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With a very poor forecast, this turned out to be a big expedition.
There were ten explorers: Ben M., Caleb, Caulay, Donald, Jessie
R-D, Marta E., Robbie C., Robbie L., Senga R-D and Solly R-D.
with Allan R., Claire, Corinne, Dot, Howard, Johnny, Meryl,
Philippa Sam W., Sheila D., and Sheila W. as helpers and Ellie
and Honey to keep us in order. Incidentally, this expedition
completed 750 attendances by my adult helpers, my thanks to
you all.
We assembled at the new forestry entrance - this means they
could be cutting soon so if you want to cover this ground,
get in before the machines - and walked down to the bridge.
I said a bit about the bridge, which is built to the old 'Parliamentary'
pattern and then we left the road and started the climb along
the burn. The first point of interest was the site of a group
of huts close to the road.
From then on, the group followed a surprisingly well-marked
path up the glen with spectacular views of a series of waterfalls
and cataracts in the ravine below us. We were mostly climbing
through conifers and birch but there were some lovely patches
of oak wood and we stopped in one of them to look at a recessed
platform which still had some charcoal on it from the old
days of the Lorne Furnace.
The ground got quite difficult in parts as we picked our way
through felled timber and along the side of the ravine. There
were several points where we could see patches marking newly-vacated
resting places for deer. A couple of ravens flew over but
we didn't see any eagles.
Finally we emerged into a nice sheltered area of oak woods
at the top of the wood that had the appearance of an old settlement
and we stopped here for wafers, a photograph and a rest (except
for the boys who continued to run about all the time).
Much invigorated, we climbed a little further to the top of
the wood and turned to go down through the plantations of
mature trees, stopping to look at a wood ants' nest which
had been dug up by a badger. The trip down was a lot easier
than the climb and we made it back to the car in very good
time, which was as well since we were all at Shielbridge Hall
in the afternoon.
John
Dye
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