Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Dockray - Aira Force (about 7 miles).

Weather

Ashley - in Spain

Michael - preparing a presentation for head office

Michelle - work study

Sandy - taking Beth to a party, and waiting for Alex to return from Germany

George G - Rewiring a house in Milfield

Bernie - having a new drive laid

Carol - preparing to go back to work (having a long lie)

At the start we saw a crazy tree - a chicken's foot tree (or a Norah Batty tree). There were lots of snogging couples around Aira Force. Once away from here it was fairly quiet. We had lunch by a large puddle on a mountain bike track (luckily no cyclists passed us while we were eating). The correct route could not be found but Ron discovered a pleasant alternative way back, which wasn't so steep. We crossed a ford on a swollen burn - Ron fell in, but didn't get wet because he was wearing his waterproofs. As we walked back by Aira Force, saw a tree with an unusual right-angled branch.

Wildlife: First sighting on a FARTS walk of a Burnett moth (in fact about 10 of them). Julie saw a red squirrel and a small furry thing in the burn. Chaffinches, house martins, swallows, shorn sheep, goat. At Dowthwaitehead there was a diving duck and an old dog.

Afternoon tea with cake or scones at the finish.

The Plough at Eachwick, joined by Carol. Nearly couldn't get in because of a wedding party overrunning.