During the very cold snap in December members of Biggar Ramblers had a walk through a real life winter wonderland. Starting from the watersports centre at Strathclyde park Motherwell, they crossed the footbridge and followed the path alongside and under the M74. they followed the Avon upstream to the old cobbled bridge and the up to Chatelerault where they enjoyed hot soup and coffee in the hunting lodge cafe. The return saw them zigzagging through the woods back to the old bridge. The combination of frost, snow and ice made for some stunning photographic vistas. www.biggarramblers.org  

 Traditionally the last walk of the year for the Biggar Ramblers is know as “The Mince Pie Walk”. On this occasion the walk was at Penicuik House. It was a beautiful day and they started the walk at Alderbank which is beside the South Kirk in Penicuik. They followed the track uphill and then along the ridge which gave them fantastic views of the Pentlands which were covered in snow and looking lovely in shades of pink. As they followed this track they saw the Penicuik Estate spread out below, the track then went downhill through some woods where the trees still had golden and rust coloured leaves and a rushing stream to the left.

At the bottom just before crossing the bridge they met some very friendly Highland cows who seemed to enjoy having their photo taken. Then it was uphill again passing the curling pond where only a few days earlier the walk leader had seen members of the Penicuik Curling Club preparing the ice for curling.

The Ramblers managed to find some seats in the sun overlooking the fields to enjoy some homemade mince pies.

They returned to the track through the Chinese Gate and down a slippery path which then returned to Penicuik.

Despite the path being a bit slippery in places they enjoyed the walk and wished each other a very Happy Christmas. www.biggarramblers.org

 On 1 st December 11 members of Biggar Ramblers headed up the A70 to walk the landscape of rich industrial archaeological history of the Muirkirk and Kames area. Starting along the River Ayr Way, initially on the old railway beds, the group then walked beside the remaining evidence of the canal. This preceded the railway carrying ore and coal from the local mines to the ironworks, built in 1787. On reaching the road to Auldhouseburn the ramblers had a big surprise, the sight of a parrot called ‘Blaze McCaw’ (search for him on facebook)

being taken for a walk by its owner. This beautifully coloured bird brightened up an otherwise grey day. The group proceeded passed the hillside farm poultry sheds before turning

along a track adjacent to the sprawl of old pit shafts and mounds of spoil. The second half of the walk passed the last remaining 3 miners’ cottages and the sad sight of the empty and decaying Kames Institute building. Walking up Furnace Road the ramblers were treading on the track which John ‘Tar’ MacAdam used for his road construction experiments. A large cairn commemorates his work on the site of the Tar Kilns established there in the early 19 th century. Down the hill the walkers took their lunch by Tibbie’s Brig, where Tibbie Pagan, a local poetess, had lived during that time. In 4 short miles much had been learned about the many different local mining industries which made Muirkirk such a prosperous, thriving community during the Victorian era. www.biggarramblers.org

A large band of 18 Biggar Ramblers recently enjoyed a circular walk to Kitleyknowe and then a quiet footpath across to Rutherford castle, crossing the A702 and back to Carlops.  The weather was kind to the group and everyone enjoyed the great views and good company. www.biggarramblers.org 

 

In November a group of nine Biggar Ramblers enjoyed a varied 6 mile Autumn walk

around the picturesque town of Moffat. They started from the Ram statue in the high street, and

walked north out of the town past the site of a 300 room hydropathic hotel, destroyed by fire in

1921, and through community owned woodland by Gallows Hill. After walking along a section of

forestry track, the group turned off and climbed up and over Hind Hill, stopping at the summit to admire views of the Devil’s Beeftub and Annandale. They then followed waymarkers down the hillside to a track which led past Moffat Well, the source of the water that established Moffat as a Spa resort. The final section involved following a fast flowing burn back to Moffat and enjoying lunch in a local café before heading home. www.biggarramblers.org 

 A group of 7 walkers from Biggar Ramblers met in Peebles to walk the very popular route from

Peebles to Lyne Station and back. The original route was to be out on the north side and back on

the south and transiting the railway tunnel to return to Peebles. However due to heavy rain at the

start of the walk the leader decided to reverse the route and gain some shelter by going out through the tunnel. A good decision as the rain had eased somewhat when the group emerged back into daylight. The route continued to Manor Bridge and a coffee stop was taken under the arches on the south side. Then the walk continued past Barns House and Tower to come to the

pedestrian bridge at Lyne Station. A picnic bench here provided the ideal opportunity

for lunch. The return route was on the old railway track until the viaduct where the group descended to the riverside and continued past Neidpath castle to come into Hay Lodge Park to end the 8 mile walk. On the walk flocks of long-tailed tits were seen at 3 locations, after Manor Bridge, at Lyne Station river crossing and adjacent to Neidpath Castle. Also dippers were seen in the fast-flowing Tweed and a buzzard could be heard calling. www.bi

 Seven members of Biggar Ramblers set out on Thursday 10 th November from the Pentland Hills

Regional Park car park at Flotterstone, which, with strong winds forecast, was expected to be a truly bracing walk round Capelaw and Castlelaw Hills. On the way out to Glencorse Reservoir the group stopped to look at the old filter beds which used to provide filtered water for the paper mills in the Penicuik area. Halfway along the reservoir 5 members continued up the valley towards Bonaly Reservoir where the surrounding trees provided a welcome shelter from the wind for a coffee break. Continuing up and around Capelaw Hill the full force of the gusty wind made walking quite tricky, but with good visibility, a wonderful panorama opened up from Grangemouth, past the bridges, and round to Arthur’s Seat. The walk then continued round the back of Capelaw Hill and Castlelaw Hill, with a stop at Castlelaw to inspect the Earth House which was part of the ancient Hill Fort dating back to 500BC. From here it was a simple return back to the car park which provided a welcome shelter from the wind after a pleasant but windswept walk. www.biggarramblers.org

 Biggar Ramblers took on the weather as well as the walk on Wednesday 2 nd November. The

Douglas Estate circular is usually associated with lovely views across the Douglas Water, the lakes and the fields, interesting historical landmarks and gentle gradients. Indeed the group peacefully passed the memorial to James Gavin, Covenanter who lost his ears, the 16 th

Century working clock in the tower of St Brides Church donated by Mary Queen of Scots, and the Memorial to the exiled Polish Troops who carried out sterling defence work on the East Coast of Scotland from 1940. They were just passing the first lake in the estate and had the 1968 memorial to the Cameronian regiment disbandment in sight when the rain came on. They reached the ruined

tower of Castle Dangerous for a quick photo and a bit of shelter and then headed on across the red bridge up to the forrest. On the way there is a landscaped area in development that will offer a

sunken rhododendron garden and a newly planted orchard with walkways when it opens in the

spring of 2023. The next part of the walk along he ridge was relatively sheltered from both rain

and wind, which was by then strengthening. As the group came down through the trees they

stopped for lunch beside a fascinating fallen beech tree that had been colonised by fir trees, ferns,

bracket fungi and puff balls. Then the group bent into the strong wind and heavy rain to cross the

valley over the blue iron bridge and up to the monument to the raising of the Cameronian regiment

in 1688. Doulgas has a lot to offer the visitor. www.biggarramblers.org

 Ten members of the Biggar Ramblers travelled up the Ayr valley to Kames on 29th October to complete a circular 6 mile walk up Cairn Table. Although they left the car park in dry weather the rain soon began to fall, lightly at first. The ground conditions were already very wet and muddy following recent downfalls, but they continued up the steady incline taking a quick coffee at the point called ‘the Steel’. The group then ascended to the top against brisk winds, taking brief shelter against the towering Cairn, a memorial to those who gave their lives in WW1 from the Muirkirk area. Heading down the south west slope of the hill was tricky due to the rocky and slippery path. Taking a quick stop for lunch in a sheltered hollow, they managed to negotiate the hazardous conditions down to the more sheltered tracks used by miners over the last two centuries. Passing the cairn to the road builder John ‘Tar’ McAdam, the ramblers returned to the start point, wet and windswept, but satisfied that they had completed a significant challenge. Notwithstanding the inclement weather the group had enjoyed great views over the Ayr Valley and the former industrial archeological landscape of Muirkirk and surrounding area. www.biggarramblers.org