Castle Semple Loch. RSPB Reserve. Lochwinnoch. A New Waterworld.

                                                 ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.

This is a combination of two trips to the Castle Semple Water Park near Lochwinnoch. Renfrewshire has an abundance of hollows within its rolling folds of landscape and three separate lochs can be found here. Also around a dozen other lochs, reservoirs and ponds can be discovered in this area. It used to be fairly quiet and unknown but like everyplace else these days it was busy, especially as it was a summer Saturday on our first visit here recently. We being hillwalking friend Alan and I. ( I did notice on one visit to this blog AI had Alex and I down as a popular couple, due to the title. Obviously I'm not gay, never have been, and it was only because we started the blog together as hillwalking club members back then, fed up with rain every weekend, that we thought of the title. AI is not infallible... yet... but more on that later.  

Although we've both been to Castle Semple Water park over many decades, separately and together ( Damn! that sentence could be misconstrued as well!) neither of us had wandered around Lochwinnoch itself much preferring the countryside walks beyond the village. Local sports centre here.

I also used to come here for solo cycling on the network of quiet minor roads crisscrossing this area. Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, and Inverclyde form a large district of rolling green hills, usually under 1000 feet, but very scenic. Even these minor roads are busier than they used to be 10 to 20 years ago but luckily car parks are few and far between.

Lochwinnoch sports grounds. Fortunately, we got one of the few remaining places, on that Saturday morning. As we'd done all the countryside walks here loads of times Alan suggested exploring the village, just out of curiosity.

Local church at Lochwinnoch.

Main shopping street.

Honey bee on musk mallow.

Painted Lady butterfly.

As it was the height of summer window boxes, street baskets, and the community garden had a range of different flowers... so seen at its best. Petunia here.

Courgette or winter squash flower. AI speculation as it was too early to see the growing veg yet.

White lacecap hydrangea.

Summer marigolds.

Ornate carved bench. It was while we were walking back to the car I noticed people out on Castle Semple Loch but not on paddle boards and boats. This should not happen normally in this familiar view so it didn't take us long to realise that a new boardwalk had been constructed across the thin ribbon of land, a crescent shape. So a brand new walk....

The next week had us parking in the correct location. A Friday morning this time. The RSPB nature reserve at Lochwinnoch, beside the train station. This car park was full so we parked nearby. We were soon at a hide in the bird reserve. Although I like taking photos of anything I'm not a dedicated birdwatcher. If birds are encountered on a walk I'll try to photograph them... and anything else interesting but I don't go out of my way to visit special reserves like this one.

AI informed me this was northern lapwings. Granted they are a good distance away but I suspected they were moorhens going by the white wing markings

 This is an adult caddisfly. AI got it right. It is a great tool but not always correct... at the moment. It will get better... surpassing humanity very quickly in the near future.

 A bunch of ducks. AI said Northern Lapwings again but I know they are ducks, just not which species. I did see lapwings later.( the middle one with the white stomach might be a lapwing.)

What we were here to see however was the new boardwalk... and we were not disappointed. This is the start and it runs for a considerable distance across Castle Semple Loch on a thin ribbon of dry land to the old castle and beyond. It may eventually complete a full circular walk across the loch on this ribbon of dry land but at the moment you have to return the same way to the bird reserve car park. If parking a car here and not a member there is a small fee paid as usual via a machine with credit card or smart phone presumably. For walkers arriving without a car it's free access. You can walk it on good scenic paths from Lochwinnoch Castle Semple Water Park but we'd done enough already on that previous village trip.

It is the best boardwalk I've been on in Scotland with water and swamps on both sides.

And great scenic views.

Not a lot of bird life on this occasion but that didn't matter to us on such a lovely day.

The ruined small castle. This was built by the landowner with canon installed to control the loch and who used it with rival landowners back then jealously guarding their property and all the resources within it.

This photo gives you a real feel of it. Dogs are allowed here as long as well behaved and under control at all times.

Looking across at Castle Semple and the Lochwinnoch Water Park car park from the boardwalk.

A true water world... without getting wet.

We were both very impressed by it. Separately.

Knapps Loch and Glen Moss. Kilmacolm.

                                                 ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.

As a murky day was predicted for this walk... frequent showers over the higher ground, drier at lower levels, thick grey cloud cover... we, Alan and I, decided on an old favourite. The circuit of Knapps Loch and Glen Moss. Parking in the large layby beside Knapps Loch we started out on familiar ground. One thing about nature though is that it will always surprise you, especially in summer.

A large flock of Canada Geese sat on the loch this time around.

Then I noticed beside a stream ... a tiny common frog. Sitting beside a bird dropping unfortunately. No way to remove the bird dropping, if that's what it was, without chasing the frog away.

Tadpoles in a pool. A mysterious world fascinating as a child yet equally fascinating as an adult with a much deeper understanding of the natural world surrounding us. The Mandelbrot set and many others, seen throughout nature and classical architecture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandelbrot_set

Even on a circuit of the loch as familiar as this one was to us we managed to stumble onto a different route. You can go round the loch itself on a grass path easily enough but this time, at the far end of the loch we found this wood with a path running through it. Seen below.

A path that took us away from the local dog walkers and onto 'the road less travelled.'

Down into a dip/hollow then up the other side to one of the small hills in the area for a viewpoint.

Good views over the surrounding scenery on the Renfrewshire/ Inverclyde borderlands.

On top of this hill we had a few spots of rain but still dry enough for a seat up here to admire this 'greenhill country.' An early lunch break... and a brief rest.

And no lunch break in lush grasslands in summer countryside would be complete without a cleg or two. One on my rucksack here. This is a notch horned cleg or horsefly. If I'd known it was going to land here I'd have brushed my rucksack first to get rid of the grass/ hay.

As fly species go it is a handsome wee critter, almost camouflage markings. Which is apt given that the females have a nasty bite, a bigger more powerful version of Scottish midges. 

Looking back towards the Renfrewshire ridgelands. We however headed cross country towards Kirkton Farm to pick up the minor yellow road (OS Landranger map 63 Firth of Clyde) which would take us to Glen Moss, a nature reserve.

This is it here. A view from the bird watching platform.

Before that however we spotted these harebells...

and this Yarrow.

And Alan spotted these tiny flies on a wooden post. Each fly keeping its own personal space around it. Nature does follow precise mathematical rules. Without knowing it is doing it, of course... even humans. As in any stranger getting too close to you.... instinctively you back off, uncomfortable, until that space is wider again. Same here, apparently, with tiny creatures.

The way back led us through Kilmacolm, one of my favourite places- an upmarket village with the original village centre still intact but surrounded by a hinterland of large detached houses and beautiful gardens. Took this as I didn't recognize this flowering tree. It's a Manna Ash.

and later on... a blue lacecap hydrangea.... I had seen these before in gardens but never looked it up. Slightly different from the normal hydrangea.

Parasol type fungi. Amanita family maybe.

Bracket fungi. A fairy cup. A pool of fresh rainwater inside.

Kilmacolm village view. The local shops.

Kilmacolm church.

back in our respective houses I had a further treat... for myself. Funnily enough the only thing I didn't like here was the mango mousse. Although I like the actual fruit this was just too sweet and creamy for me. The chicken skewers were amazing though, especially the roasted tomato and balsamic dip. Very moreish. Which is why its empty... once I tasted it in the car ......I was gone.... and so was it :o). And believe it or not I had never tasted broccoli before... but now I am hooked on the sweet stem variety as seen here. So even on a tight budget you can still have fun.

that evening the sun made an appearance. And so did a harlequin lady bird, climbing up my deck chair in the garden to stare at me eyeball to eyeball. Tiny things can leave a big impression. This nips as well if it feels threatened. They call them Ladybugs in the USA. Not a bird or a bug as its very obviously a small beetle.

And I'm working my way around the Viking countries current singer songwriters at the moment....new music, to me at least.  This was a huge dance club hit years ago but I'd never heard it until recently. It's good and an excellent colour filled spectacular video. Under 3 minutes long.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2kcwa1