The Dog Rambler
Friday
23 E-diary
April 2010
Walk Bonaly to Castlelaw circuit, The Length 6.5
Pentlands miles
Dogs on walk Dylan, Finn, Struan, Talaidh
Dylan, Finn, Struan and Talaidh accompanied each other on today’s ramble. Having met
and developed a good relationship earlier in the week Dylan and Finn were like old friends
today, relaxed and comfortable in each other’s company and able to more accurately
predict and mirror each other’s movements.
Dylan, who tended to walk more ahead on the last ramble, was more a part of the group
today, ceding his leading role to Struan; a return the status quo. Finn was the usual
energiser of the group, ensuring everyone was engaged in some group activity, either by
stimulating some running about or just casually checking up on Talaidh as she reverted to
her more normal walking position by my side.
The ramble had the same starting point as yesterday at Bonaly Country Park car park,
but began to climb immediately as we followed the gravel vehicle track upwards though
the regal Scots Pines. They trapped the moisture in the air making the start of the walk
humid, leading to my waterproof coming off despite the ominous cloud, congregating into
to murky grey and blackening mass above our heads.
Rising out of the trees, we stepped out onto Bonaly Moor, where the humidity levels did
not fall, being sustained by the rising morning temperature and the moisture caught up by
the low cloud cover. The dogs could sense the sticky and enervating nature of the weather
and sought out puddles and streams like oasis in the desert of heather. They were also
restrained in their running and scouting about over the heather cushioned moor, darker
than the gloomily building clouds. Perhaps the cloying warmth was a warning to them to
conserve their energy before the conditions began to sap their vigour. Although Finn’s
natural instincts proved too great for him and he could not resist driving Dylan over the
edge into a romp across the heather together.
As we climbed the track across the moor and beyond Bonaly Reservoir, nestled in its
elegant deep green cloak of fir trees but dull on its surface, echoing the dull sky, we began
to skirt around the side of the hills. Now higher up and despite the spiralling deep cloud
building overhead the humidity began to dissipate and the dogs’ energy levels mount.
Thrashing through the heather several chases involving all four dogs began to whirl around
me, as the now narrow path steered it way between the heather in the pass between
Capelaw Hill and Harbour Hill.
Unfortunately for the dogs I had to call a halt to the chasing. As not only did the
impressive view into the glen below edged by the high Pentland hills, crowning the long
ribbon of Gelncorse Reservoir, with its own small Sots Pine crowned island on it, come into
view but so did small groupings of sheep. The sheep were grazing on the moorland grass,
islands in the heather on the slopes of the hill and in the pass leading down to the glen
ahead. Impeccably behaved, the dogs kept close to my, if not quite to heel! The sheep were
strung out in intermittent clusters all the way down to the reservoir, but the dogs were
able to roam around in the breadth of heather between the woollen atolls.
We joined the access road through the glen alongside the reservoir, for a few hundred feet
before turning ninety degrees to our left onto a path climbing between more Scots Pines
and a field of roosting greylag geese up to another track. Dylan spotting something was
drawn into the trees to our right, with Finn following close behind him. At the far edge of
the trees about fifteen trees deep a couple of sheep had escaped the field beyond and were
banqueting on the more varied menu of the undergrowth. It was these that had caught the
attention of Dylan and Finn, who showed great restraint by stopping and staring from
quite a way off.
Up onto the track, and the walk was becoming a motorway of sheep. Between the top of
trees and the army rifle range and Castlelaw Farm the track was surrounded by sheep,
many the proud mothers of recently born lambs. Some of the lambs showed great curiosity
coming very close to us with one seeming to mistake Talaidh, with her white fur, for a
sheep. Rather than the sheep being worried it was Talaidh who was worried by the
attentions of the lamb, looking away from it trying to pretend it was not there. We all
walked together on leads until onto the track leading around the south eastern side of
Castlelaw Hill.
Back off the leads the dogs were free to roam around again as we climbed toward the pass
between Capelaw Hill and Allermuir Hill and the final stretch of our circuit. Having left the
sheep behind, we were accompanied by an intermittent drizzle as the massing clouds
brimmed over releasing some of their baggage.
Reaching the pass we negotiated a stile and dog gate. Finn, Struan and Talaidh queued by
the gate, a moveable slot of wood in the fence, but Dylan, perhaps new to such
contraptions looked a bit perplexed and almost tired to attempt the cattle grid instead.
Once all safely through we headed over another stile and the shoulder of Capelaw Hill to
begin our descent back toward Bonaly. Our route took us beside Bonaly Moor and onto
White Hill, clothed in the same Scots Pine wood of the start of the walk. We weaved
through the trees on a dirt path with Dylan, Finn and Struan playing tug of war with a
still pine needle covered branch from one of the trees.
As the brimming over clouds began to pour more of their moisture in increasingly heavy
rain, we were fortunate to reach the Jeep before it descended in a full downpour. So with
still dry dogs we clambered in a set off for home.
Nick
Photo slideshow from the walk
E-diaries now also available at www.scribd.com/TheDogRambler
Nick Fletcher
The Dog Rambler
9 Links Street
Musselburgh www.thedogrambler.com
East Lothian
[email protected]EH21 6JL t. 0131 665 8843 or 0781 551 6765
Your dog walking service for active dogs
