Tuesday, 17 January 2017
It was minus 5 degrees when 12 Biggar Ramblers set off to walk the 5 mile Differick circular above Kirkfieldbank, an easy leg stretch on any other day. On Saturday the 14th January however, after heavy snowfall two days previously and low temperatures the night before, the route proved to be much more challenging than expected. Hard packed snow and ice as well as drifted snow had to be negotiated. The route from the houses at Greenrig followed a very straight track between fields which is said to be part of an old Roman road which led ultimately to the large Castledykes fort near Ravenstruther. The highest part of the walk at 1000ft was reached on this stretch. After 2 miles on the track, the route turned left on a minor road leading to Hawksland and then back to Greenrig following another treacherous ungritted stretch of minor road. The skies were blue so that the views of snow clad Tinto and the Lowther hills were breathtaking.
