Dunslair Heights
Jim Bull, Jack Perks
25 August 2021
As planned our outing to Dunslair Heights took place on Tuesday 24th August, with a small but strong team of six Marauders, carrying on the tradition of midweek walks started by David Kaye.
Jack Perks, our scribe for the day, takes up the story:
“Right on schedule a select small but notably perfectly balanced gender team – Marion (our leader and local lead Sherpa) , Sandra, Susan, Neil, Alex and Jack - set off from the Kingsmeadow car park at a leisurely pace in perfect conditions for the mighty 602m/1,975 ft Dunslair Heights, ranked as the 3,773rd highest peak in the British Isles and the 2,890th highest peak in Scotland.
Looking at the OS map it was clear that finding the route, perhaps any route, definitely taking us to our objective would seriously challenge our navigation skills. But our blushes were spared. As good preparation would have it, Marion had spent a fair part of the last 18 months walking the mosaic, myriad of tracks including mountain bike runs and paths in the Glentress Forest maze and had already mapped the route of the walk to and from our destination for the day in her head.
The top of this Peebles landmark hill is maybe unique in that it was neither marked by a cairn, a trig point or a pointy rock but a police-owned, very imposing radio tower which, of course, we naturally resisted the urge to climb. Lunch was taken at this point to fortify us for the downhill stretch, which again was admirably navigated by Marion and brought us safely back to the car park.
Post walk, rather than trying to find a suitable place for refreshments in the bustling metropolis of Peebles, which at this time of year is full of tourists, we repaired to Castle Campbell (the Peebles variety, not the Dollar one). After a quick tour of Jim’s growing collection of motor bikes, we sat in the garden enjoying the sunshine and a welcome cup or glass of whatever took our fancy, together with cake and biscuits as desired. Jim’s impressive model train layout was also declared open, surprisingly at no charge, for a visit by those of us who are still extolling the glories of past days of steam locomotive power. But that was not the only surprise the house had in store for us. That surprise came in the form of a magnificently plumaged pheasant christened Albert who flew in for his afternoon snack of seeds, forcing Jim to admit that he has always hankered after the country sporting lifestyle. But Albert is definitely not on the menu!
Definitely a 15/10 all-round enjoyable day or, in the oft repeated words of our mutual friend David, “another walk to be savoured and enjoyed”.”
Many thanks to Jack for an excellent write-up of the day’s walk.
The Marauders story will continue, and there will be another walk at some point in September, details to come early in the month.
Regards, Jim Bull.
