Straiton Monument
Summary
Straiton Monument stands high up on the hills overlooking the quiet village of Straiton. From a distance it doesn’t look so high, but once up close it is at least 50ft tall! The monument stands high up on the hillside alluring us to get up there and explore! Straiton itself has a lot to offer for walking/hiking with hills to explore, riverside rambles, boggy trails and woodland walks. It’s a place I am eager to go back to.
The Hike
We began following the road for a short distance, before heading immediately upwards through a field. We followed the trail alongside the woods, taking us to the opening where high trees sounded us with deep earthy smells. As we continued through the woods, it was a gradual ascent, but we knew it was to become steeper once we emerged out of the darkness and soon enough, it wasn’t long until we started climbing. We felt like we could tipple over at any given moment it was that steep. We had to bend forwards into the ground to stay up right, stopping ever so often to take in the views the higher we climbed. Luckily this section of the hike is only short, but it was extremely rewarding once we reached the summit of Graigengower. Also known as ‘the hill of Goats in Gaelic’ which doesn’t surprise me.
The monument itself is to Lieutenant-Colonel James Hunter Blair of the Scots Fusilier Guards who died in 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman fought during the Crimean War.
It reads:
Sacred to the Memory
of James Hunter Blair
younger of BLAIRQUHAN
Lt Colonel Scots Fusilier Guards
& MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
for this Country who fell in the
GALLANT DISCHARGE OF HIS DUTY
on the field of INKERMAN
5TH NOVEMBER 1854
Erected by his Friends
and Neighbours A.D. 1856
From the summit, we could see Bennan Hill in the distance via the return, and I could see there was a path up to the summit. However, as we descended steeply, we began to realise that this wasn’t as straight forward as we had thought. It was difficult to work out how to get to Bennan Hill. We made lots of mistakes, walking on the road, through overgrown paths, we even followed signs to where the summit would be. The paths were extremely overgrown and therefore, visibility was almost non-existent. It awful, and very frustrating.
After walking backwards and forwards many times trying work out how to get to the summit, we plonked ourselves on the ground and had lunch. It didn’t make sense how to get there, the overgrowth blocked any form of access. In the end we decided to call it a day, and followed a much more accessible path back into Straiton for coffee and a delicious scone made at ‘The Buck’ (The only coffee shop in the area)
Although frustrating, it was still good to explore the area. However, I think next time I’ll just stick to walking up and down to the monument.
More info | Straiton | Bennan Hill