Full circle in 10 years? A reflection.

For one cannot run the wheels back upon the tracks of life, nor again be two-and-twenty, and out on the hills (Dark o the Moon)

And so, this year our Crocketteering adventure took place away from the Dungeon hills but nevertheless, in the heart of Crockett country. Like all good adventures, we started out looking for one thing and found something entirely different!

In trying to place the Levellers Camp from The Dark o’ the Moon we caught sight of the back view of Little Duchrae. More pictures HERE. In Crockett’s day Little Duchrae was a single story building. I’ve only seen it as double story, and only from the front aspect. So it was pretty interesting (to me) to see it from the back. Essentially, we got access to the views Crockett would have seen and the landscape he played in as a boy living there.

I got pretty excited about the trees. I wanted to find the tree from ‘Love Among the Beeches’ but I can’t say I did. The trees we found mostly seemed to be oaks. I know that trees grow and fall over 165 years. So I know that most of these trees will not have looked the same to him. But it felt like a connection nonetheless. Taking a combination of my own and Crockett’s imaginations it wasn’t hard to breathe life into many of the descriptions he gives of life around Little Duchrae in all its fictional outpourings.

Over the last 10 years I’ve made an effort to travel through Galloway looking for the places and landscapes Crockett which I have only experienced from my armchair. It’s been a great adventure. First was Little Duchrae, Grenoch Loch and the Black Water o’ Dee, Back Hill o’ the Bush, then further afield to Glenhead, then Loch Enoch and now, full circle via the Levellers Camp to the back of Little Duchrae (Duchrae Bank Woods). There are many other places I’ve been of course: The Memorial at Laurieston, The Grave at Balmaghie, Castle Douglas, Threave and Mossdale to name but a few. There are some places still to be explored – more of the Dungeon Hills (unlikely) and Earlstoun (more likely) – but its been wonderful to have seen so much of Crockett country in the last 10 years. It’s something I never thought I’d do. I’m only sorry it took being in exile from Galloway to make me start (and continue) the adventure into the history and romance of Crockett country.

Ten years after the Galloway Raiders adventure began, I reflect that ‘Crocketteering’ isn’t just about reading. I have found that my love of Crockett’s work continues to provide me with adventures into the history and natural beauty which embody ‘Grey Galloway’. I’ve connected with lots of amazing people over the last decade but in the end it’s the landscape which always steals the show.