Max Stafford's Kennel

Yesterday, I spent an enjoyable day with Jamie “Captain Culreoch” 😉 Wood, exploring the section of the old Portpatrick and Wigtownshire (PP&W) line between New Galloway (actually in the village of Mossdale) station to Stroan viaduct.
A shot of the old station was taken and several of the overbridge just west. We both agreed that with the exception of the material which would generally be drawn from the local geology, it was a fairly generic Scottish style and therefore useful to observe. A pleasant walk a couple of miles up the line took us to the Stroan Viaduct. It’s reputed that this is the viaduct where Hannay is supposed to have escaped the train during the chase sequence in John Buchan’s Thirty Nine Steps The landscape round here certainly lends itself to adventure!
After an exploration of the adjoining Raiders’ Road, we headed back to New Galloway then took a trip around Loch Ken to check out the old three arch steel viaduct there. I was here about seventeen years ado and saw a car being driven over it also walking over it at the time, but it’s been gated off now and looking at the state of the deck it’s not really surprising.
The deck of the bridge is surprisingly thin looking and purely on appearance it’s amazing to think it once bore the weight of The Northern Irishman on a regular basis.
Abi was however please to note that watering facilities have been retained on the erstwhile route.