Photograph Gallery Stage 28 Dalserf to Lanark
Photograph Gallery Stage 28 Dalserf to Lanark, Monday 20th June 2011
The Story:
After the forgettable weekend making my way through Glasgow it was back to pleasurable walking through countryside as I made my way for 12 delightful miles with all, well almost all, taken along the Clyde Walkway. It started very well with me following lovely riverside trails through deciduous woodland with the River Clyde close to my right hand side. Particular highlights were the sections immediately south and north of Crossford which were being enjoyed by many other walkers. Late spring and early summer flowers heightened my enjoyment as did the courtesy of the people I met, a characteristic sadly lacking in most of the people I encountered in the city stages over the weekend.
The walking continued to be enjoyable and easy until I reached the outskirts of Lanark. The problem? A bridge was closed by Scottish Power doing structural repairs but the detour signs they put up had instructions but no maps to refer to. Very helpful. It was by luck I saw a temporary track made up from the official walkway and that was only after passing it twice, once back, once forth. Luckily it was the right one and temporary stiles led me through a field to an old tree lined bridle to a small hamlet which had a plus point. It gave me a great view of Lanark about a mile and a half in the distance.
The frustration of the detour and the effort of finding and then accessing it, plus the days haul of carrying my backpack for the first day in the last ten had depleted me though and a lower back and left hip pain that had been starting to niggle me flared up. It really started to ache and I started to limp from the hamlet of Nemphlar toward Lanark. I thought, not far, I can rest and repair but alas from Nemphlar the track took me down to Kirkfieldbank and from there it was a stiff hill climb of 200 metres ascent into Lanark. I ached with the worsening back and hip pain and dragged myself into a cafe to rest over a pot of tea. Damn, after the problems with my heel over the last weeks now this. I hope I feel better tomorrow. As for the walk, today was great bar the last bit. As for the pain, its starting to get me down. This I have to admit. I have had a fantastic journey so far and I want to continue to enjoy it. To do so I have to rid myself of the pain.
The Photographs:
South that way
Relief after two days of city walking as I'm back into rural surroundings
Fallen trees block the Clyde Walkway near Dalserf
Looking back along the River Clyde to Mauldslie Bridge
Woodland at Milton-Lockhart
River Clyde at Milton-Lockhart
Water eddies in the River Clyde at Crossford Bridge
River Clyde at Crossford Bridge
Heron in the River Clyde near Crossford Bridge
Big Wood near Crossford
Lanark as seen from Nemphlar
Lanark town centre