Damp in Dumfries


We have the Whiteadder in the Merse which is spectacular after rain-especially the Bluestane Ford but I must say that the smaller Old Water near Dumfries is pretty impressive as you can see in the video here. Upstream from these rapids there is a very hairy ford which may have only had a foot of water in it as the time this image was taken but was impassable except for large 4xwds-and this only after a day of rain-not much by Dumfries and Galloway standards. Pedestrians tackling the foot bridge would have needed wellies and another days rain,

water wings.

Labels: Old Water, Spate, Whiteadder

  ¶ 9:15 PM (0) comments

 

Distant Drums

It seems more and more drivers in these parts rely on new fangled technology for finding their way around the maze of roads in the Merse. One White Van Man delivering something for the Old Manse commented with regard to the distinction between a***s and e****s that he would be entirely 'up a gum tree without a paddle' (some of his best friends were Australians)if he was ever without his beloved TomTom. But it is around here that the TomTom-and Huttonian has one-have an Achilles Heel. Programme in Hutton to Embra by the clever route and you will be directed to Hutton Castle and then ordered by the bossy lady to turn right -on the most direct route to Chirnside and all stations beyond. And the reverse applies-coming from the A1 heading for Hutton Post Office a number of Securicor Vans have also been sent on this short cut. What they have in common is the Bluestane Ford. A gentle little water splash for much of the time but on days like yesterday swept by a raging torrent capable of taking WVM, Van, Huttonians Good Book Guide books, Uncle Tom Cobley and all the most direct route to the sea. The images speak for themselves-admittedly extreme conditions after three days or rain but even with much less precipitation the ford can be dangerously impassable for the average vehicle.

But TomTom does not know that.

And occasionally the highheidyins up river let water out of the Whiteadder Dam to relieve the pressure

And TomTom does not know that either.

Lets leave it to Chicken Licken

(The spates in the Whiteadder and Blackadder yesterday were quite spectacular and some of it can be seen here)

Labels: Bluestane Ford, TomTom, Whiteadder

  ¶ 9:48 AM (0) comments

 
A bloggee referring to the post about the mysterious new house for the gamekeeper at Hutton Castle Mill has reminded Huttonian of the word on the street, well, Kirk Lane, anyhow that the syndicate who own the fishing rights, pheasantery (and the Guinea Fowlness), the self catering converted mill and the actual, existing, Game keepers house (Dun Poachin?) have plans for a Caravan Park along the bank of the Whiteadder. No planning application as yet and I wonder if the Planning Highheidyins will be all together happy about this idea beside a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) -apparently the fossils in the Whiteadder at that point are real old-man-and must not be disturbed from their slumber. Moreover the proposal would further increase the number of things at risk on a flood plain. Although the flood protection officer (the guy with muddy wellies and two umbrellas) commenting on the house application stated that floods only came about every 200 years-the last huge one was as recently as 1948, so that's all right then.


I suspect the syndicate may have second thoughts-I doubt if many members of the sort of well heeled clientele that the fishing and the mill often attract would relish being next door to a caravan park with heavily tattooed ladies breathing down their Barbours as they struggle with the one that gets away and 'snotty nosed kids' (do they exist any more?) nicking their flies and smearing dirty fingers over the finely buffed Chelsea Tractors. And the game keeper may have all his work cut out-Strangled Pheasant and Chips is not on the usual caravanner's Menu but you have to start somewhere and the Guinea Fowl are quite easy to catch as well

(the image is of a pheasant, glad to escape from potential carnage at t'mill, seeking political ayslum at our kitchen door. Cognescenti will note that he is at the pre-strangulation stage)

Labels: Caravanners, Fishing, Hutton Castle Mill, Whiteadder

  ¶ 12:31 PM (0) comments

 


The Whiteadder is normally the gentlest of rivers but there are times in dark early Winter afternoons, after about two inches of rain upstream, when it appears menacing as it rushes towards the Tweed. It was certainly, yesterday, much too wet for visiting fishermen to venture near the bank, never mind stand in the river and the self catering establishment aka Hutton Mill was deserted -no 4x4s nor Barbour jackets in evidence. And it seems that the new house beside the Mill, billed as a Gillie's or Baillie's abode is also deserted and with little evidence of human life-such as furniture within it. Perhaps the gloom of the Whiteadder gorge, sunless on the south bank from November until March, has driven the inhabitants to hibernate elsewhere.

And out of the gorge it was all bright and sunny with Douglas the Dun Bull still enjoying his harem seemingly unaware of the blue/black clouds heading his way from the north.

We shall miss all this in the-small-house-in-Duns.But at least the long winter still stretches in front of us until specie changes hands and the Whiteadder if not the Rubicon can finally and irrevocably be crossed.

Labels: Fishing, Hutton, Whiteadder

  ¶ 7:44 PM (0) comments