Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club

Walk & Event Reports

Sunday 3rd January 2016

A Walk

Hoddom Castle to Lockerbie

9 Miles Grade 3

Leader: Lauren Sarasini

Report by Peter Flynn

Photos by Lauren Sarasini, Peter Flynn & John Mckay

A  good walk is like a good book – the interest is sustained throughout and there are special moments which are really memorable.  Today’s walk filled all of these criteria.  It was not the longest of walks – about 8 to 9 miles;  there were no dramatic mountaineering peaks threatening disaster with any false move.  However it was one of those that will remain in the memory.   Predictably,  with the recent weather and the forecast for today (rain in the afternoon) there was not a great turn out for the bus.  However,  20 brave souls ventured first to Annan,  where we dropped off the 4 members of the C party,  then to Hoddom where the A & B parties combined with a short but delightful walk up to Repentance Tower. There were numerous explanations for the name – ranging from a Captain feeling sorry after slitting the throats of half a dozen Scottish rebels and throwing them overboard into the Solway,  to a wealthy gentleman feeling sorry for having kept a slave.  However,  it was obvious from our visit why there was a tower there.  It had one of the most magnificent views,  across to the Lake District,  the whole Solway Firth and up to the hills from which Glasgow and Edinburgh can be seen.  We then passed Hoddom Castle – still occupied and now host to a caravan site.   The parties then separated;  7 of us on the A party north,  the other 8 to Annan.  John,  still recovering from ‘flu,  could face neither walk and headed home.  The next memorable spot was the amazing Gothic ruin of Milkbank House,  in which we had our lunch.  Then onto the Nature Reserve just west of Lockerbie.  Here we had 3 red squirrels,  literally running rings round us – amazingly tame.  Then it was off to the Lockerbie memorial gardens,  sustaining the memory of the 270 people who lost their lives in the disaster.  This is a very moving place,  simple,  beautiful and very poignant.  Many thanks to Lauren for planning and leading an excellent walk.

Peter