Repeating the trick of not laying down to sleep until properly tired worked again last night, but it does have the side effect of making it a late start. I’m just finishing my packing up when Graham happens by, as if he’s deliberately timed it thus (he hasn’t). So we walk together again, the first job being to gain the Fungle Road itself, where the girls have long since made their escape.
The descent to Birse castle and on alongside Water of Feugh is undemanding and passes in a bit of a blur. We’re merrily chatting away about our hopes for the pub at Whitestone.
We arrive at the pub. It’s not a pub. It’s been turned into a B&B. There’s no beer here. There is a grassy patch nearby which serves for a rest, but that’s as good as it gets. Here is also the point at which Graham’s and my routes diverge – he’s continuing east, while I am due to turn south to intercept my main route at Bridge of Dye.
More road walking whose only real highlight is the sound of my first woodpecker of the year, and an old AA box.
I get to the car park near Glendye Lodge and toy with the idea of heading back along my main route to Miller’s Bog for a camp. But Graham told me earlier about a nice spot alongside Water of Dye, and I decide to continue in pursuit of it. I can’t find a way down to the river on the north side, so cross over and head along the farm track to the south side. Here I start exploring the scrubby grass and trees in the hope of either a crossing point or failing that a reasonably discreet pitch this side. I fail. The situation is made more complicated by a dog that’s come to investigate and whose owner is desperately trying to persuade to return. Neither standing still and ignoring the dog, nor going away from it, nor even chasing it gets rid of the hound. Eventually its owner comes and there’s the sort of awkward conversation I’d be having if I was scouting somewhere to camp nearer home, but didn’t want people to know.
Eventually, I give up on Graham’s suggested pitch – everything this side of the river is too close to the farm track, and I can’t get to the nicer spots on the other side. I walk up to Heatheryhaugh and try to find the track I need. I’m simply going to continue along my route and stop as soon as I find an acceptable spot.
My best bet occurs in the little dip where the Builg Burn runs. It’s not great, but I just about manage to squeeze the tent on. The pitch won’t win any prizes though. At least there’s easy water. A pleasant “night in” is had.
