Kelly Cut and Leap Moor Walk.

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I've been offline for almost three weeks due to a tech fault on my line, no internet or phones, so I'm behind on my posts. This is a walk Alan and I did in September. It was a dull overcast day so I thought of Kelly Cut running from the Cornalees Bridge Centre car park to Wemyss Bay over Leap Moor. I've only walked this route once decades ago as I didn't find it very inspiring when I did it solo but it was new to Alan so we set off. The better known Cut Walk that runs above Greenock is a real 5 star classic for views. This walk is 2 out of 5 for me visually but it's all a matter of personal taste. 

The start of the walk is good though from Cornalees Centre dropping down into a sheltered little green gorge filled with the last of the flying insects before colder evenings killed them off until next spring/summer. You follow the waterfall stream downhill then transfer onto a long twisting narrow boardwalk which leads you across then up the other side of this boggy ravine. The day we were there it was blocked off but we jumped the barrier. I've done dozens of blocked off routes only to find minor rock falls, planks missing, or other minor hazards which are never a problem for us. They usually only block routes off because they are deemed unsafe for visitors and they don't want to be sued but as experienced hill-walkers it's usually easy to see what the problem is and avoid it safely and so it proved in this instance. A couple of guard rails missing and a few planks removed. So we walked on the grass instead.

Having recently walked the length of Glasgow's Argyle Street from Glasgow Cross to Anderston Train Station I can confirm that's far more dangerous than this. At least 30 electric food bikes and scooters zipping silently and speedily between the packed pedestrians, half a dozen white young homeless males lying sprawled across the pavement semi conscious, numerous road works, busy traffic and fast bike lanes everywhere. This blocked off walk was a complete doddle by comparison. Even in a hyper alert state I nearly got flattened twice in Central Glasgow which is far more hectic than it used to be and the main culprit is the new bike lanes and a massive increase in silent cyclists. Many cycling happily along while using or reading mobile phones. At some point they will have to be implanted inside humans as many can't seem to exist without looking at them constantly, even when cycling at speed. Put it this way. I would happily walk this blocked off route with a blindfold on. Would not like to do that in Argyle Street yet blind folk don't have a choice and London's floating bus stops, where you cross constantly busy bike lanes getting on and off buses are just completely mental. Even the blind presenter demonstrating them nearly got hit by a speeding cyclist and he had a sighted TV crew to warn him.

Purple heather in bloom and climbing out the other side of the ravine up to the Kelly Cut.

Looking back at where we started from.

Daff Reservoir. Mostly a moorland walk with a few small lochs on the way.

 Halfway marker. So six miles to Wemyss Bay then six back again. A long six miles....

Typical landscapes along the Kelly Cut.

A sheep bridge over the Kelly Cut which is a man made channel providing water power during the industrial revolution heyday but no longer used. The path follows it all the way. We only saw one other person all day on it so much quieter than the Greenock section.

Wood landscape in the Cornalees Centre.

Wood Owl.

A nice public bench somewhere else.

And a change of evening meal when I got back. All served cold with what was lying in my fridge that day.