Drumpellier Country Park - The 7 Falls

Brinsley Schwarz is a fan of falling water so had planned to join us but he was delayed by an over enthusiastic audience demanding an encore in a Paisley Pub

What could be better when having a Free Monday than an Independent Ramble? Answer two Independent Rambles, I had decided to finish the Gleniffer Braes walk interrupted by Gillians lost handbag, Marion however wanted to go somewhere with a cafe so we headed out to Drumpellier Country Park.
Sean what's the weather got in store for us?

"well Lasramblas it's going to be a lovely day after a slightly overcast morning".

Sorry you couldn't make it Brinsley here's a selection of what you missed.

Drumpellier is a country park situated within North Lanarkshire Council, to the west of Coatbridge. The park was formerly a private estate. The land was given over to the Burgh of Coatbridge for use as a public park in 1919, and was designated as a country park in 1984. Drumpellier Country Park covers an area of 500 acres and comprises two natural lochs (one of which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, lowland heath, mixed woodlands and open grassland. The Monkland Canal lies towards the southern perimeter of the park. The lochs and the canal attract a large number of water birds, both resident (such as swans and mallard ducks)and over-wintering migrants, and the loch shores and woodland floor provides an abundance of wild flora. The woodlands are also rich in bird life, small wild animals and many types of fungi.

The lochs at Drumpellier are part of a chain of kettle ponds formed towards the end of the last ice age. As the glacier that covered most of Scotland slipped down towards the sea it churned up great tracts of land. This created the great lochs, such as Lomond and Linnhe, and also include Drumpellier's Lochs, Woodend and Lochend.

Route

Mute Swan and Cygnets

Coot

Greylag Geese

Yellow-Legged Gull

Black headed Gull

Great Crested Grebe

                                                         

Time For a bite to eat The Tea House on the Loch, Gartcosh
http://teahouseonthelochgartcosh.vpweb.co.uk/Home.html
A mighty fine Bacon & cream Cheese Bagel and Marion seemed pleased with the Vegetarian Breakfast
couple of Coffee's then head over to Paisley.

Keen blaws the wind o’er the Braes o’ Gleniffer.

The auld castle’s turrets are cover’d wi’ snaw;

How chang’d frae the time when I met wi’ my lover

Amang the broom bushes by Stanley green shaw:

The wild flow’rs o’ simmer were spread a’ sae bonnie,

The mavis sang sweet frae the green birken tree:

But far to the camp they hae march’d my dear Johnnie,

And now it is winter wi’ nature and me.

Yon cauld sleety cloud skiffs alang the bleak mountain,

And shakes the dark firs on the stey rocky brae,

While down the deep glen bawls the snaw-flooded fountain,

That murmur’d sae sweet to my laddie and me.
‘Tis no its loud roar on the wintry wind swellin’,

‘Tis no the cauld blast brings the tears i’ my e’e,

For, O gin I saw but my bonny Scotch callan,

The dark days o’ winter were simmer to me!

Robert Tannahill

Route

Marion lost in a Fern Jungle

Ben Lomond from Gleniffer Braes

Waterfall 

And another

Two More

All This liquid and not a drop to drink

better head of to The Three Judges for a Pint or two.

http://www.threejudges.co.uk/three-judges/home/three-judges.html