Lance (virtual walk leader)

Letham, Monimail, Dilliecary Knowe, Lindores Loch, Halhill, Collessie, Whinny Park and back to Letham. 8 miles with 800ft of ascent.

Temperatures mild to warm, sunny with occasional light cloud

Julie and Lance

Virtual Walkers: George, Evelyn, Ron, Sandy, Michael, Michelle, Richard, Diane, Ken, Bernie, Carol, GGG, Martin, Janette, Heidi

Covid-19 Lockdown

Comments

Started Exactly On Time, to within 1-second - it has to be a record! That said, it was very nearly late in starting due to an unexpected visitor that resisted shooing.

A varied walk where the theme was Natural History and Human History combined. We walked through a post-glacial landscape: lakes long-gone and dens cut by ice. We looked at the exploits of William Wallace, William Lamberton (the Battling Bishop), Archbishop David Beaton, James V, some Bronze-Age folk, some 20th Century folk, John Henderson (murderer of James Millie) and George Tolmie (murderer of Danny Hallet).

The walk was done entirely with the absence of any other folk, walkers or otherwise.

A lot of wildlife was spotted: roe-deer, hares, rabbits; goldcrest, curlew, skylark, buzzard, oystercatcher, mallards, bullfinch; peacock, red admiral and orange-tip butterflies; gorse laden with flowers, primrose; sheep with sheeplets, cows with cowlets.

Ashley reported "being very happy at being reminded of a place where he took a photo which he liked and subsequently lost years ago."

At Balmerino Cottage and comprised: Thai pork with lime, ginger, basil, mint and fish sauce. Followed by rhubarb and strawberry cake. All washed down with a bottle of d'Arenberg.

The walkers

Unexpected Visitor

Peacock Butterflies

View towards Lomond and the Howe of Fife

Looking back from Monimail to Letham

Dilliecary Know following Wallace's march

Wallace's Memorial

20th Century war hisotry: the Dragon's Teeth

The Dragon's Teeth

Summit of Hallhill

Bronze Age

Pictish carved stone

Remains of Monimail Palace

Cardinal Beaton's Tower

Ascending the Tower

Tower Stairs

Tower Meditation Room

Tower Library