30/12/22 – It was dreich out there this morning, even Tilly agreed and didn’t want to go out the back door first thing. I knew I needed to get her out and decided a run would prob be the quickest and easiest. As soon as the harness appeared the whines then barks started. She shouted more and more as we got closer to the start. Today it was Edenmill Farm Shop, Cafe and Soft Play. I decided this would be the driest underfoot. It was a 10.5km loop from the cafe up to Burncrooks across to Kilmannan and back down. All the streams were burst, the bridge at Burncrooks nearly underwater and the overflow from the reservoir dramatic. Tilly had her first experience of seeing a pheasant and went from 0-60 in about 1 sec dragging me behind. Luckily the rain stopped at the midway point but by then we were pretty wet. I was in my Harrier UK waterproofs so cosy inside. Final stop was back to the van to dry Tilly and wrap her up then a cuppa.
Starting at Edenmill Cafe head out the entrance and up the road towards Burncrooks. This goes up for a few kms and eventually you will see the reservoir ahead. Don’t take the forestry track heading left over the cattle grid. Head round the reservoir keeping it to your left hand side. For part of this you will be on the John Muir Way. Once you’ve done nearly a loop you will pop out on the forestry track. Turn right and then follow the track staying left. Eventually Kilmannan reservoir will appear on your right hand side. At the end of the reservoir continue straight ahead on the track and don’t turn right uphill. Soon you will start going downhill and Carbeth will appear in the distance. Keep heading down until you reach the sawmill. Here turn left and follow the path as I makes its way right (don’t go left to the cottage). Soon you will be back at Edenmill.
