A Springburn Hills Day Out :)

Sometimes, if its dull in the west coast of Scotland, as it frequently is here, living in a large city can be a bonus.
Outside in the surrounding area it can be dull and gloomy but under the concrete sprawl of the mighty metropolis with its heat and vapours a micro climate exits that can punch a hole straight through to sunny skies above.
This was predicted to happen on the forecast the night before but I waited a few hours on the day to be sure...until eleven o clock in fact and bang on time it came to pass. Dull and cloudy beyond the ring of hills that encircles Glasgow. Sunny and warm within. Time for an urban adventure.
Sitting in the car park in my local retail complex eating a roll and bacon I had a look at my large street finder map of Glasgow. Where to go....always the problem. After so many years exploring or working in the city I'd been most places. The main reason I climb hills is for the view and any excitement involved so I wanted to find some place interesting and elevated I hadn't been to before with good views.

There was only one place that stood out but it was in an area situated in the north east of the city with a well deserved reputation. Looking at the map though it had many green spaces on hill tops I'd never stood on before. That was enough for me. Although I'd worked a fair amount years ago  all over Maryhill, Possilpark,
Ruchill, Springburn and Sighthill  I'd never been around the parks and open areas much. They looked as if they would have great views over the city from new angles.

This proved to be the case. Ruchill Park came first. A park of 50 odd acres situated on a hilltop surrounded by a mix of social housing. Some were older estates like Maryhill and Ruchill itself, others were newer like the adjacent  long row of student flats purpose built for incomers studying at the university. Many of the scenes in Still Game were filmed around Maryhill and Ruchill. The park however, situated on a hill leading up to a flagpole highpoint was very quiet. I'd been here once before years ago without a camera and it was  just as deserted then as well. Its the sort of park you tend to look around you a lot to see who else is there. In this case it was just two guys walking their fighting type dogs, a common sight hereabouts, but I did also see two old women walking normal dogs. So maybe that's just me. Being quiet it actually had loads of bird life in it, a large flock of bullfinches eating berries of which the park has an abundance. In the right season Waxwings sometimes frequent it because of these trees.
Birds don't bother about fighting dogs though. Being descended from dinosaurs they're well hard!
The view point up at the flagpole is amazing. I've spent ages trying to get a decent clear photo of the Park Circus church spires  above Kelvingrove without poles or wires in the way and here it was at last. It's a slightly unnerving place though I have to admit. It's reached by one lone spiral entrance rising up to a flat summit ringed by thick bushes and railings. It's hard to see from below if anyone's up here until you arrive out on top. The only way down as an escape route is by this same narrow path. Reminded me of Dalmarnock Low level train Station for some reason which has the same vibe of single way down and up. Wasn't too keen on lingering around on that underground platform either for any length of time though the locals probably didn't think anything of it. Needless to say I made sure there was no one else coming up behind me. Call me cautious, most folk you meet in parks are fine but I'm just naturally always on guard in urban areas I don't know very well. Relaxed but aware of what's around me.

The view towards the City Centre ,Cowcaddens and St Georges Cross.

Looking towards Port Dundas, The Forth and Clyde Canal and Townhead. Port Dundas was the closest the canal could get to the centre of Glasgow and goods were unloaded here to be taken down into the city a short distance away.

Alan McGee, the guy that ran Creation Records and discovered Oasis and  signed many other indie bands lived in this converted warehouse building for many years. Luxury penthouse apartments with stunning views.
I'm happy with these flagpole views though. They come free.

This is looking west towards the Maryhill barracks where many troops were billeted during the war years. The high stone wall around these flats still stands as a boundary marker today to that period. Anniesland and the Inverclyde/ Renfrewshire hills lie in the distance.
I descended and followed the green ribbon of the Canal  path past Firhill Basin where all the barges used to tie up and barge workers could  then socialise and swap stories at night. Nearby is Partick Thistle's Football  Stadium. The third but smaller of Glasgow's better known football teams. Celtic and Rangers being the others obviously. This took me round to Sighthill Cemetery, the second oldest burial ground in Glasgow after the Necropolis, both built on hilltops. I was now in Springburn. The Rome of the North.http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/springburn/springmitchell.htm.     Great history and info why here.
Although I knew of its illustrious past as the great railway centre of the world, building then sending steam locomotives to every corner of the globe from the mid 1800s to its limping demise and closure in the 1980s,many of which are still providing a service to passengers today I hadn't heard it was sometimes referred to as the Rome of the North. Like Rome  this former self contained railway town was built over seven hills.

Sighthill Cemetery in the heart of Springburn. Before the Industrial Revolution many of these seven hills with their fine open views had large mansions and country estates on them owned by the tobacco lords, the great and the good. Petershill, Keppochhill (Cowlairs Park) Balgrayhill, and Springburn park itself, once resplendent with its fabulous glass enclosed Winter gardens, ornamental ponds and rockery. It's now faded somewhat but you can tell its been posh at one time. See the same link above for a very interesting and informative description of Springburn at its peak. It still has its castle tucked incongruously down a suburban cul de sac surrounded by council houses.

From Sighthill Cemetery with its expansive views my eye was drawn to the bold outline of the red road flats at one time the highest residential flats in Europe. Glasgow is a city of towers in every direction. Springburn has more than its fair share but many of them are in the process of demolition, hence the gaps as the interiors are stripped out. Due to prior knowledge of its reputation they were hard to let to folk from Glasgow so a lot of asylum seekers ended up here instead and in nearby Sighthill which even has its own African café in the shopping area.
Something else caught my eye though in the other direction. A bare grassy meadow area not far away that looked a bit like an Aztec temple, rising in rows of terraces, one on top of each other. With a shock I realised I'd never been up there before. A completely new unknown area right in the heart of Glasgow. Cowlairs park.

Many years ago when cattle were still moved on foot into the growing  hungry city Cowlairs was the point where cattle were rested, in lairs, on the side of this hill before being driven fresh to the markets and abattoirs below, trundling and complaining down through Cowcaddens.
Later, in the 1920s a park was created for the growing workforce in the nearby rail yards. It was a functional place. Few trees or fancy touches, these were hard working folk with not a lot of spare time or public holidays, just nine football pitches and a pavilion, stacked on top of each other, carved on ledges out of the side of the hill. Its a derelict waste ground now between Possilpark and Keppochhill, looks as if its been that way for many years,  and in the words of the locals...Its super dodgy up there. But I couldn't have been happier. Amazing views and a new place to explore. It is a tad rough though and I avoided the bush unsighted, overgrown pond area as I could hear some sounds of nefarious activity coming from that direction(kids burning tyres or some such)
What a place though. A new viewpoint.

My last port of call was Sighthill itself. It's got a park as well. A bare place with some trees and meadow and  a recently made stone circle. If you are a kid  here though this is the best it gets for a  nearby playground. Wandering through here I found myself thinking how lucky I was growing up on the outskirts of the city. Although it was a rough scheme I spent most of my childhood in real farmland and lush countryside which was only a street away.
Growing up here I'd imagine you would adopt a pretty tough outlook on life.
The biggest fighting dog I've ever seen lurked round the corner at the local shops.(I noticed the African cafe had the shutters down, don't know if its still used.) The guy holding it on a chain was just as impressive and together they made a formidable sight. Just for a second I thought of taking his picture but I didn't have the bottle as I didn't fancy getting my bits chewed then stamped pulpy if he took offence.

Most of this area was the domain of the St Rollox Chemical works, at its height the biggest in Europe. Sighthill Park and  its surroundings are built on the waste and spoil heaps of this long gone complex. The east end of most northern cities tended to hold the poorest members of the population due to the prevailing wind direction. During the time of heavy industry, coal fires and large smoking chimneys the rich lived upwind of the smells and pollution. The poor didn't have a choice and had to settle close to where the factories and work provided a living for them. No cars then. Most folk walked to work.
Now that a smoke filled city is no longer the problem it once was the east end is slowly changing with new housing and infrastructure. Its been going on for years but It will take generations to really change the whole area though as attitudes and history can't be swept away overnight. This current recession certainly doesn't help. Unless its free entry I can't see that many locals using the new  purpose built Commonwealth games velodrome at Parkhead.
Wonder what this area will look like one hundred years from now though? I hope it now has its best years ahead of it again.

The new North Glasgow College. Springburn.

Mell Fell.The Bruce Cave.

The third day of our Lake District weekend dawned or rather didn,t.A good sleep was had at last by me as I learned my lesson and slept as far away from any bedrooms as possible this time.(I must be a lighter sleeper these days,it never used to bother me as much.)
We all woke to the worst weather yet,rain,driven by wind, audible inside the hut.It wasn,t all bad.It would go off for a short time then come on again harder.
After a  multi hour soaking yesterday only two of our group,Craig and Neil opted for another battering up a mountain...this time Skiddaw. Off they set as if it was just another a walk in the park for them.Maybe younger folk only feel alive if they are fighting against the elements.They seemed to enjoy themselves up there anyway even posting a  mini video of staggering along the ridge into what looked like thrown swimming pools of water.Good to see them enhancing the club,s reputation for  bold endeavour.Long may it continue.

As we,d raved about our Loughrigg Fell balcony ramble and clear views from the summit the rest of the group that had climbed The Old Man of Coniston the day before decided on that.As expected,they had a good time despite the rain,full of beans as usual .As I,ve said before and firmly believe.... good weather is  just wasted on the young.Especially if they happen to be mountaineers.You could drop most outdoor clubs in a wall to wall sunny country and the first thing they,d do is climb up the nearest big hill into the mist.I rest my case.

It was Alex,s turn to pick a hill today for us old guys,running on a single bean each.Through sheer luck or sound judgement (he,s a smart lad though) he picked Mell Fell,a modest hill to the north that had the advantage of a woodland path through trees most of the way to the summit.It was also on his bagging lists.

Most of the way we were sheltered by a  mix of trees, only a few drips through the canopy to remind us it was actually raining,leaving us just a 300 to 400 feet canter across a rising open hogback that reminded me of Neilson Pad near Glasgow.It would be a fine viewpoint if you had a view.We didn,t, except for a faceful of rain at the summit.
The last bit was grim stuff indeed.It,s been many years since I,ve been out in such relentless driving rain and I still don,t like it one bit. Why would you prefer this to warmth and sunshine given a choice? Its all a complete mystery to me but I suppose every ones different.Maybe its an addiction thing? Give me another big hit of slush and murk please,that last one wasn,t strong enough :)

We Just patted the summit then turned straight back to the comfort of the treeline.As you can see John was here as he was travelling back with us,having got a lift down in another car that only stayed the one night.Considering the conditions down here it was three good days hillwalking.We,d made the best of it by staying lower down.

We had a surprise stop off on the way back to Glasgow.Just over the border into Scotland again at a place called Kirkpatrick Flemming.Alex remembered a childhood trip here with his Dad to see Robert the Bruce,s Cave near Gretna.I,m ashamed to say neither myself or John had ever heard of this one so we turned off the motorway to see if it was still there.It was.
As you can see its surrounded by tat due to being in the grounds of a large caravan site.Its certainly a child,s horse.I,m no expert but wouldn,t this one be a touch small for carrying a man in full battle gear?Thought it was heavy horses they had to use for that?
Anyway ,we followed the signs down into the gorge and soon came to the Bruce Cave which sits halfway up a vertical sandstone cliff.Reading the handout we were given  it is just possible he might have used this place.He grew up only 12 miles from here and being well connected to the area may have known its secret.A castle used to stand here above the cliff.
The cave is mostly  hand carved and had a concealing door (now elsewhere for safe keeping) so it would have been well hidden and was used to stash valuables from the castle during  English raids.The only way down to it then was to be lowered into it and the door shut in place.Two head sized Spy holes,where the famous spider presumably lived,either side.Who knows if its true. Bruce, like Wallace before him has several  caves in Scotland
credited to him.The one on Rathlin Island being the other main contender

Its still a fair drop to the river, though now there is a wooden platform to it.Not much to look at inside.It would be a long three months in hiding with a spider the only entertainment on offer.
Below the cave is a sandstone seat where presumably Robert the Bruce sat of a quiet evening practicing his sword work when he wasn,t watching arachnids falling from his cave window.
Incidently,I remember reading  somewhere that William Wallace and his famous two handed sword may not have actually existed at the same time.This artilcle stated it only came into Britain from Europe sometime after his death.Unless he went over there and got one.It was such a fabulous iconic sword though they linked it with him afterwards to increase his standing. And on that bombshell.........: 0)

Loughrigg Fell.Coppermines.Lake District.

It felt good to revisit Ambleside again.It seemed to have only three types of shops.Eating shops,Walking and climbing shops,and tea rooms.Not a pound store in sight! Tres Cher if you were a local though I suspect!
A good night was spent around the open fire in the hut owned by a fellow but local climbing and walking club.£7 a night was good value for the property tucked up a steep hill track under the Old Man Of Coniston.
As we,d never been here before even finding it in the dark was an adventure for those without a SAT NAV or GPS to take the fun out of finding its location.(Myself and Alex, pauper old school and proud of it)
After a visit to the nearby Youth Hostel and then the Yorkshire Club,s Cottages further up the slope,the only lights for miles around,we fumbled our way tyre wise to the correct unlit building, me walking ahead in the rain at one point while Alex inched across a burn.At least we had the pleasure of meeting our friendly and helpful neighbours and already felt a small if temporary part of this valley community.

It was a beautiful, wild if slightly industrial setting several hundred feet above Coniston village itself.Numerous spoil heaps and old mines lay scattered around or dug deep into the surrounding slopes,rusting buckets and metal rails silent testimony to its busy past.I liked it,reminded me of Wales or the Leadhills area of  Southern Scotland.
We just had to do a cave while we were here.I love caves.These are some photos from Sunday morning however.A semi dry shelter from the deluge happening outside.It was so wet outside it had its own little river system ending in a sump even though a man made hole.

Next day, after the usual night of snoring in the hut(myself not included here as you have to be asleep to snore,must remember ear plugs next time!) we looked out the door and decided what to do.
Heavy rain, mist and wind  anywhere above 1500 feet.It was a no brainer for myself and Alex.Find a hill below 1500 feet and hope for the best.

The younger crowd were made of sterner stuff however,undaunted by mere weather.
I used to think if you showed people how to find the sun every weekend they would take that option but they seemed in good spirits with a day of driving rain and mist ahead of them.It was not just the guys,several waterproofed girls made the ascent as well happily pulling on rainwear without a grumble.(test those jackets girls)Ah youth.I used to be exactly the same once.Not a girl......just keen in all weathers.That lasted for the first fifteen years then I,d had enough of that nonsense.Ok,OK... maybe I am a girl......I don't care.There,s nothing in my contract that says I have to charge up big mountains  in all weathers Just cos I,m in a mountaineering Club (Oh yes there is..Alex)
I don't mind a good day out with the amblers and ramblers as long as its sunny.

Even the sheep took the dry option and I like to think I,m smarter than the average sheep,though a brainy one might give me a run for its money. We had one convert however.Our friend John,also a man with twenty years of Munro soaked summits under his belt just couldn,t face another vertical drowning at height.One of the main benefits of completing the Munro,s I can see is that you can then start to relax and actually enjoy just being in the outdoors for its own sake.He cant though... he,s started doing Corbett,s :(
I,m a lone island surrounded by a  sea of  active baggers.Normally no one wants to go on a girlie type walk with me,not even the girls :(     But it was so bad outside he was tempted.
"What are you guys doing? "He asked.
We looked at the map of the Lake District..Three hard men together! Nay...more than that...Mountain Men.. but in good weather.
Loughrigg Fell stood out.Situated near Ambleside, home of  country ramblers,(oh, the shame) not far from Grasmere and William and Dorothy Wordsworth,s Dove cottage,(Wish they would show the amazing and controversial Ken Russell,s TV film again of that!"Clouds of Glory".We get the bloody X factor every night instead.)It must be kicking around the vaults somewhere.Anyway... it looked lush ,green and beautiful,even on a map.It was surrounded by a necklace of six big ponds and lakes,crisscrossed by a perfect latticework of paths and tracks and looked good enough to eat.A landscape apple strudel.

It was also under 1500 feet.It was like a fairy tale come to life.We went there.

They must have something in the water here though.The landscape also had a magical effect on its animals.This little horse was only half the size of the black one so it cunningly manoeuvred it onto a stepladder slope to have its wicked way."Reminds me of chalky"(his wee white dog) John commented dryly.
It was also a persistent little bugger.It gave the other two horses no peace at all.

We watched  our backs crossing this right of way field just in case. A delightful path  past cottage gardens filled with free range chickens,dry stone walled lanes,humping bunnies and open, tree dotted meadows summed up what I love most about the Lake district.That and a youthful Felicity Kendal in Ken Russell,s controversial suggestion about......(that's enough of that....Alex..edit)
Anyway we soon reached the summit and it was magnificent.
"Glad I came here with you guys" said John,pleased.

The mist hung in layers in every direction.Even better we were above it yet still in the clear,larger hills around buried in murk.Even for our luck it was stunning.

We stayed up here for a good while, taking it all in.Minute by minute it would change,new views opening up ,while others disappeared.A cloud shifting kaleidoscope of a summit.It was a popular spot and everyone up here chatted happily,bowled over by their good fortune of just being in on the wonder of it all. No sign of Robert Johnston though (Famous blues guitarist) must have been his day off....Look him up if you don,t know why I mention him :)
We then took the balcony trail halfway down,looping around the hill as it passed above Grasmere and Rydal water,mirror reflections in both still waters,banks dotted with little Lowry people playing with  unused open umbrella,s far below.(it never rained all day here)
For a short time it felt like being God,s  suspended high above our world.
Then an underworld beckoned  nearby and we just had to explore that as well.

As flooded caverns go this was the best I,ve been in without a paddle.It went back a good distance and just  near where Alex is the water was deep,full of little fish,hundreds of them.Superb stuff.What a day!
.....................................................To be continued.

Helvellyn.Coppermines Cottage.Lake District.

Not long returned from a  great weekend down in the lake district with our mountaineering club.The first hut meet of the winter season.Most of them were leaving  as usual on the Friday night after work from Glasgow but Alex and myself decided to head down on Friday morning early as the Country file farmers forecast for the week ahead showed that to be the best day.Not that you can always trust  such a long range prediction.It turned out to be the right move though..
He had also done his homework on the Internet  so we could avoid the £7 parking charges now in force down here in the more popular car parks and worked out the cheapest pubs to visit.He,s very good that way.Thinking ahead.Some charge £10 for a pint and a small single burger!That,s the skint hill walkers modern equivalent of a bear trap covered over and filled with stakes.(excuse the pun)
It is a great area though when its done out of season and tourist numbers are down to  bearable.proportions.(excuse the pun again)

Parked in a free lay by just outside Glenridding village and headed along a scenic path beside Ullswater which weaved through trees beside the shoreline then cut up along the side of the road.We have not been down in the Lakes for years and you forget how beautiful it is here.Sure it can get mobbed at times but the network of charming paths,ridges,compact mountain chains and scenery make it worthwhile.Just over the Scottish border into England The Lake district is different to Scottish mountains as a lot of them start from bleak empty valleys.The very thing a lot of people from England like about our Scottish hills.For us though this was a welcome change.

Helvellyn was our hill of choice.A good pick as it stayed in sunshine all day while many  of the surrounding ranges attracted dark clouds.

The path up was broad and dry,a big change from miles of deep  heather,bog and bracken during recent summer trips in Scotland away from the more frequented Munro,s..As we got higher the wind started to increase.By the time we reached the famous Striding Edge it was a full on gale with gusts of 50 to 60 miles an hour.
A few  folk we,d met turned back here when the ridge started to narrow and the first rock towers began.If you didn,t brace yourself when walking you would get blown flat by the gusts.Luckily there were more sheltered bypass routes round the towers which this elephant seal of a climber was quite happy to use on hands,bum, elbows, knees and anything else that came in handy while Alex stayed mainly on the crest.His natural surefootedness can be a wonder at times and an irritation for those less able but  its also good for photos.I bummed along in his wake while he complained, rightly,that he wasn,t getting many good ones of me.

"A man  always on his arse spoils a photo! He grumbled.

It stayed dry though so that was the main thing.

This is us nearing the top of Helvellyn looking down on Striding Edge.Although dramatic its fairly easy under normal conditions with nothing that can,t be avoided which was just as well today.
At the summit we had a short debate.The plan was to head round and descend Sharp Edge as the logical  scrambling horseshoe but that would mean staying in the constant and freezing wind all day.The view along the ridge the other way and a drop in the wind in this direction soon had us changing course.
While not exactly tropical conditions we could at least take off the gloves and drop the hoods on our jackets.
We could even speak to each other again.
"Bumcrawler!"
"Rock monkey!"
It was really good fun to be up on a long undulating ridge again as we admired the views of half remembered mountain ranges in the distance.High Street,Gimmer Crag,Great Gable,Bowfell,Scafell Pike.High Pike.We used to come down here a lot years ago both walking and rock climbing with the club.
Happy memories.Don,t really know why we,ve not come down here more often as its easy to reach from Glasgow even for a day.Although we have climbed a good few hills here it felt like a brand new area again after so long away.

We continued over Nethermost Pike then Dollywagon Pike then dropped down towards  the lovely circle of  Grisedale Tarn where we stopped for lunch out the wind.Jackets came off.The suns rays now felt warm and it was fleece time again for the drop into the valley.

We,ve both done our  share of valley descents over the years but the long canter down Grisedale was an eye opener in every way.Scenically impressive with a long line of steep cliffs on one side and the rugged slopes of Fairfeild and St Sunday Crag on the other.If I,ve been down a more impressive and varied valley it was a long time ago.This is a Lodge used by the Outward Bound.Plenty of remote walks and climbs from here.This looks a good gully for a visit winter or summer.

A cracking day out.And it was only the start of our weekend.......

.................................................................to be continued.

Riccarton Hills Bathgate Hills.

Grangemouth day part two.Read post below first for it to make sense....or not.
 I know.The title has put you off already.The mere mention of Bathgate or Broxburn or certain areas in Scotland tend to put people off who know the location...or think they do.Why is that?You can go to so called remote areas up north and be standing in someone else,s waste droppings outside a bothy like I was a few months go.....But that's all right because its wilderness.Its a type of subliminal unintentional snobbery I suspect.You can have a fantastic day,s adventure here of a weekend  after a week,s hard graft in Hall,s pork pie factory in Uphall.And you will need some quality R and R after that.And stand on no ones ouput as you admire the view.This area is civilized This area has flush toilets.
This is a double post.On the same day a mere mile over the first high ridge from Grangemouth you enter a different land.Out of sight out of mind.Cliches are cliches for a reason....most of them ring true.Tellingly,you cant see Grangemouth from here.Its like the difference in the Wizard of Oz between the black and white drab brutality of Kansas farm life and the technicolour beauty of Dorothy,s new end of the rainbow,tornado utopia where her house lands.

Most people would think of this as beautiful landscape but I did notice that most of the animals and birds  spotted were placed here by man.They did not choose it for themselves.It is ordered.They are fenced in.This is a factory,just as much as Grangemouth.The difference is people find this landscape attractive.But we still use the end product in all sorts of ways.It is all a matter of perception.How we look at things.

It is an incredible place to wander or cycle through however.Up over the ridges towards Linlithgow I cycled leaving my little furry pals behind me, paws aloft trying to climb the wall.It was late afternoon.I,d timed it well as I love that look of low sun on grass where nature turns almost furry and alive.You can almost see Mother nature take a last  few inhales of warm breath then turn over before the long cold night of darkness ahead.

This is Linlithgow.The views around here are exceptional if you like ridge after ridge fading into the distance as I do.

.From here it was up past Riccarton then round to Long Mains.Seen side on like this Binny Craig looked much higher than its real height in the distance.

I love lush landscapes like these.You can sink into them like  pillows of happiness. And it was warm.Something of a novelty during this particular summer of 2011.
From here it was easier cycling past mid Tartraven and Cathlaw to Cairnpapple Hill,the highest point around.Another fantastic Bike/ hill climb is to Park At Beecraigs.The circuit of Wester Ochiltree,past Tarhill, up Binny Craig then round to the Winchburgh bings...Up them...then Cairnpapple hill. Then Up Cockleroy to finish.Its an outstanding bike and hill day.An unknown classic yet treasured by the few that,s completed it..
Hats off to them.(Mr Valley,Its a new area for you to bomb round on a bike.Plenty of hill climbs for a  young tiger like you.Lock your bike inside a field below each hill though)
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_050&PropName=Cairnpapple%20Hill

As a more distinguished flabby tiger I panted up the steep narrow road to the small car park under Cairnpapple then wandered up through a field to this Ancient Hilltop burial Ground.There was a bull in this field.Its a  fairly popular tourist walk up here  so I presumed it was a well behaved bull as I would have to pass it.

It was.Didn,t even look up.Mind you it had a whole field of cows to get round.It was probably tired out of an evening.

Its such a beautiful landscape here I could happily live in Bathgate,Broxburn,Grangemouth or Bo,ness as long as this was my playground.We don,t value certain areas enough.If this was England it would be an area of outstanding natural beauty and have thousands descending on it.Thank god then we don't and this is only going out to a few like minded people.
Its at its very best in harvest time.Glad I caught it this year as harvest was a short affair due to all the autumn rain.

Back to the car at Bo,ness.A knackered but happy peddle hound.Steak Pie supper Takeaway for dinner. Too exhausted to cook or even get out a plate.No wonder that poor bull didn't move much!