Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012
Ardblair Trail & Bluebell Woods, Blairgowrie - 8th November 2012
This is an easy, mostly flat walk over approx 6 miles.
The Trail was bathed in bright sunshine highlighting the coppers, golds and russet colours surrounding us. We enjoyed shuffling through dried, crisp leaves covering our path and tasted some late blooming brambles (which were blooming bitter!) Although the bluebells were long gone there was a carpet of lovely little pink flowers across the wood.
Whilst we were having lunch we met 2 walkers and their friendly, hungry dogs (a cute golden retriever and a glossy black lab) who were keen to sample our lunch. Then we met Belle - a beautiful pointer who decided to abandon her owner and follow us. While we waited for her to return to her owner, Belle had other plans! However, once we started walking on a road we were worried she's get hit by a car so one of our group used his belt to make a lead for her. Thankfully Belle was wearing an ID tag on her collar and was soon reunited with her grateful owner.
We recommend this walk - it's beautiful and the canine population seem to be very friendly!
Friday, 7 September 2012
East Weymss - Lower Largo - 6th September 2012
Today we set off an hour earlier to get to East Wemyss in Fife, known for Macduff's Castle which dates back to the 11th century when Macbeth was King of Scotland. Sadly the castle lies in ruins and is overgrown with nettles and weeds which stopped us from exploring it. We did however investigate a couple of caves under the castle, hopeful of finding Pictish and Viking drawings which have been found in that area. Unfortunately the only things we did find were a couple of startled pigeons.
Due to works on the beach we took a detour through Methil. This turned out to be a bonus for one of our group, who is a big East Fife football fan and was delighted as we came across their football ground :)
We eventually returned to the beach and continued on to Lower Largo, birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe where we stopped for a cuppa before catching the bus home.
Due to works on the beach we took a detour through Methil. This turned out to be a bonus for one of our group, who is a big East Fife football fan and was delighted as we came across their football ground :)
We eventually returned to the beach and continued on to Lower Largo, birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe where we stopped for a cuppa before catching the bus home.
Quarrymill Woodland Park & Kinnoull Hill, Perth - 30th August 2012
We enjoyed a warm and sunny day (hurray!) strolling alongside the Annaty Burn in Quarrymill Woodland Park to New Scone and back. This walk is easy and flat and there are plenty of benches along the way to sit and admire the views. On our return journey we stopped for lunch at one of the picnic areas before heading off to The Tower on top of Kinnoull Hill. This walk is a bit more strenuous but the views from the tower are spectacular and well worth the effort. The Tower itself looks magnificent perched on the edge of a 725ft cliff and a short distance from the tower there is a stone table which marks out the views on the horizon.
As we were descending the hill via a different route we saw 2 of the 14 sculptures to be found in the park: a squirrel sitting on a tree trunk and a badger hugging a tree stump, which were a lovely surprise. Today the time flew past far too quickly and we had walked 8.8 miles.
As we were descending the hill via a different route we saw 2 of the 14 sculptures to be found in the park: a squirrel sitting on a tree trunk and a badger hugging a tree stump, which were a lovely surprise. Today the time flew past far too quickly and we had walked 8.8 miles.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Batty at Balgay - 24th August 2012
Who'd have thought it - bats can be cute and good for your wellbeing!
Connnect...
Twelve of us went to the Dundee Ranger Service event Batty at Balgay on Balgay Hill. The event gave us an opportunity to get learn more about bats, moths and each other as some of the members in our group were new. We also met some other new friendly fok, in particular a teenage vampire impersonator who would occasionally run out of the darkness towards us with his arms outstretched and making hissing noises, which was entertaining and thankfully none of us had a weak heart!
Be Active...
We walked from the bus stop up Balgay hill and enjoyed the view along the way. We helped in the process of attracting moths by painting the bark of a tree with a heady brew of brown ale, dark brown sugar and treacle which moths like to dine on. We also walked around outside Mills Observatory with torches and bat detectors listening out for bat calls.
Take Notice...
Smelling the cocktail for the moths was strong and sweet and smelled predominantly of dark brown sugar which brought back memories of xmas cake (without the brown ale, of course!). Listening to bat calls which sounded like a series of clicks through our bat detectors as the bats used echolocation to find their food. We also saw several moths which had been captured the previous night and kept in large test tubes and were due to be released at the end of the night. Through magnifying glasses we could see the intricate patterns and colours on their wings and bodies.
Keep Learning...
We learnt that bats only give birth to one baby at a time and no wonder! Apparently when they are born a baby bat is a third of its mother's weight. The equivalent for a woman would be giving birth to a 2 stone baby - yikes! We met a bat carer who was looking after a tiny, cute, furry baby common Pipistrelle bat who was only 8 - 10 weeks old. We also learnt that bats will eat 3,000 midges, mosquitoes and moths a night.
Give...
We shared our opinions about bats and moths, shared sweets and we gave the captured moths their freedom at the end of the night. We were also grateful to bats for munching their way through so many of the dreaded midge and mossie population each night :)
Research from the New Economics Foundation - Five Ways to Wellbeing - highlights 5 simple actions which can improve wellbeing. To find out more, check out www.neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-to-wellbeing
Connnect...
Twelve of us went to the Dundee Ranger Service event Batty at Balgay on Balgay Hill. The event gave us an opportunity to get learn more about bats, moths and each other as some of the members in our group were new. We also met some other new friendly fok, in particular a teenage vampire impersonator who would occasionally run out of the darkness towards us with his arms outstretched and making hissing noises, which was entertaining and thankfully none of us had a weak heart!
Be Active...
We walked from the bus stop up Balgay hill and enjoyed the view along the way. We helped in the process of attracting moths by painting the bark of a tree with a heady brew of brown ale, dark brown sugar and treacle which moths like to dine on. We also walked around outside Mills Observatory with torches and bat detectors listening out for bat calls.
Take Notice...
Smelling the cocktail for the moths was strong and sweet and smelled predominantly of dark brown sugar which brought back memories of xmas cake (without the brown ale, of course!). Listening to bat calls which sounded like a series of clicks through our bat detectors as the bats used echolocation to find their food. We also saw several moths which had been captured the previous night and kept in large test tubes and were due to be released at the end of the night. Through magnifying glasses we could see the intricate patterns and colours on their wings and bodies.
Keep Learning...
We learnt that bats only give birth to one baby at a time and no wonder! Apparently when they are born a baby bat is a third of its mother's weight. The equivalent for a woman would be giving birth to a 2 stone baby - yikes! We met a bat carer who was looking after a tiny, cute, furry baby common Pipistrelle bat who was only 8 - 10 weeks old. We also learnt that bats will eat 3,000 midges, mosquitoes and moths a night.
Give...
We shared our opinions about bats and moths, shared sweets and we gave the captured moths their freedom at the end of the night. We were also grateful to bats for munching their way through so many of the dreaded midge and mossie population each night :)
Research from the New Economics Foundation - Five Ways to Wellbeing - highlights 5 simple actions which can improve wellbeing. To find out more, check out www.neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-to-wellbeing
Friday, 10 August 2012
Photos of Tayfield Estate by one of our talented photographers!!
Cute little gatehouse at entrance to estate.
Lovely Lilac Foxgloves
One of the two ponds
A former dovecote which we now think is home to bats!
One of the friendly ducks!
Pretty glade of foxgloves.
Mooo! Hello cows!
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Friday, 20 July 2012
Invergowrie & Balgay Hill - 19th July
By the end of the day we had achieved 2 walks and survived a monsoon! Ok, a bit of an exaggeration on the "monsoon" front but boy did it rain!
Luckily, we started off with a sunny walk in Invergowrie and saw various delights - Hagrid's Summer Home (we suspect!); a felled tree cut into sections like a swiss roll, displaying the tree's rings and then we passed the Scottish Crops Research Institute where the Tayberry was created by cross-breeding a blackberry with a raspberry.
While we were waiting for a bus to get us to Balgay Hill in time to meet the Ranger Service for a tour of the area, the heavens opened. At Balgay we were shown the Paupers Grave where 10,000 people were buried from 1870 - to a shockingly recent 2004. The views from the top of the hill are breathtaking - we recommend you have a look for yourself! We also saw red and grey squirrels foraging and finally we ended up at the Mills Observatory. The dome of the Observatory is made paper-mache and is the only one of its kind left surviving in the UK. Not a lot of people know that!
Luckily, we started off with a sunny walk in Invergowrie and saw various delights - Hagrid's Summer Home (we suspect!); a felled tree cut into sections like a swiss roll, displaying the tree's rings and then we passed the Scottish Crops Research Institute where the Tayberry was created by cross-breeding a blackberry with a raspberry.
While we were waiting for a bus to get us to Balgay Hill in time to meet the Ranger Service for a tour of the area, the heavens opened. At Balgay we were shown the Paupers Grave where 10,000 people were buried from 1870 - to a shockingly recent 2004. The views from the top of the hill are breathtaking - we recommend you have a look for yourself! We also saw red and grey squirrels foraging and finally we ended up at the Mills Observatory. The dome of the Observatory is made paper-mache and is the only one of its kind left surviving in the UK. Not a lot of people know that!
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Loch Leven - 12th July 2012
We came, we saw and we didn’t get rained on! (Halleluiah) We enjoyed a lovely walk of approx 7-8 miles through Kinross town and alongside Scotland’s largest lowland loch where we met several other walkers, cyclists and midges. Thankfully we only encountered the latter when we were enjoying a cuppa at the end of our walk. Below are our thoughts about the day:
“First walk (I’ve been on) in a wee while, nice and dry, bit cloudy. Lovely company, fab walk”
“Really enjoyed walk. First time I’ve been to Loch Leven. Bus didn’t break down – Bonus!”
“We put off 2 groups from coming in bird hut but 1 group waited for us to leave. I rescued 2 snails from possible destruction”
“Great company, good weather and Bonnie Scotland too Thank you."
“One of the best parts of the day was lunch time in the bird hut. It was so peaceful there and we had a great view of the hills and the loch where fishermen were trying to catch trout or the Loch Ness Monster on holiday?”
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Tayfield Estate, Newport 9th July
One of our group members led us on a lovely walk around Tayfield Estate in Newport. He pointed out some of the historical features of the estate, including where the old mill used to be. The group had a relaxed wander around the paths and saw lots of wildlife. The peaceful lake, surrounded by beautiful white and lilac foxgloves, was home to many ducks. The ducks were lucky enough to enjoy one of the group members tuna mayo roll! One of the ducks must have liked it because he started to follow us. We thought we were going to have to take him home to Kandahar!
We also saw a couple of teeny weeny frogs, still with their tadpole tails attached, this made Laura very happy as she is always determined to see frogs!
After this we walked along the old railway path which is very pretty and peaceful with the trees bent over the path like a natural green tunnel. The group felt miles away from everything.
We retired to the local pub for a refreshment and filled out a Visit Woods checklist of the facilities available at Tayfield Estate. Keep your eyes peeled as we will soon be posting our review of the walk on the Visit Woods website.
Only complaint of the day- walk not long enough! Don't worry troops, will walk you harder next time!
We also saw a couple of teeny weeny frogs, still with their tadpole tails attached, this made Laura very happy as she is always determined to see frogs!
After this we walked along the old railway path which is very pretty and peaceful with the trees bent over the path like a natural green tunnel. The group felt miles away from everything.
We retired to the local pub for a refreshment and filled out a Visit Woods checklist of the facilities available at Tayfield Estate. Keep your eyes peeled as we will soon be posting our review of the walk on the Visit Woods website.
Only complaint of the day- walk not long enough! Don't worry troops, will walk you harder next time!
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Friday, 6 July 2012
Welcome to our blog!
Dundee Mutual Support Group members take part in a variety of outdoor activities and are keen to draw attention to the benefits of greenspaces on mental health and wellbeing. Group members take part in a range of different activities including, walking, gardening, team building, sketching, Qi Gong and cycling. The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of our activities and the benefits of time spent in wilderness for everyone in the community. Stay tuned for further posts!
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Six Ramblers eagerly departed sunny Dundee and arrived in not so sunny Arbroath to enjoy a walk along the cliffs, which were shrouded in fog when we arrived. Thankfully the sun quickly burnt away the fog as we ate lunch.
Along the cliffs we enjoyed views of the Needles E'e, Mermaid's Kirk and the Deil's Heid and watched seagulls soaring in the breeze and seabathing on the red sandstone rocks. Plants covering the cliffs were vibrantly coloured. In some places the purple, pink and white foxgloves were taller than any of us.
On our return, we walked along a deserted beach and sat and watched the sea before heading back for an ice cream. We returned home glowing sightly pink after a day in the sun. Bliss!