Slieau Dhoo

Not the easy way!

Monday 14th March, 2011 

We parked at the entrance to Ballaugh Plantation near Ravensdale and walked along the track into Glen Dhoo until we reached the old farmhouse.

We crossed the old slate footbridge in front of the farmhouse.

(Update: The slate bridge across the stream has since been damaged possibly by the snow in March 2013.   When we walked this way in April 2013 it looked as though one end of the piece of slate had shattered - and most of the “bridge” was under water.)

Our intention was to walk up the footpath on the west side of the glen which runs diagonally uphill between the conifer plantation and the wooded area below but someone had the bright idea of cutting the corner and going straight up the hill on the southern side of the plantation.  This decision may have been my fault but was more likely to have been inspired by one of the men.  We survived but I don’t think I will ever try doing that again.  On the way up, I stopped and looked back into the glen below and thought “I should take the time to appreciate the view.  I will never see Glen Dhoo from this vantage point again.”

It was a lot steeper than it looks in this photo (looking north from the top of Slieau Dhoo) and we had to find our way through a patch of gorse before we reached the Slieau Curn track (above the plantation on the left hand side of the photo) and enjoyed slightly more civilised conditions underfoot.

There is a convenient hollow at the top of Slieau Dhoo which is perfect for sheltering from the wind and enjoying a coffee break. 

 We returned to the car through Ballaugh Plantation.  The trees at the top of the plantation are exposed to the south westerly gales and have suffered badly in recent years. 

(Another update:  The route that we followed through the plantation down to Ravensdale has been closed for a couple of years on account of extensive larch felling to reduce the spread of disease.)