Richard Lutz visits a favourite spot.
Off to Poundland with not a thought in my head about 99p mops, an 86p toothbrush nor 98p for a bonus-sized bottle of shampoo.
Y’see, I’m off to Poundland tucked under Poundland Hill and a stone’s throw from Poundland House in the southwest corner of Scotland. Here it is settled above a fishing spot:
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Not a single 99p mop in sight. Instead there is the wandering River Stinchar (see above) noted for its salmon; the intriguingly named Balloch o’ Beastie Bridge just to the west; and, well, little else except it’s quiet and you can hear a late summer breeze flow through the trees.
The flowers in the last days of August are late and wild. Below, skullcaps in bloom:
And late blooming ragged robin by the roadside:
Blackberries are early because of the hot summer. Red honeysuckle still winds onto fences and walls. A buzzard wonders way overhead, heading for the trees.
The farm track between Dangart and Dalreoch Woods is high above the cattle and sheep and is lined with towering ancient beeches and oak.
A two hour walk south connects you to Colmonnell with its three castles (Kirkhill, Craigneil and Knockdollian). Its churchyard is home to vivid gravestones:
Credit: Walter Baxter
Colmennell can get you to Poundland You just have head for Balloch o’ Beastie Bridge and amble a bit on the empty summer road. Or you can drop in from nearby Pinwherry. Neither routes are quick ways to get anywhere.
This is another beautiful stretch of the Stinchar valley. On a point of interest, the symbolic headstone that’s featured in the article is a special one. The carvings across the top represent the angels of the resurrection with an Ayrshire ploughing scene across the bottom but it’s central part that’s special. This carving shows Eve taking the apple from the mouth of the serpent in the Garden of Eden with Adam watching on in horror, when the Tree of Life becomes the Tree of Knowledge. This is one of the finest examples of an Adam & Eve stone in south Scotland.