Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

If you are going away somewhere and don't mind meeting up with other Bongo owners or if you've been somewhere & want to tell us about it & stick up your photos, put the details here.

Moderator: Jillygumbo

User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Muzorewa » Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:22 am

After a chilly weekend at the Tan Hill Inn, and a rather frosty reception by some of the staff, we've decided that our next mission should be the highest pub in Scotland, the Wanlockhead Inn. Now before anyone jumps up in complaint, we know there was an argument about the highest pub in the UK between the Tan Hill Inn and the Cat & Fiddle (now closed) in Cheshire, but the Wanlockhead Inn is the proclaimed highest in Scotland, not The Allargue Arms Hotel in Strathdon, so that's our plan.

I've checked with the pub and they're happy for us to use their carpark overnight. I'll give them numbers in due course once we've gauged interest. It's not that far into Scotland, so all you northern England types can easily make it as well as the Borders Scottish contingent. Address is Wanlockhead Inn, Wanlockhead, Dumfries & Galloway ML12 6UZ, phone 01659 74535, 55.398160, -3.781720 (55°23′53.4″N 003°46′54.2″W) for your SatNav. It's about midway between Carlisle and Glasgow, close to the M74 so easy to get to, although for a scenic drive I'd go through Dumfries and up along Mennock Water.

There are a few places worth looking at in the area, sadly at this time of year most of them are closed but you still might be able to poke a camera through the fence to have a look:

Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, Britain's highest narrow gauge adhesion railway (as opposed to rack & pinion mountain railways)
ML12 6XS
http://www.leadhillsrailway.co.uk/

Drumlanrig castle
DG3 4AQ
01848 331555
http://www.drumlanrigcastle.co.uk/

Ae, the shortest placename in the UK but also home to some excellent mountain bike trails, you can hire bikes there if you don't fancy taking your own:
DG1 1QB
http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/forest-of-ae

Right across the road from the pub carpark in Wanlockhead is the lead mining museum. Now they're officially closed at the time of our visit but are prepared to open for us if there are a few of us interested in making it worth their while. See http://www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk and let me know, if there are enough we can get them to open on the Saturday afternoon.

Check the first part of THIS link for some points of interest in Dumfries such as Robert Burns' house & mausoleum etc, and a rather nice photo of Drumlanrig castle which you still might be able to replicate even though they'll be officially closed :wink:
Image
User avatar
Jillygumbo
Supreme Being
Posts: 2676
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 5:17 pm
Location: Swindon, Wilts
Contact:

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Jillygumbo » Mon Nov 28, 2016 6:36 pm

Watching with interest.
Jillygumbo, Tonto & Ruca
The night conceals the world, but reveals the universe!
Bob
Supreme Being
Posts: 15255
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:54 pm
Location: North Somerset

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Bob » Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:12 pm

And straight back to the Golden Swan. :D

Having had to take 7 of next year's annual leave in November and December this year, I won't be able to take enough time off to make this one. Maybe another year.

So it may be The Golden Swan Bob.
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22871
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by mikeonb4c » Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:52 pm

Watching with interest also. I was up by Lockerbie and Boreland a little over a week ago, trying to rediscover the precise location where I had some rather legendary adventures in my mis-spent youth (as opposed to the other mis-spent portions of my existence :lol: ) The once bare hills have been forested up since 1972 hey ho
User avatar
briwy
Supreme Being
Posts: 1754
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:12 pm
Location: Peak District

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by briwy » Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:06 pm

We're in, and for the lead mining museum.
User avatar
Bongoplod
Supreme Being
Posts: 3653
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 7:03 am
Location: Wiggin,Lancyshire.

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Bongoplod » Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:19 am

Bongy should all be finished by March Paul,so I`m up for this

Brian
Confucious once said " To be fluent in Bongolese is to hold the key to the world!"
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Muzorewa » Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:35 am

A little more info from the museum to tempt any stragglers. The area around there is owned by the Duke of Buccleuch (who lives in Drumlanrig castle) and he doesn't mind camping anywhere on his land (hence the abundance of wild-camping spots along Mennock Water). The toilets at the museum are beautifully clean with hot water 24/7 and always open. Just a thought if we need hot water.

The Museum of Lead Mining is a Visit Scotland 4 Star Visitor Attraction set in the picturesque village of Wanlockhead, which at 461m / 1531 feet above sea level is the highest village in Scotland. The village is set amid the Lowther Hills, directly on the Southern Upland Way (Brian & Chris, bring your walking boots!) just minutes from the amazing Mennock Pass, which offers some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland and only 8 miles from the M74.

Come on - you know you want to :wink:
Image
teenmal
Supreme Being
Posts: 3656
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:08 pm
Location: north lanarkshire

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by teenmal » Tue Nov 29, 2016 11:45 am

This might be of interest if the car park is full its just down the road from Wanlockhead .....

http://www.plenderleith.com/lettershawsnew/
User avatar
Bongoplod
Supreme Being
Posts: 3653
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 7:03 am
Location: Wiggin,Lancyshire.

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by Bongoplod » Wed Nov 30, 2016 12:36 am

teenmal wrote:This might be of interest if the car park is full its just down the road from Wanlockhead .....

http://www.plenderleith.com/lettershawsnew/
Now thats worth jotting down for an future visit.............all facilities and £10 with a hook up !!
Confucious once said " To be fluent in Bongolese is to hold the key to the world!"
MountainGoat
Supreme Being
Posts: 3945
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Scottish Borders

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by MountainGoat » Wed Nov 30, 2016 5:17 pm

Count me in. Just 58½ miles from us and I have done most of the route loads of times. Should have some winter wheels sorted by then and the kitchen refurbishment finally finished.

Up for a walk too but Brattleburn Bothy is a wee bit far away along the Southern Uplands Way for a visit on such a short day. I would have liked to see what condition it is in these days. I was the maintenance organizer for this bothy for ten years during the late 1980's and early 1990's.
Former SGL5 Owner Jeep Cherokee 2.5CRD Burstner Ixeo Time it585
MountainGoat
Supreme Being
Posts: 3945
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Scottish Borders

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by MountainGoat » Wed Nov 30, 2016 5:48 pm

The area around there is owned by the Duke of Buccleuch (who lives in Drumlanrig castle)
Not quite correct MUZ. The Duke does own loads of land in Southern Scotland and Drumlanrig Castle is one of his many piles. But he actually lives at Bowhill House, another of his piles just outside Selkirk, which is around ten miles up the road from us.
Former SGL5 Owner Jeep Cherokee 2.5CRD Burstner Ixeo Time it585
kentait
Bongonaut
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:56 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by kentait » Wed Nov 30, 2016 8:44 pm

We'd also be interested, but being in early march, would need hook-up. Lettershaw farm at £10 fits the bill.

ken &Marilyn
MountainGoat
Supreme Being
Posts: 3945
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Scottish Borders

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by MountainGoat » Thu Dec 01, 2016 2:01 am

Lettershaw farm is 7.6 miles away from the pub. We are going to need a non drinking driver for members who stay at this campsite.
Former SGL5 Owner Jeep Cherokee 2.5CRD Burstner Ixeo Time it585
User avatar
mountainmummy
Bongolier
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:30 pm
Location: Stirlingshire

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by mountainmummy » Thu Dec 01, 2016 8:42 am

Hi

It's a maybe for us (depends on work, weather and kids behaviour).

Sara
Why, oh why did I chose such a naff forum name????
User avatar
briwy
Supreme Being
Posts: 1754
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:12 pm
Location: Peak District

Re: Highest Pub in Scotland, 11th-12th March 2017

Post by briwy » Sun Dec 04, 2016 10:22 pm

MountainGoat wrote:Lettershaw farm is 7.6 miles away from the pub. We are going to need a non drinking driver for members who stay at this campsite.
What, a non drinking driver at a Bongo meet Tony, are you mad :roll:
It'll be nice to see you again, any chance of June coming along as well??
Post Reply

Return to “Fancy Meeting up & Bongo Trips”