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2024-03-29T01:24:31+00:00text/html2012-08-18T10:28:43+00:00Andy FarringtonThe Taking of the Final Four
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/152
The Machars literally “the Plains (of Galloway)" is a peninsula in Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. The word is derived from the Gaelic word Machair meaning low lying or level land, known as "links" on the east coast of Scotland. Although there are no high peaks in the Machars, it is not flat and would best be described as undulating or rolling. The North Atlantic Drift or Gulf Stream creates a mild climate in which plants normally associated with the Southern Hemisphere can thrive, and dolphins and basking sharks are frequently seen in the seas. <br />
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The Machars peninsula is roughly defined by a northern boundary stretching south of the A75 from Newton Stewart to Glenluce, the only other boundary being the sea. The 40-mile coastline has enormous variety, starting with the mud-flats of Wigtown on the east facing Wigtown Bay, down to the sandy beach at Rigg Bay in Garlieston. The coastline then rises to form dramatic cliffs as it passes the ruins of Cruggleton Castle, dropping a little at Portyerrock Bay and the Isle of Whithorn, and rising again at Burrow Head.<br />
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Past the southern tip of the peninsula, the shoreline leaves Wigtown Bay at Burrow Head and becomes part of Luce Bay. The cliffs continue as far as the beautiful sandy beach at Monreith and on past Port William. A combination of rocky shoreline, sandy beaches and cliffs continues as far as Auchenmalg and Stairhaven before the sandy dunes approaching Glenluce. <br />
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Two rivers cut through the peninsula, the River Bladnoch which rises at Loch Marberry and meets the sea just south of Wigtown, and one of its major tributaries the Tarf Water which meets the Bladnoch south of Kirkcowan. Another tributary of the Bladnoch is the large burn the Water of Malzie. which rises in the large expanses of peat bog near the Old Place of Mochrum before meeting the Bladnoch near Corzmalie.<br />
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The Machars is about 190 square miles in area covering 556 grid squares and after just over two years travelling and taking pictures for Geograph I have finally completed my last personal grid squares.<br />
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The last four grid squares were all around Craignarget Hill which took six hours to walk in torrential rain across waterlogged moors, 5-7 feet high bracken and dense forest starting and finishing at the coast by Craignarget House on the A747.<br />
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Garheugh<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3085876" target="_blank" title="NX2751 : Garheugh by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2751 : Garheugh by Andy Farrington" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/08/58/3085876_0963bb13_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2751 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2751" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2751">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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Moor to the east of Craignarget Hill<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3085992" target="_blank" title="NX2752 : Moor to the east of Craignarget Hill by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2752 : Moor to the east of Craignarget Hill by Andy Farrington" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/08/59/3085992_0d32951a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2752 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2752" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2752">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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Castle Loch<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3086605" target="_blank" title="NX2753 : Castle Loch by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2753 : Castle Loch by Andy Farrington" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/08/66/3086605_a9b9609b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="86" /></a> in NX2753 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2753" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2753">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> (and also my 10,000th picture on Geograph)<br />
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Track west of Craignarget Hill<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3086015" target="_blank" title="NX2652 : Track west of Craignarget Hill by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2652 : Track west of Craignarget Hill by Andy Farrington" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/08/60/3086015_b3f9158a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2652 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2652" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2652">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No firsts on this trip or hectads completed (they were all finished some time ago) but immense satisfaction on completing the Machars in all weathers by car, bike and foot over the last 2 years.<br />
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References<br />
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History of Whithorn and the Machars - <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.whithorn.com/history.htm" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.whithorn.com/history.htm">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
Machars on Wikipedia - <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machars" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machars">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
The Machars Archaeology Project - <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.aocarchaeology.com/machars/whithorn-the-machars/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.aocarchaeology.com/machars/whithorn-the-machars/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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text/html2012-07-14T11:16:03+00:00Andy FarringtonThe Taking of The Scares
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/142
In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Scares Islands as: ‘Scar - Big and Little, 2 rocks, in entrance to Luce Bay, Wigtownshire’.<br />
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The Scares or the Scare Rocks are rocky islets in Luce Bay off the coast of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland in NX23 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/maplarge.php?t=tolJ5ojXXJ0ojXJFojXXJfoOlbJqoMVXJL5405oXN8ulutZNbt88jX8" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/maplarge.php?t=tolJ5ojXXJ0ojXJFojXXJfoOlbJqoMVXJL5405oXN8ulutZNbt88jX8">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> although the pronunciation of the rocks varies according to which side of Luce Bay you were born on, I’ve heard Scares, Scars and Scarries. Made up of the Little and Big Scares, the largest unsurprisingly is Big Scare which is 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) south west of Port William and a similar distance east of the Mull of Galloway.<br />
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There is a small outlying rock to the west of Big Scare<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3034946" target="_blank" title="NX2533 : Outlying Rock by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2533 : Outlying Rock by Andy Farrington" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/49/3034946_06654bf3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <br />
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and three companion islets called the Little Scares are about 1 km to the north east.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035568" target="_blank" title="NX2634 : All of the Little Scares by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2634 : All of the Little Scares by Andy Farrington" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/55/3035568_995b19ac_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="89" /></a><br />
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The schooner Annie McLester was wrecked on Big Scare at an unknown date in the 19th century. On 27 January 1849 the 400 ton barque Archibald of Memel, was wrecked on the Little Scares. In September 1860 a small round-sterned four-oared boat, was picked up near to Big Scare. The parent vessel had presumably been lost in the vicinity although no record of this is known.<br />
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There is an MOD firing range in the area with brightly coloured floating targets deployed. The southern limit is marked by a yellow buoy 1.75 nmi SSE of The Scares and the buoys DZ1 to DZ6 mark the boundary of the range.<br />
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The islands are part of Luce Bay and Sands SAC and are leased to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. They have been described as an "inaccessible bird reserve" and provide nesting sites for more than 2,000 pairs of breeding Northern Gannets.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035165" target="_blank" title="NX2533 : Protecting the young by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2533 : Protecting the young by Andy Farrington" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/51/3035165_31261883_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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Hundreds of Guillemots and smaller numbers of Shags and Kittiwakes as well as Grey Seals can also be seen on and around both groups of rocks. Depending on the light, the rocks can appear to take the form of a grey or white structure courtesy of sea bird guano.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035017" target="_blank" title="NX2533 : Big Scare by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2533 : Big Scare by Andy Farrington" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/50/3035017_1bd70d53_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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The only way to get to the Scares is by boat and I am indebted to Murray and the Port William Lifeboat PIRSAC<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3029190" target="_blank" title="NX4354 : PIRSAC in action by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX4354 : PIRSAC in action by Andy Farrington" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/02/91/3029190_1d60cc4c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="93" /></a> <br />
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who allowed me to join them for a training exercise on Luce Bay which took in a visit to the Scares and a landing on Big Scare to inspect the bird population particularly the Gannet and Guillemot breeding sites.<br />
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The route to the Scares started from Port William Harbour<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3034263" target="_blank" title="NX3343 : Port William Lifeboat by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3343 : Port William Lifeboat by Andy Farrington" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/42/3034263_f9dbc171_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="98" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1977995" target="_blank" title="NX3343 : Port William Harbour by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3343 : Port William Harbour by Andy Farrington" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/97/79/1977995_271e95cc_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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then out to the Little Scares at NX2634 across NX2534 to the Big Scare at NX2533 returning through NX3142 to Port William.<br />
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Little Scares<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035330" target="_blank" title="NX2634 : Little Scares by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2634 : Little Scares by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/53/3035330_28c03dc5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2634 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2634" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2634">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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Between the Rocks <br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035591" target="_blank" title="NX2534 : Between the Rocks by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2534 : Between the Rocks by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/55/3035591_dbdfcca7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2534 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2534" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2534">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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Big Scare <br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3034920" target="_blank" title="NX2533 : Big Scare by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2533 : Big Scare by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/49/3034920_3f33e197_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2533 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2533" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2533">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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Danger Zone<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3035620" target="_blank" title="NX3142 : Danger Zone by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3142 : Danger Zone by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/03/56/3035620_7fbeec4b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3142 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3142" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3142">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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I am reminded that I have also joined the elite who have completed 100% of the firsts of a hectad with pictures taken on 11th July 2012 in NX23 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/maplarge.php?t=tolJ5ojXXJ0ojXJFojXXJfoOlbJqoMVXJL5405oXN8ulutZNbt88jX8," rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/maplarge.php?t=tolJ5ojXXJ0ojXJFojXXJfoOlbJqoMVXJL5405oXN8ulutZNbt88jX8,">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> although two firsts out of 100 isn't much to talk about, the journey there and back certainly is, and walking on Big Scare is a pretty unique experience among the folk of Galloway.<br />
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References<br />
Cruising around Luce Bay <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://iomcruising.info/luce_bay.htm" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://iomcruising.info/luce_bay.htm">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
Archaeological Notes and Evidence of Losses from CANMORE <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/101620/details/great+ouse+scares+luce+bay+solway+firth/?date=asc" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/101620/details/great+ouse+scares+luce+bay+solway+firth/?date=asc">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
WIKIPEDIA article on the Scares <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scares" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scares">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2011-05-21T12:18:13+00:00Andy Farrington54.714856293815 -4.5396987231675The Taking of Beyond the Point
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/59
Following on from The Taking of the Last of the Machars on the 8th May 2011 it became clear that additional land had been sighted (land ahoy!) on the improved mapping now used by Geograph resulting in two new additional grid squares being added to NX33 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.<br />
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NX3539 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3539" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3539">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and NX3638 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3638" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3638">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> to outward appearances look to be “all at sea” however closer inspection of OS 1:25000 mapping and satellite imagery shows that both squares do appear to have a smidgen of land on them, maybe only a footprint, but there is land there somewhere. <br />
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Both the grid squares are off the Point of Lag near Monreith and after a recce visit it became obvious that the only way to get into (and out of!) the grids was to wait until around the time of a full moon when the tide was at its lowest to have the best chance of taking pictures without using a waterproof camera, canoe or wet suit.<br />
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So .... off I trotted on the 20th May 2011 to bash the NX33 hectad <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> for the second and hopefully final time. The first low tide of the day was at 8.30am which was the time I arrived to start the challenge.<br />
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Beyond the Point of Lag - Front Bay <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2417517" target="_blank" title="NX3539 : Beyond the Point of Lag - Front Bay by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3539 : Beyond the Point of Lag - Front Bay by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/41/75/2417517_0b70c458_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="87" /></a> in NX3539 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3539" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3539">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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This spur of land is north of the Point of Lag and west of Front Bay at Monreith and it can only be accessed at low tide for a few hours. Getting here to bag this first took ½ hour to cross 500 yards of slippery rocks and seaweed. It was a truly treacherous journey akin to walking on moving ice. <br />
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Beyond the Point of Lag - Back Bay <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2417761" target="_blank" title="NX3638 : Beyond the Point of Lag - Back Bay by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3638 : Beyond the Point of Lag - Back Bay by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/41/77/2417761_5b483328_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3638 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3638" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3638">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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This area of land is south of the Point of Lag in Back Bay at Monreith and like Front Bay can only be accessed at low tide for a few hours. Getting to this grid took over ½ hour to cross 600 yards of rocks, seaweed and rock pools. It was a really difficult journey moving across the slippery terrain like a drunken spider to bag this first. The only way to get pictures in the grid square was to balance on one of the last rocks still above the tide.<br />
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So all being well as they say, bagging these two newly discovered grid squares means that NX33 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and The Machars <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.whithorn.com/history.htm" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.whithorn.com/history.htm">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machars" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machars">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> is bashed at last. <br />
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Onwards and upwards to the bogs and hills for the next green 'un!<br />
text/html2011-08-14T20:17:37+00:00Andy Farrington54.786882887834 -4.9331104849027The Taking of Coast to Coast
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/75
At the beginning of 2011 I set myself the task of bagging one new hectad every month however after a few weeks break I had to play a bit of a catch up and went for two in one day on the opposite coasts of The Rhins of Galloway.<br />
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After giving up on waiting for the weather to improve I headed off on the 11th August 2011 to tackle <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX05">NX05</a> and <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX14">NX14</a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX05">NX05</a> by my count had 4 green ’uns left to bag to finish the hectad so I drove over to the Rhins parked up and hopped on the mountain bike at Kildonnan to take a shot of:- <br />
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Kildonnan Farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2548458" target="_blank" title="NX0551 : Kildonnan by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0551 : Kildonnan by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/54/84/2548458_98b1e7f3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0551">NX0551</a> to bag the first grid square.<br />
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Next port of call was to drive down to the Port o’ Spittal Farm to start my walk on the west coast of the Rhins south of Portpatrick. The first of three grids was a shot of the farm:-<br />
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Port o’ Spittal <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2548715" target="_blank" title="NX0351 : Port 'O Spittal by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0351 : Port 'O Spittal by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/54/87/2548715_1bdda551_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="93" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0351">NX0351</a><br />
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Next a walk over fields to take picture of:- <br />
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Finlock Bay <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2548555" target="_blank" title="NX0251 : Finlock Bay by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0251 : Finlock Bay by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/54/85/2548555_087db2a6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0251">NX0251</a><br />
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And finally a walk along the top of the cliffs to bag:-<br />
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North Keys Hole <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2548735" target="_blank" title="NX0250 : North Keys Hole by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0250 : North Keys Hole by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/54/87/2548735_e9faf540_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0250">NX0250</a><br />
<br />
which completed the <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX05">NX05</a> hectad<br />
<br />
After a long walk back to my vehicle parked at Port o’ Spittal Farm I was on the road again to cross over the Rhins peninsula to get to Drumantrae Bay to bash the <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX14">NX14</a> hectad on the east coast of the Rhins of Galloway by Luce Bay.<br />
<br />
A bit of advance work on the hectad in 2010 with a picture taken at:-<br />
<br />
Balgowan Point <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2044979" target="_blank" title="NX1243 : Balgowan by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX1243 : Balgowan by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/04/49/2044979_f4e207aa_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX1243">NX1243</a> <br />
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meant that only one grid square remained green in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX14">NX14</a> at <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX1147">NX1147</a> which could only be accessed at a summer low tide.<br />
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Fortunately I was able to get across the peninsula in time to see the tide out and take my shot of:-<br />
<br />
the North of Drumantrae Bay <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2548744" target="_blank" title="NX1147 : North of Drumantrae Bay by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX1147 : North of Drumantrae Bay by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/54/87/2548744_5ce188bd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="87" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX1147">NX1147</a><br />
<br />
concluding a coast to coast Geograph and two hectads bashed. All in all a good day out!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
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text/html2012-05-18T14:28:32+00:00Andy Farrington55.000739134582 -5.0112648433763The Taking of Dulslouch and Laight Moor
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/127
The last two green squares in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX07">NX07</a> were either side of Loch Ryan so a planned assault started with the capture of <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0073">NX0073</a> on the North Rhins Coast. The journey to bag this square began as part of a longer walk during the Newton Stewart Walking Festival between Cairnside and Kirkcolm <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/7063" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/7063">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and ended at Dulslouch with a shot of the North Rhins Coastline to Corsewall Point.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2942468" target="_blank" title="NX0073 : Dulslouch by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0073 : Dulslouch by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/24/2942468_08813dcc_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0073">NX0073</a><br />
<br />
The last green square in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX07">NX07</a> was on the other side of Loch Ryan to the east, so four days later I took myself off to Little Laight Hill above Loch Ryan to walk across the moors and forest to get <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0771">NX0771</a> on Laight Moor.<br />
<br />
This journey was a bit trickier and started at the Taxing Stane <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2948680" target="_blank" title="NX0670 : Laight-Alpyn - The Taxing Stone by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0670 : Laight-Alpyn - The Taxing Stone by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/86/2948680_a4862134_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0670">NX0670</a>; <br />
<br />
followed a farm track across the moors to the edge of the forest <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2948255" target="_blank" title="NX0671 : Woodland Fence by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0671 : Woodland Fence by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/82/2948255_3fac10df_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0671">NX0671</a>;<br />
<br />
through a farm gate <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2948259" target="_blank" title="NX0671 : Boundary Gate by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0671 : Boundary Gate by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/82/2948259_44e15ae9_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <br />
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and along the line of a stane wall <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2949013" target="_blank" title="NX0670 : Source of Polymodie Burn by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0670 : Source of Polymodie Burn by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/90/2949013_5400d4c6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2948326" target="_blank" title="NX0671 : Drainage Channel by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0671 : Drainage Channel by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/83/2948326_85ac6dd1_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> that bordered the forest, <br />
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and finally to a small triangle of moorland to the south of the wood at Laight Moor and a picture of the forest<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2947574" target="_blank" title="NX0771 : Laight Moor by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0771 : Laight Moor by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/75/2947574_17fe2f23_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0771">NX0771</a><br />
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Two green’uns in four days with Loch Ryan in the middle to finish <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX07">NX07</a>. I couldn’t complete this report without doffing my cap to my fellow Geographers who did much more leg work than I to complete this hectad, so hats off and well done also to Billy McCrorie <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/22650" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/22650">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and Mary and Angus Hogg <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/7257" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/7257">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> <br />
text/html2012-05-15T18:18:09+00:00Andy FarringtonThe Re-Taking of NX34 with the Old Place of Monreith
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/126
NX34 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> was initially completed on the 5th July 2010 by RH Dengate <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/14794" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/14794">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> with a picture taken of<br />
<br />
The Farm lane south of Barwinnock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1947728" target="_blank" title="NX3842 : Farm lane south of Barwinnock by RH Dengate"><img alt="NX3842 : Farm lane south of Barwinnock by RH Dengate" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/94/77/1947728_9c464422_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
<br />
My planned journey on the 23rd April 2012 to the area therefore, was to complete another personal square in the Machars and bag the inevitable 2nd Geograph. Getting back home and checking my pictures and GPS it became clear that the first awarded to complete the hectad was taken out of grid as was another shot taken on the same day from the same position. Promotion to 1st came after raising a ticket and thanks to Grandturzel for reminding me that this shot of: <br />
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The Footpath to the Old Place of Monreith <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2912634" target="_blank" title="NX3842 : Footpath to the Old Place of Monreith by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3842 : Footpath to the Old Place of Monreith by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/91/26/2912634_f0f8f056_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> in NX3842 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3842" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3842">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> also bashed the NX34 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> hectad again.text/html2011-02-16T22:42:24+00:00Andy Farrington54.8824053084 -4.6905622569132The Taking of Knock Moss 1 to 8
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/33
This picture of Knock Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268773" target="_blank" title="NX2757 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2757 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/87/2268773_3374c7ca_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> was taken in the last grid square at the end of a 7 hour walk to bag a total of 8 grid squares around Knock Moss and bash the NX25 hectad.<br />
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A plan (kept secret of course from fellow bashers) to capture NX25 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX25" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX25">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> started in September 2010 with the bagging of:<br />
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Black Cairn <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2089790" target="_blank" title="NX2452 : Black Cairn by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2452 : Black Cairn by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/08/97/2089790_6d136d02_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX4252 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2452" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2452">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - A 2km MTB ride and walk uphill from the A747 on the coast at Auchenmalg past Gillespie Farm to the top of Black Cairn at 93 metres.<br />
<br />
<br />
Then in January 2011, The Shore near Castle Sinniness <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2250325" target="_blank" title="NX2052 : Shore near Castle Sinniness by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2052 : Shore near Castle Sinniness by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/03/2250325_bc2d995c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="81" /></a> in NX2052 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2052" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2052">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - A bit of a tricky walk along the Stairhaven to Auchenmalg Coastal Path and a climb down a 50m cliff to get to the shoreline ... all because ... the shore couldn't be accessed even at low tide without getting seriously wet.<br />
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Which then left eight firsts remaining to complete the hectad. So ... fearful of the advancing Geographers desperate to find some green squares in South West Scotland, the whole trip was done in one day.<br />
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The start point was Annabaglish Farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2272167" target="_blank" title="NX2957 : Drumcagerie by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2957 : Drumcagerie by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/21/2272167_92dee4b0_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2958 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2958" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2958">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.<br />
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No 1 - Barsoles <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268541" target="_blank" title="NX2857 : Barsoles by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2857 : Barsoles by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/85/2268541_6b2b2877_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2857 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2857" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2857">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 2 - Annabaglish Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268569" target="_blank" title="NX2856 : Annabaglish Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2856 : Annabaglish Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/85/2268569_7a0b6836_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2856 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2856" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2856">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 3 - Cairn on the Moor <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268591" target="_blank" title="NX2756 : Cairn on the Moor by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2756 : Cairn on the Moor by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/85/2268591_3cb2a6a2_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2756 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2756" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2756">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 4 - Dirnean Fell <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268629" target="_blank" title="NX2457 : Dirnean Fell by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2457 : Dirnean Fell by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/86/2268629_e99c7bc1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2457 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2457" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2457">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 5 - Cairn on Dirnean Fell <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268656" target="_blank" title="NX2557 : Cairn on Dirnean Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2557 : Cairn on Dirnean Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/86/2268656_84d31581_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2557 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2557" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2557">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 6 - Knock Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268696" target="_blank" title="NX2657 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2657 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/86/2268696_5695a08e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2657 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2657" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2657">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 7 - Derskelpin Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268732" target="_blank" title="NX2758 : Derskelpin Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2758 : Derskelpin Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/87/2268732_a3899ed7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2758 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2758" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2758">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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No 8 - Knock Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268773" target="_blank" title="NX2757 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2757 : Knock Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/87/2268773_3374c7ca_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX2757 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2757" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX2757">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
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finishing again at Annabaglish Farm eight hours later <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2272150" target="_blank" title="NX2958 : Annabaglish Farm by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX2958 : Annabaglish Farm by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/21/2272150_fa60ad02_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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The journey to get from the first to the eighth grid square for firsts took just over six hours, walking a more or less circular route around Knock Moss crossing over moors and hills and snapping several additional grids on the way. Heavy overnight rain made the walking difficult and treacherous at times with small burns in full spate.<br />
<br />
My two walking partners and I crossed dozens of flooded burns and creeks, tore clothing on barbed fences and fell into a couple of burns for good measure (although I think it was the same one, Lannygore Burn, twice!). Not so much moor walking as bog trotting. The name Annabaglish, which was one of the forests we walked around, means "the path across the bog" and we now understand why.<br />
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It was a long hard slog to get around the eight grid squares but we did it and left the moors in the dark with happy faces, knowing that we had bashed the NX25 hectad <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX25" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX25">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> which has taken five and a half years to Geograph fully.<br />
<br />
Credit for this achievement also goes to Brian and Billy, two experienced mountain climbers and hill walkers who accompanied me on this bog trot across the moors, without whom the trip would have been very lonely, I'd probably of got lost and I'd still be out there now!<br />
text/html2011-05-01T22:52:51+00:00Andy Farrington54.867801355847 -4.5337238933038The Re-Taking of NX35 with Wood Hill
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/52
Although I claimed the bashing of NX35 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX35" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX35">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> in January this year, when I checked the grid squares, one of them had been completed in the early days of Geograph (2005) and a first agreed for a shot of Wood Hill in NX3755 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3755" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3755">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> (Subject) taken from the Torhouse Stones in NX3856 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3856" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3856">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> (Photographer) which I raised as a query.<br />
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Lo and behold it became green again so off I trotted on the 7th March to bag this square to keep NX35 bashed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2297894" target="_blank" title="NX3755 : Wood Hill by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3755 : Wood Hill by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/29/78/2297894_555df870_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="104" /></a>text/html2011-05-11T16:53:58+00:00Andy Farrington54.706202530098 -4.5236335512868The Taking of the Last of the Machars
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/56
The Machars also known as the Plains of Galloway is a peninsula in South West Scotland roughly extending from Glenluce in the west to Newton Stewart in the east and all points south of the A75 to the Isle of Whithorn.<br />
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The word is derived from the Gaelic word Machair meaning low lying or level land. Although there are no high peaks in the Machars, it is not flat and would best be described as undulating or rolling. The North Atlantic Drift or Gulf Stream creates a mild climate in which plants normally associated with the Southern Hemisphere can thrive, and dolphins and basking sharks are frequently seen in the seas.<br />
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The area is a treasure-trove to study for historians of every period, from pre-history stones to major historical features of the last century. Chambered cairns, cup and ring stones, stone circles and individual standing stones dot the unspoilt landscape. There are Iron Age forts, crannog sites, ancient wells, early Christian sites, medieval castle and church sites, with the remaining evidences of early harbours, roads, causeways and bridges that connected this area to the wider world.<br />
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After moving to the Machars in 2009 and joining Geograph in April 2010 I have slowly but surely been working my way around the area and whilst I have not covered every grid square yet, I have chipped away at all the green squares until there were only two remaining NX3936 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3936" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3936">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and NX3737 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3737" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3737">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> to complete the NX33 hectad <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and finish off the Machars as a land area.<br />
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After several days waiting for an improvement in weather conditions (cliffs and shores need treating carefully) I finally set off on Sunday 8th May 2011 to bag the last two grids, the Cliffs at Laggan Camp and Lochanscadden (Herring Pool) plus several others on route.<br />
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Cliffs near Laggan Camp <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2399538" target="_blank" title="NX3936 : Cliffs near Laggan Camp by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3936 : Cliffs near Laggan Camp by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/95/2399538_fadd2fd1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="86" /></a> in NX3936 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3936" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3936">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>. <br />
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The route to get here to bag this first was a combination of driving to Home Farm from the A747, then mountain bike down a track to NX4036 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX4036" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX4036">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and then walk across open fields and a small cliff top path to finish the trip at the top of the cliffs overlooking Luce Bay. Clambering down the cliffs to the beach is doable but I wasn't up for it on the day I visited and had to move on to other grids.<br />
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Lochanscadden <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2399630" target="_blank" title="NX3737 : Lochanscadden by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3737 : Lochanscadden by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/96/2399630_06a75964_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="89" /></a> in NX3737 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3737" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3737">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>. <br />
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The route to get here to bag this first started at Cairndoon Farm at the farmhouse which is in NX3838 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3838" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3838">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> then it was just a matter of following a farm track which ran down to a sheep pen on the shoreline north east of Lochanscadden. The next part was slightly trickier involving a clamber around Lochanscadden and across very slippy rocks to the shore. It was then I realised I'd slightly misjudged the tide times and although the tide was going out I had to stand up to my knees in water to get into this grid square and take the pictures I needed to claim the grid. Heh Ho, another day Geographing!<br />
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On the way down to Lochanscadden I had spotted what I thought was a cairn near to Cairndoon Farm and made a mental note to take a detour on the way back to the farm to have a look at it. What I found was not a cairn but an unusual purpose built stone monument with a seat on three sides appropriately named on OS Mapping as the 'Seat'. It was a rare find for me that I had never seen before nor my walking colleagues who know the Machars well.<br />
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Seat at Cairndoon <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2403011" target="_blank" title="NX3738 : Seat at Cairndoon (4) by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3738 : Seat at Cairndoon (4) by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/40/30/2403011_5a7b1e09_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX 3738 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3738" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3738">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.<br />
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So .... the last Hectad in the Machars was bagged ... so I thought. After lengthy discussions it became clear that additional land had been sighted (land ahoy!) on improved mapping used by Geograph, resulting in two new additional grid squares being added to NX33 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX33">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> ... after I thought I had well and truly bashed the hectad. <br />
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When I had a closer look at OS 1:25000 mapping and satellite imagery, both squares do appear to have a smidgen of land on them, so .... when the next moon is full and the tide is low I'll be off to check them out ... with my boat and subaqua kit!<br />
text/html2011-06-04T16:26:35+00:00Andy Farrington54.857540669954 -4.9849926158559The Taking of Ballantrae Bay
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/61
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX08">NX08</a> has 19 grid squares which are on the west coast of Scotland between Sawny Bean’s Cave in the north to Downan Point in the south. Most of the grids on the coast have a good show of land with the exception of <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0782">NX0782</a> which has a small outcrop of tidal rocks outside Ballantrae Harbour and a bit of a shingle beach further south according to fellow Geographer Oliver Dixon.<br />
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Offshore rocks at Ballantrae <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/262998" target="_blank" title="NX0782 : Offshore rocks at Ballantrae by Oliver Dixon"><img alt="NX0782 : Offshore rocks at Ballantrae by Oliver Dixon" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/photos/26/29/262998_b84c624f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0782">NX0782</a><br />
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... and <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0885">NX0885</a> which has a sliver of shingle beach to walk on at the lowest spring tide. So after some tough hectad bashing this year I thought I’d have a go at this last green ‘un in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX08">NX08</a> which appeared to be an easy capture .... and it was. The only drama I had was to negotiate a new build of the A77 near to the grid which wasn’t quite completed and meant a five mile detour to park up. <br />
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Ballantrae Bay <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2438897" target="_blank" title="NX0885 : Ballantrae Bay by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX0885 : Ballantrae Bay by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/43/88/2438897_f7be50b7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="88" /></a> in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX0855">NX0855</a><br />
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That done it was just a matter of walking across a field with electrified fencing to reach the shoreline and then along the beach to the grid with an outgoing low tide which revealed shingle to stand on without even getting my feet wet. Job done and <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/gridref/NX08">NX08</a> bagged. I wish they were all like this!<br />
text/html2011-05-01T22:48:07+00:00Andy Farrington54.952365440631 -4.3516216756284The Taking of Graddoch Burn
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/51
After capturing some difficult firsts to complete two hectads this year so far, the challenge just got a wee bit harder for my next completed hectad NX46 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX46" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX46">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2243054" target="_blank" title="NX4964 : Graddoch Burn by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX4964 : Graddoch Burn by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/30/2243054_d929d990_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="77" /></a><br />
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There are several routes into this grid square and I decided to take in a long circular walk to get here. Starting at the car park near Cairnsmore Stables and following the path to the top of Cairnsmore of Fleet, the route back down was via a cairn on the Knee of Cairnsmore and straight across NX5064 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX5064" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX5064">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> to NX4964 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX4964" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX4964">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>. After shots of the grid the route I took then crossed Torr Burn to rejoin the southern track that runs back down to Cairnsmore Stables. The views were truly spectacular on the clear day I was here and you could literally see for miles across to Cumbria, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Well worth the effort of getting here!text/html2011-05-01T22:42:48+00:00Andy Farrington54.866485707424 -4.5959845267942The Taking of Craigeach Moor
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/50
... and after a short pause of two weeks Andy bounces back with another competed hectad NX35 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX35" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX35">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> ... is there no stopping this 2011 hectad bagging onslaught?<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2235920" target="_blank" title="NX3355 : Cairn on Craigeach Moor by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3355 : Cairn on Craigeach Moor by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/23/59/2235920_af448e6d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="85" /></a><br />
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Probably yes, they just seem to be getting harder and harder for me. In order to complete this hectad two firsts were required both on Craigeach Moor in NX3455 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3455" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3455">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> and NX3355 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3355" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3355">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>. After getting permission from Barquhill Farm to cross their land I spent over two and a half hours zig-zagging across 2km of moor to reach the Cairn on Craigeach Moor. The land as the pictures will show is very tough to get across with hidden burns and small tributaries full of melted winter snow which grabs your legs up to your knees and is reluctant to let go. The land is mainly moss, gorse and fern with a scattering of rocky outcrops which I used on the return journey to keep out of the very cold water. That all said the views from where I got to are spectacular ... unspoilt and possibly unseen by many, worth the effort but probably not to be repeated by me.text/html2011-04-12T10:46:12+00:00Andy Farrington54.964221650859 -4.6491592428203The Taking of Rig of Barnharrow 1 to 6
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/43
This picture taken at the Rig of Barnharrow was the last shot in a series of six different grid squares to bash the hectad NX36 on the 7th April 2011<br />
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As hectad bashing goes NX36 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX36" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX36">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> wasn't too arduous to complete, six remaining grids in the hectad started with the bagging of:<br />
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East Culvennan <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2312611" target="_blank" title="NX3065 : East Culvennan by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3065 : East Culvennan by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/26/2312611_57a4e32b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3065 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3065" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3065">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - I had quite a few miles and grids to cover on this road trip so drove down to this one which is on the edge of Culvennan Fell.<br />
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Next was South Glassoch <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2324967" target="_blank" title="NX3368 : South Glassoch by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3368 : South Glassoch by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/49/2324967_421b6ea8_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3368 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3368" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3368">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - Which was a walk across boggy marshland and the remains of a harvested forest. Yuk!<br />
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Ring Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2325816" target="_blank" title="NX3367 : Ring Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3367 : Ring Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/58/2325816_c61458fa_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3367 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3367" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3367">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - A pleasant stroll through farm land and around Ring Hill to get to the moss, then up Ring Hill to take some scenic shots.<br />
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Cullach Farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2346030" target="_blank" title="NX3765 : Cullach Farm by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3765 : Cullach Farm by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/34/60/2346030_d75a0054_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3765 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3765" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3765">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - A drive along a small farm track from the A75.<br />
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Eldrig Moss <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2346953" target="_blank" title="NX3565 : Eldrig Moss by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3565 : Eldrig Moss by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/34/69/2346953_0003f900_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3565 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3565" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3565">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> - On paper was a short walk from a track but in practice became a tough bog trot across saturated moorland which you couldn't stand still on for long without sinking into the moss.<br />
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and finally the last grid in the hectad to bag was Rig of Barnharrow <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2346969" target="_blank" title="NX3066 : Rig of Barnharrow by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3066 : Rig of Barnharrow by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/34/69/2346969_fe83ff34_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> in NX3066 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3066" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX3066">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> which was a very nice mountain bike ride along a forest track to the Rig of Barnharrow and a walk up White Hill to capture some scenic shots of the area.<br />
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All in all, one of the nicer combinations of grids to finish off this hectad.<br />
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text/html2011-05-01T22:36:35+00:00Andy Farrington54.767403629051 -4.6051813934043The Taking of Inch and Clone
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/49
The sublime and the ridiculous.<br />
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It's not very often that I get welcomed to an elite class/club by a Grandturzel and invited to make a contribution to a discussion thread (as Groucho Marx said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member" or perhaps "I have a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it") but I digress.<br />
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So hectad finishers, my first completed hectad has already been documented on the 18th May 2010 for NX44 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX44" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX44">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> when I'd just joined Geograph and was yet to discover the where with all and excitement of completing a first and hectad at the same time just by hopping in my van, popping two miles down the road, driving up a farm track and bagging this grid at Inch Farm.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1853124" target="_blank" title="NX4447 : Inch Farm by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX4447 : Inch Farm by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/85/31/1853124_9278d29d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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My favourite shot from this grid though was a land rover which was also published on BBC South Scotland.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1853212" target="_blank" title="NX4447 : Land Rover by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX4447 : Land Rover by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/85/32/1853212_521a24bd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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Bringing everyone up to speed I captured NX34 <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NX34">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> on the 3rd January 2011 which was my first Geograph of the year and the first completed hectad of 2011.<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2218609" target="_blank" title="NX3244 : Clone Point by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3244 : Clone Point by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/21/86/2218609_40780fe1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
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... and it was a sod of a grid to get into and out of. The rocks were either slippy or covered in seaweed and even with good walking boots and just 250 yards to cover, proved to be one of the toughest firsts I've ever done. My boots split after getting damaged and I ended up balanced on a couple of rocks with my ankles in water to get the shots. Boots got chucked when I got home and I didn't realise that the hectad was complete until some nice chappy sent me an email.<br />
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This rock at Clone Point was where I stood and took all my pictures for this grid, luckily the tide was still going out!<br />
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<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2218715" target="_blank" title="NX3244 : Clone Point by Andy Farrington"><img alt="NX3244 : Clone Point by Andy Farrington" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/21/87/2218715_098d1ee7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="89" /></a><br />
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So ... a happy ending and I've now started to look around Dumfries and Galloway for new hectads to complete this year as well as my usual routes and tracks into uncharted territory.<br />