The Grouse Railway

[endlessrarities]

I somehow managed to wrench my left thumb during yesterday's cycle run - the front derailleur on my mountain bike is misbehaving which makes life a bit difficult sometimes.  Rather than aggravate it, I thought I'd do the sensible thing and go for a walk instead.  We've hoping to go to the Lakes for a couple of days next month (I'm getting withdrawal symptoms...) and I suppose we should start doing some walks in readiness.

So we headed up to Muirshiel, and decided to go looking for the Grouse Railway.  It was built by a local landowner at the turn of the 20th century in order to take his shooting buddies up into the moors from nearby Kilmacolm.  It's a very rough and ready thing, with sleepers and tracks laid down on little if any in the way of earthworks.

Eventually we found the thing.  Or bits of it, at least:-
 

 

Though we evidently managed to miss whole big stretches of it.  We'll just have to go back and try again another day.

The scenery was bleak, windswept and dramatic.  Here's some views:-

 

The picture above shows Kilmacolm in the background, while the one below shows the modern farm track meandering off into the distance.  Grim and featureless, or what?

 

And some of the hills which overlook the area:-

 

Perhaps the highlight of the walk was managing to snatch a photo of this lovely dragonfly, resting by the side of the path:-

Though it wasn't all good news.  Over the years, I've managed to accumulate a few contacts amongst the Muirshiel rangers and council staff and local journalists who are all desperately eager to get hold of my forthcoming novel set in medieval Renfrewshire.  Every time I run in to them, they ask "When's the novel coming out?' and every time I have to reply, 'I haven't a clue.' 

I met one of the rangers today.  Not only was he telling how they'd all been hoping to tout my novel big time in last year's massive clan gathering, the Homecoming, but he was filling me in on just how many of my contacts have now retired.  The journalist has hung up his notepad, the council officer has moved on and the park ranger will be going in September.  With their collective departure, I've lost a big chance at promoting my work and therefore increasing sales in my local area.

Ah, the joys of being a fledgling writer....