Tuesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

top 08
November 2011
Walk

Into the cloud and onto Castlelaw Hill

Length

6 miles

Dogs on walk

Archie, Finlay, Gina, Jerry, Merryn, Solo, Tim

After yesterdays bright sunshine bringing a warm glow to the colours of autumn, today can only be described as a truly dreich day. Low thick cloud laden with moisture smothered the hills like a cold, wet, flannel. And we were heading into it. From Bonaly we began the slow slog up through the trees and onto the moor leading to the high Bonaly Reservoir. With the climb beginning right from the car park there was no time to build ourselves into it. Merryn looked at me as though I was mad and then dawdled up the climb. Had she overdone it yesterday? Let us hope not as she has several more days to go. Much quieter today she kept out the fun that was happening around both her and me from the others coming in and out of the misty cloud. Figures of the dogs would arise and then fall as the cloud thickened and thinned and as the dogs raced about. Three people appeared to come from nowhere and the dogs were around them before I had even seen them properly. Solo ran on ahead to take a dip in the reservoir, even though we were not going there just yet. Archie instead chose a muddy burn as his choice rather than the clean water.

Leaving the moor and the reservoir we began to climb further into the hills and into even less visibility. Patches of reeds looking like people hiking off the path. Clumps of grass like flocks of sheep. It did not deter the dogs from their fun with Gina and Jerry continuing their friendship of last week. When they were allowed to because Archie and Tim quite often broke it all up for a bigger chase. Finlay trying to keep out the way at the front, like a ghostly apparition in the clouds, could not stay out of it all and got bumped and barged by the others as they dashed around. Merryn definitely staying quiet today often set off to make her own path in the wrong direction having to race back to join us. Solo knowing the way despite the unnerving ability of the cloud and mist to change the landscape kept us on the right track. The only real landmarks which we could make out were the gates through which we passed or stiles to be climbed. The dogs using the lift up dog gates at the side. Still we found our way to the top of Castlelaw Hill and were surprised to find the red flag flying. Indicating that the firing range on the other side was in use. Surely not today. They would never find their target. The lack of noise suggested that indeed it was not in action. We picked our way off the far side of the hill and back down onto the good track taking us back in the direction we had come. Even a climb over Capelaw Hill did not reveal any of the fantastic views that can be had along here. Finlay did, however, spot some sheep well before I did. It was his standing and staring which was the only thing that alerted me to them. He came straight back when called and the sheep vanished back into the cloud. The small grassy and muddy path off Capelaw Hill was enough to see Archie, Gina, Jerry and Tim having another wild chase. Merryn was now right with me to avoid getting lost on the track for the umpteenth time. We dropped back to the reservoir where Finlay and Tim were the first to swim and then Archie and Solo both tried to have control of the same stick. Both swimming further out into the deep blue, reflectionless water, trying to hide under its veil of cloud. But below here the cloud had lifted somewhat. Our final journey back across the moor was relatively clear. The tops of the trees now visible as we walked through the small wood of tall Scots Pine trees back to the car.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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