Glorious day on the old Pinbain Hill coach road

While the rest of the country endured biting NE winds and snow showers, Jimmy, Tim, Dave G, and new Pathminder Tom enjoyed fabulous views of Ireland, Kintyre, Ailsa Craig, Arran, and the whole Firth of Clyde under clear blue skies and a light breeze from the same Arctic airstream.

At the request of the Ardwell farmer, we were erecting the third of four self-closing metal gates, just south of the old Kilranny cottage and sheep pens, and during a break from his lambing, and after delivering feed to his hill cattle, Alex came up to see how we were managing, stayed for a blether, and helped caa in a fence stab or twa wi the big mell - showing the lads how it should be done!

What a place to sit in the sun for a picnic lunch afterwards - and what a view!

IMPORTANT REQUEST FOR ALL WALKERS‍

With the indoor  lambing season well and truly begun, lambs are now being born outdoors on the lambing fields of hill farms like Ardwell - and many others - from Glenapp to Skelmorlie. This is the time to leave your dogs at home and not allow them to run free on fields of livestock as Hill Cattle are also calving - and can be very dangerous to dogs and their owners if sharing the same field.

In addition, small adventurous lambs can squeeze through small gaps greater than 100-150mm, so all gates should be fastened shut, and kissing gates should be chained, to prevent them straying. 

NB - Every dead lamb is a potential loss of £130 each to the farmer - and enough die already from cold and exposure, ravens, seagulls, foxes and other predators, as well as potential loss by abortion from new viral infections like the midge-borne Blue Tongue Virus, and the Schmallenberg Virus now arriving in Scotland from the Continent.

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