued into a forest again until we turned left heading towards Wanlockhead at Cogshead. This was us in open countryside at last passing Glengaber Hill till we crossed the river again. We could see Wanlockhead in the distance but it seemed to take ages getting there.

We stopped to talk to a horse which was tethered up at the side of the track. It was on the way home that Keith, who is visually impaired, told us he wondered why we were talking to a poster of a horse and only realised it was real when it moved!! As you can imagine we had a good laugh about it.

Back at the village we couldn't leave before having a couple of drinks in the Highest Pub in Scotland. A good day was had by all and we were very fortunate with the weather.

This 10 miles circular walk is part of the Southern Upland Way.

Irene