Gaye was planning to visit her friend Wilma at Bentpath this afternoon so I took advantage of the trip up the Esk valley to drop her off at Boonies and then travel a few miles up the Meggat valley in order to top up my daily miles walked. I parked up beside the river a couple of miles south of Glendinning and walked up this remote and beautiful valley.
Close to where I parked the car was this embankment next to the Meggat and I am sure there would have been Sand Martin nests there this summer.
A further away view of the banking
I was about an hour up this valley and in that time I saw no other vehicles or people
This is still sheep country and this is an old sheep stell.
My car parked up beside the Meggat. It must be 4 or 5 years since I was last up this valley and I loved the remoteness of it. There were a pair of Buzzards flying about but too far away to photograph with my I phone camera.
Heading up the valley towards Megdale and then Glendinning further up the valley
The new bridge at Megdale
An old bridge at Megdale which is now too dangerous to cross
Megdale
Plenty of sheep up this valley. I hope it is never sold for forestry as it would ruin this valley.
I met these 6 big Rams or Tups as we call them in Scotland. They will be very busy in a few months time, but today they were enjoying a quiet life beside the river.
I saw a couple of Dippers at this spot but was not able to photograph them
A most enjoyable 1 mile walk up the valley and then back down again and I was back at Boonies for tea and cake exactly an hour after dropping Gaye off at Wilma's. One of the best hours I have spent walking in a long time. Just as I was leaving two cyclists appeared and gave me a big wave as they headed up the valley. I have a feeling they may have been heading for the Bothy at Greensykes which is about 4 miles up the valley from Glendinning. It was at Glendinning that the famous Scottish Engineer Thomas Telford was born in 1757 and there is a memorial to him there.
