Green Hill,Wanlockhead.

A spur of the moment trip as it was a nice sunny day.Green Hill was the nearest Marilyn to my house that I hadn`t given a good bagging to :) It`s probably because I could be on the summit inside 90 minutes from my front door and subconciously I was saving it for my old age.Feeling like a quick stretch of the legs however I set off down the M74 for Wanlockhead.The village was positively alive today in the bright autumn sunshine,people out whitewashing their houses and the vistor centre car park overflowing on to the road.

The path up was easily visible from the village winding it`s way up Stood Hill first of all,seemingly starting in someone`s front garden.The occupant was engaged in a battle of wits with a couple of sheep who were intent on sampling his floral display.Nevertheless he took a minute or so out to chat about the weather.Meanwhile the crafty sheep snaffled a few mouthfuls of montbretia.Thirty minutes or so and I was on top of Stood Hill and a further 10 minute traverse took me on to the Marilyn summit of Green Hill itself.Visibility was excellent and you could even see the Lomond hills in Fife in the distance.

Wanlockhead from the slopes of Stood hill...





I lounged around for 20 minutes before heading down the north ridge towards one of the old mines......



.....and then heading back to Wanlockhead along a section of the Southern Upland Way via a quick detour to visit the old graveyard.Plenty of dead miners in here with quite expensive headstones suggesting that perhaps the mine owner was one of the better employers of that era.

I had intended paying a visit to the oldest public library in Scotland but I had just missed the
start of the audio visual display and didn`t fancy sitting inside anyway on such a nice day.So,off
to Leadhills graveyard to find the grave of the oldest guy in Scotland...allegedly.137 years old
when he died it says...


A more modern one nearby.....


I then wandered up to the old steam railway and as luck would have it,not only was it running,but as it was South Lanarkshire`s Doors Open day it was free.I was offered the choice of first or second class,opted for first,and was given a cushion :-) Nice to see a bunch of enthusiasts like this surviving against the odds.