Day 4 St. John’s Town of Dalry to Smitton’s Bridge

Click/tap on the image for a map of the day’s walk

Today should’ve been the 19 miler from Loch Trool to St. John’s Town of Dalry but, seeing as it’s important to be able to call for help in an emergency, use the navigating app, etc., I decided I should get some sort of mobile phone during the morning, do tomorrow’s short walk in the afternoon and do today’s longer one a day late. This was known as adapting the plan, or, less grandly, making it up as I went along!

Eventually I found a cheap mobile phone (Moto G06 Power) for £89 at Tesco’s in Castle Douglas – a 25-mile each-way trip – got it set up, drove back to St. John’s, checked in at the very nice Clachan Inn and left for the short walk to Smitton’s Bridge – exactly that – just a bridge on a road in the middle of nowhere where the B729 crosses the Water of Ken (whoever he may have been) – but a useful pick-up/drop-off point.

Squelchy moorland – so what’s new!

I set off walking at about 2 o’clock in okay(ish) weather on a route which was pretty bad for the most part, heading almost due north. The trail was indistinct, though I was used to that by now, and very boggy in places. There was a seemingly long stretch following a small stream and it seemed that the path had been used as a cattle drove, so full of a mix of mud and cow shit was it. Later I lost the path for a while as one of the marker posts had rotted and fallen over (shades of being lost in the Malaysian jungle came to mind!).

The rain came and went, then came and stayed, having evidently enjoyed the area.

Thankfully the walk was short and Noelene was waiting for me at Smitton’s Bridge.  We drove back to the Clachan Inn at St. John’s where we had a very nice, though a little small, room.  The pub is quite lovely and traditional – a CAMRA pub of the year and a Times ‘best pub with an open fire’ award winner.  The staff were friendly, the beer was good and the food excellent.  What more could you want?

I had venison pappardelle and a pint each of two local beers, Noelene had ½ bottle of white Rioja – she did have some food as well 😊.  Then to a very big and comfy bed, finally pleased with the day.

Click HERE to download the .gpx file of today’s walk

Some Photos From Day 4