On Sunday 23rd of September, eleven Biggar Ramblers met at the lovely village of Durisdeer. Two had only come for the village hall afternoon tea, for the rest of us it was to be a special treat after our latest sampling of the Lowther Hills landscape.
WE split into two parties: Jan and Bernard Airlie led a walk up Glenaggart, while John Hart headed a group up the more gruelling Well and Black Hills.
Jan writes: A pleasant lower level walk, plenty of partridges. No grouse because of the hot weather. Red Kites seen in the sky. A gentle walk up Glenaggart to the Kettleton Bothy and beyond, met a gamekeeper doing his rounds. He said the bothy had not been used so much this year. Lovely hill views and blue autumn sky! The usual sumptuous tea to conclude the day out!"
Meanwhile after their very steep ascent of Well Hill the walkers were rewarded with tremendous views of our cherished Border's landscape. To the West they could clearly identify the Lowther Hills, with it's distinctive "golf ball" aircraft tracking station and they thought they could make out the shape of Goat Fell on the Isle of Arran in the far distance. To the South they could see all the way to the Solway and the hills of The Lake District beyond.
When they looked North and back into Scotland across our fabulous local hills they were completely despoiled by an ever growing forest of wind turbines. This is no longer a 'wind farm' but an industrialisation of our cherished landscape, the continuation of this process must be seriously questioned. There are plans for two further wind turbine developments around the Southern Upland Way at Wanlockhead. A true green legacy for future generations would be to conserve our wild landscape and it's ecology. This special area should be designated a National Park equivalent to the Lake District or the North Yorkshire Moors. John Hart ( walks secretary)
