hearth and home

Sarah and I headed off to the Lowther Hills today. S and Jess did a 10 mile circuit of Hard Hill, Gana, Earncraig, Queensberry and Wee Queensberry (plus a dip in the shrinking High Church lochan) and I walked up almost to the top of Queensberry but decided to turn back as the mist was coming down. I'll return on a clearer day.

I took some time instead to photograph the two old farmhouses. This one, furthest up the valley, (see extra) has had its roof completely removed since my last visit. The other used to be a haunt of barn owls, but I saw none today.

On our drive home, near the hamlet of Park, there were signs of a lot of devastation from Storm Arwen a few weeks ago - huge trees had fallen across the roads and had been recently cleared, and swathes of conifers had fallen in the forested areas nearer Mitchellslacks Farm.