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The Dog Rambler E-diary

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September 2011
Walk

Climb over Allermuir then seeking shelter

Length

6.3 miles

Dogs on walk

Archie, Brooklyn, Cyrano, Dylan, Jolie, Phoebe, Solo

Cold, wet and windy. No, very windy. Particularly as we climbed higher into the Pentland Hills. Not a good choice as the weather closed firmly in on us, battening us down with its rain and wind. In addition to a poor choice of route The Dog Rambler also needs counting lessons. There were seven of us. A silly mistake that I only realised this morning as I did one final run through in my head of who was coming out. We fitted quite comfortably into the car and as they are all well known to each other there was no hassle. The only hassle was the weather. At first a little wet and blowy but as we progressed it became more aggressive and hostile. To begin with the sun did half break the clouds looking like a well poached egg, the white covering the pale yolk. It stayed with us until we had gone through Swanston and beyond the golf course and above the Highland Cows seeking shelter in the gore bushes. Perhaps that was a tell-tale sign. I may have seen the weather changing but the dogs were not in the least bothered. Rather it seemed to spur them on. Several hard fought chases erupted drawing Dylan and Solo into them. Phoebe at the centre most of the time with Brooklyn and Jolie not far behind. But Cyrano too in the middle of it all running with the rest and then Archie chasing off

with Brooklyn becoming firm friends. Even as the wind reached a fervour and the rain pierced us like hail the dogs rampaged over the soaked heather and dripping grass. We neared the summit of Allermuir but the wind had other ideas. It pushed and battered making me take several steps back. I could only guess that it was gusting at about eighty miles an hour. My head down against the painful rain, one eye closed at it whipped my left side; I could barely make out the dogs. But what I did see indicated that they were loving it. They raced off the far side cutting through the wind like fish through water. As we descended I changed our route and then I changed it again. First deciding not to go over Capelaw Hill and second not to then head around the left side of it as the wind scoured along it. We made for the less torrid right of the hill and our new plan to make for low ground. We did this by dropping down toward Bonaly. Not stopping at the reservoir despite the pleading looks of Archie and Cyrano. Our plan was working but the sheep had a similar plan. We had to very gingerly pick our way through a large field across which they had taken up residence. The dogs doing very well. Brooklyn a little edgy needed close control the others holding themselves well. But then a rabbit broke cover about twenty yards in front. Potential disaster. I stopped the dogs and hoped they had missed it. But as its white tail rose up and down jinking through the crumpled stalks of thistles Phoebe saw it. She bolted. I shouted. Dylan followed her. I shouted again. The sheep stampeded. For a second all looked lost. But my final, louder shout, carrying on the wind restored order. Two quite shamefaced dogs returning to the group. By now the camera was barely working and it will be interesting to see what photos may not be too hazy and obscured for todays slideshow. It was a great shame as the dogs had danced themselves almost to a standstill by the end of the walk. A wet bunch took over the car. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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Nick Fletcher The Dog Rambler 9 Links Street Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6JL

www.thedogrambler.com nick@thedogrambler.com t. 0131 665 8843 or 0781 551 6765

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