Thursday
The Dog Rambler E-diary
top 15
September 2011
Walk
A climb over Allermuir Hill in The Pentlands
Length
6 miles
Dogs on walk
Chutney, Gina, Gustave, Jerry, Ozzy, Tim
Back into The Pentlands for the first time this week. We need to make the most of the sudden late summer sunshine. It was very cool at the start. Cool enough for me to put my waterproof jacket on to keep out the cold. It soon came off as we warmed into the walk and the day began to warm up. In the car park at Bonaly two carloads of people were getting ready to set off walking. Squeezing into their boots and checking their rucksacks. As soon as they were out of the car Gina and Tim were over to them to check out their plans. Ozzy was getting barked at by two dogs who had just emerged from another car that had arrived. As they were getting told off by their owner and before they attracted any of the others over we sneaked off across the car park and through the gate onto the hills. They knew where they were going, heading immediately left and down a narrow path to a shady stream. I had not even fully closed the gate. Across the small wooden footbridge they ran not even giving the sparkling water a second glance. Up the other side and into the sunshine rolling down the grassy slopes of White Hill. Chutney burst into a run taking the
others by surprise; who were grouped around a path of particularly nice smelling grass. Ozzy and Tim raising their heads saw her go and after a moments pause they were off. The three of them wheeled over the slopes. As the rest moved on from the enticing smell they picked up Jerry and Gina too. Only Gustave held back slotting in behind my heels and all but tripping me up. We kept low to start with, cutting along the bottom of the hills. Picking our way through a field of sheep with no difficulty. The cows a little later on where a different story. As well as the animals there were people everywhere today. I have never seen so many individuals and groups roaming the hills at one time. Jerry, over eager today kept leaping off toward them setting a bad example for Gina who followed. And of course Tim who needs little or no encouragement. But it was Gina who really let herself down. Never any trouble with the sheep on any of our walks. But the cows. In a deep bowl in the hills some lay beside the path and some stood half grazing on the long grass. Highland cows with great curving horns and shaggy orange brown coats and wide nostrils with pink noses. They showed no concern at our arrival but I gathered the dogs together as I planned our route around them. I thought it best to leave the path and skirt by them through the grass. As we were about to execute this plan Gina decided that she was going to go and see these weird creatures. Setting off she roamed about amongst the ones lying down. Fortunately they were very laid back and did not move, hardly even turning their heads to watch her. I managed to call her back over but in doing so Ozzy and Tim got spooked by the cows and refused to follow us. It is not as though they have never seen any before. But then again last time they saw these ones elsewhere in the hills the same thing happened. So I had to go back to collect Ozzy who was sitting in some gorse bushes, only prepared to move when on his lead. And then further back to Tim who was still going the other way. We had to pretend to head up another path away from the cows before he came back to join us and I could get him on the lead. In all this Gustave just followed wherever I went not complaining about may wayward tracks and Jerry bounced about in the grass. Eventually we were off and able to clamber up Allermuir Hill that had been casting its shadow deep into the hollow we had been in around its base. Of course there were people
on its summit. Under pale blue skies and with the sun half up in the sky we crossed over to Capelaw Hill and made our way to the reservoir. Now Gustave left me as he sat and then lay down in the water. This would at least clean him up from the several muddy puddles he had lain in before. The others ran out into the water after a stick. Getting out of their depth and swimming in the flat glassy water reflecting the surrounding trees, now with blurred edges as the dogs ripples creased the surface. Clean but not dry we headed back down toward Bonaly. Walking for a while with a couple of women and their two dogs before they headed off for a picnic. We covered the last section to the car where I let the dogs choose who was going for the boot and who the back seat. Nick
Photo slideshow from the walk
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Nick Fletcher The Dog Rambler 9 Links Street Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6JL
www.thedogrambler.com [email protected] t. 0131 665 8843 or 0781 551 6765
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