Blog :: Geograph Ireland

Blog Entries by Geograph Users

The Braes Loan Trail

1 months ago

You can see this trip plotted on a map on the Geo-trips page Link The Braes Loan Trail incorporates several historic elements going back to the 12th century and beyond. Part of the trail is believed to be an old pilgrim's route which used to pass through Markinch and along which Edward I led his invading army into the village in 1296. The trail also makes use of old cattle routes used to drive cattle to and from grazing at 'The Mires', a once-boggy area...

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Ilkley to Eastby

3 months ago

Starting from the Old Packhorse Bridge in Ilkley, which coincides with the eastern end of the Dales Way proper. The route basically follows pastures beside or close to the River Wharfe to reach the village of Addingham. Once passed a caravan site, the long distance path follows pastures through wonderful scenery dominated by Beamsley Beacon to the east. On reaching the B6160 a path has been created in fields parallel to the road, to keep walkers safe from speeding traffic. After Bolton...

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Strath Halladale

3 months ago

You can see this trip plotted on a map on the Geo-trips page Link .

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One last look at the cooling towers

7 months ago

I was in Ironbridge back in the summer and whilst visiting some of the museums I took a couple of photographs of the cooling towers of the Ironbridge Power Station which ceased generating electricity in 2015. Knowing the towers were to be demolished during the coming winter I thought it would be good to return when the leaves have fallen thus hopefully getting a better view of them. I’ve been thinking over visiting in recent weeks but the dull and very wet weather of November had put me...

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Circular walk by the River Beauly from Black Bridge

8 months ago

A circular walk beside the River Beauly above Lovat Bridge used to be possible by parking a car near Lovat Bridge at the entrance to the estate. The Laird has now closed the logical car parking area, and the walk now is best made by parking at Black Bridge. The full circle is over 9 km if one extends the route into the woodland that adjoins the Balblair Quarry. In fact the best part of the walk is the section in Balblair Wood. The route along the river is very quiet. I have been in the...

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Day Return to Kyle of Lochalsh from Dingwall

17 months ago

The railway line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is famed for its beauty. Together with the more publicised “Harry Potter” line that includes the Glenfinnon viaduct on its way from Fort William to Mallaig, and the wilderness route to Fort William over Rannoch Moor, the majority of the passengers who use the lines are tourists out for the ride and experience. Each year my wife and I plan a winter journey from the Inverness area on one of the North Highland lines. The choice is...

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Scottish Hill Track 303 part 1 Glen Torridon to Coire Mhic Fhearchair

22 months ago

Scotways Hill Track 303 takes the popular walk from Glen Torridon between Beinn Eighe and Liathach as far as a col and then heads up behind Beinn Eighe before crossing trackless country to join a path along Glen Grudie that reaches Loch Maree at Bridge of Grudie. The 14 km walk is described in detail in the Scotways book, Scottish Hill Tracks. The first half of the walk is on excellent paths and a small spur takes you into Coire Mhic Fhearchair. Many take this route there and back to...

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Scottish Hill Track 329, Strathrory to Dalnaclach circular walk

24 months ago

Each year a walks programme is organised for members of Scotways - the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society. Besides being a social activity and led by a local member, the opportunity is taken to check up on the signage and the state of a Hill Track and exploring whether any maintenance is required. Scottish Hill Track 320 is a 7 km linear link from Strathrory to Dalnaclach. The opportunity was taken to create a circular walk starting from the Forestry Commission’s Aldie Burn car...

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Scotways Hill Track 315, Dingwall to Strathpeffer and Garve

25 months ago

Scottish Hill Track 315 is 20 km long and connects Dingwall and Garve, which are just one station apart on the Highland Line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. The route can be broken into two, a Dingwall to Strathpeffer section and then Strathpeffer to Garve. In fact I had walked much of route 315 when on shorter circular walks, but had always thought the route as a simple linear walk would be rewarding. Studying the summer rail timetable it became evident that trains were better...

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Beinn Eighe Reserve Mountain Trail

25 months ago

The Beinn Eighe Reserve provides two trails. A short woodland trail and a far longer mountain trail. The woodland trail is around 7 km and can take four hours because of the steep terrain. According to others: The Mountain Trail is a fabulous trail to explore the hills of Beinn Eighe. This loop trail takes you up through ancient woodland, rugged grasslands and heath, to the beautiful heights of the mountain terraces. This is a memorable walk, with breathtaking views over the surrounding...

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The circuit of Loch Affric

25 months ago

The walk around Loch Affric passes through Scots Pine woodland and open moorland with fine views of the neighbouring mountains and Loch Affric. Glen Affric is considered one of Scotland's finest glens and in reaching the River Affric car park at the end of the public road to start the walk you will have passed through delightful woodland and loch scenery. The circuit of Loch Affric is around 18 km and taken leisurely in good weather could take 7 hours. According to Wikipedia Loch...

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Scottish Hill Track 230 The General Wade Military Road over Slochd

26 months ago

Slochd Military Road Start location: Raigbeg (NH 811 291)  End location: Layby on A95 near Carrbridge turn off, (NH 913 187)   Path distance: 19.7 km The Old Military Road between Dunkeld and Inverness was built between 1728 and 1730 under the auspices of General Wade. Much of it now lies under the A9, but a few sections* such as the stretch over the Slochd take a different alignment and can still be followed. The Slochd Mor is a narrow pass, hence this strategic gap...

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A walk on the site of the Battle of Worcester

26 months ago

The Battle of Worcester Worcester played an important role in the English Civil War for it was here that the first and last fighting of the war took place. The first battle was at Edgehill in Warwickshire on 23 October 1642, however, exactly one month early on 23 September the first action of the war took place at Powick Bridge just two miles from the city of Worcester. This was a skirmish rather than a battle, when the Royalist cavalry under Prince Rupert pushed back the Parliamentary...

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A walk on the Brockhampton Estate

28 months ago

(Approx. 5 miles) The National Trust owned Brockhampton Estate includes 1700 acres of mixed woodland and open parkland, working farms, orchards and a picturesque medieval timber-framed moated manor house. There are a number of waymarked suggested walks around the estate ranging from 1½ miles to 3¾. This walk embraces parts of three waymarked routes, the Carriage Ride, Parkland Walk and Orchard Walk, thus as the different titles suggest the walk offers variety. The walk passes through a...

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A short walk into the depths of the Monadh Mor Bog Forest

33 months ago

Monadh Mòr makes a good destination for a walk on a sunny day, because you can enjoy the sunshine between the rather widely scattered trees. And some trees are barely alive! A walk into the untamed SSSI gives you a challenge. To penetrate as far as you can into the boggy areas but still be able to extricate yourself and your wellington boots when you go further than you really should. Indeed I am not the only Geographer who has had to retrace purely on the evidence of a GPS track showing...

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Public footpath from Sydenham across Thame Park

34 months ago

Footpath, stiles and bridges in Thame Park are well maintained, giving a pleasant walk through open parkland grazed by sheep. In August 2017 a small section of the official route near Manor Farm, Sydenham, was overgrown but there was an easy bypass on tracks. Access at the Thame end is onto a busy B-road with no pavement. You can see this trip plotted on a map on the Geo-trips page Link .

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A figure of eight walk around Butterleigh

34 months ago

A sort of figure of eight walk between Bickleigh and Butterleigh, using minor roads, green lanes and footpaths. This follows the Burn valley for some of the route You can see this trip plotted on a map on the Geo-trips page Link .

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Changing coastline. A circuit of Whiteness Head

35 months ago

My wife was committed to demonstrate spinning at the Nairn Show for four hours so I set about finding a local walk to fill the available time. Quite a low tide was scheduled for 1115 in the morning so I decided to walk the coastline of Whiteness Point. The plan was to walk outward by the sand and to return by the track that runs down the middle part of the spit. A good walk for the dog, especially with one minor detour to visit a "square" just off the direct route. The interest in the...

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Jubilee Path up Cnoc Fyrish

37 months ago

Cnoc Fyrish provides a fine viewpoint of the Cromarty Firth and the marine activity in its waters. A folly graces the summit of the hill. The Fyrish Monument is a monument built in 1782 on the orders of Sir Hector Munro, 8th of Novar, a native lord of the area who had served in India as a general. As the local population were being cleared off their land, employment was a problem and so it was built to give the locals some work. It was said that Sir Hector rolled stones from the top of...

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The walk up Am Faochagach from the west end of Loch Glascarnoch

37 months ago

One route up Am Faochagach requires the fording of a normally fast flowing Highland burn, and so the route is recommended only for times of drought. After a very dry Spring, May 2017 was a good time to attempt the route. The river crossing is rather daunting especially when the first person seen near the crossing point was above his knees in water. However there is a preferred crossing point marked by a small cairn on each bank. The east bank has the more distinguished feature to be...

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An hour in Drummondreach Oak Wood

38 months ago

This is a walk to dawdle over. Less than two miles and its downhill all the way from the furthest point. The walk lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its trees and woodland flora. Guided walks occur in late May organised by the Highland Council Rangers. The wood has both a Fort and a Hut Circle but both need a bit of finding. A helpful sign saying "Hut Circle" beside the one obvious path through the wood has disappeared. On this hour's walk the fort was not visited,...

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Visiting the lochans in the Monadh Mor bog-forest

38 months ago

The Monadh Mor Site of Special Scientific Interest is for the most part trackless. The SSSI contains the best example of bog-forest in the UK. The terrain is gently undulating - the ridges contain trees and the lower areas are swampy and in places contain sheets of water. Going back 150 years to the 25 inch to the mile maps shows that even when the inhabitants needed to use the bog for peat extraction there were no real paths that crossed the area. Over the years deer and other animals...

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A circuit of the Western Fannichs

38 months ago

This 12.5 mile walk takes in two Munros, Sgurr Breac and the higher A Chailleach. Route finding is straightforward and the only difficulty is descending the steep nose back to above Loch a Bhraoin when the ground is greasy. On a number of occasions the weather has been dry in the Fannichs when An Teallach has looked decidedly wet. There are good views to be had from this route. Some books recommend coming off A Chailleach by its northern ridge and descending beside Sron na Caibhre, but...

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Forest walk close to the Kyle Railway line summit of Raven Rock

38 months ago

This nine mile circular walk on forest tracks delves into the hills behind Strathpeffer. At its heart is a section beside the Inverness to Kyle railway line at Raven Rock, the high point between Dingwall and Garve, which even recently has posed a challenge to steam trains carrying rail enthusiasts on the Kyle line. The walk follows recognized tracks, except for the stretch by the railway line that follows a footpath which few people use, and for a few hundred metres of hillside on the...

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Walking the Black Water - Silver Bridge to Old Garve

38 months ago

This is a short and popular walk beside the Black Water, traversing a section between two old bridges allowing a circular walk using both banks of the river. The Black Water has some fine waterfalls in this stretch of the river while it crosses some interesting geology. A walk for any season, but probably at its best with ice beside the river or in the autumn. There is much to see and explore, especially the architecture of the bridges. Allow a minimum of 1 hour 30 to enjoy the 2.5 mile...

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