While passing the time of day at a previous competition in Dumfries, I had visited the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum. The museum had recovered a Spitfire from Loch Doon which was away being restored at the time, so when I got home I searched the interweb for any photos of what they had recovered. After 'googling' "aircraft crashes in Loch Doon", I found photos of the Spitfire recovery but I also happened upon photos of Hawker Hurricane remains in the forest next to Loch Doon.

Loch Doon

 I knew there was a competition coming up at the Cumnock Highland games which wasn't very far up the road from Loch Doon, so I hatched a plan to drop the girls at the competition then nip down to have a look for the Hurricane. As I hadn't been wreckhunting for quite a considerable length of time this site would be a good reintroduction as there wasn't too great a distance involved.

Car Parked overlooking the forest where the crashsite is located.

I could see on the map that there was a carpark down the bottom end of Loch Doon which would mean I would only have a couple of miles to walk. At the end of the road where the carpark was situated, there was an open forest gate, so I shortened the walk even further by going through it and driving another mile or so along a forest track. I would have regretted doing this if a forestry worker had come along and locked the gate later on!.

getting used to the new camera;same photo, different settings

Once parked I only had a mile to go to reach the crashsite, half of that on forest track and half through the woods. The second leg through the woods was going to take twice as long as the first leg on the track.

Walking round the bottom end of Loch Doon.

During my first shift of wreckhunting I had searched for another wrecksite in Kielder Forest on 3 occasions. On my first visit I went the long way around, climbed up to the top of Glendhu Hill to find the start of a burn that passed close to the wrecksite, then followed that down into the forest and found the crashsite quite easily. On the 2nd and 3rd visits I took a more direct route, walking up into the forest from below, on both those occasions despite having already been to the location, I failed to find it. So when I planned this trip to Loch Doon I remembered the problems I experienced in Kielder and instead of making straight for the crashsite through the woods I followed easily identifiable features, mostly firebreaks.The fact that the Hurricane wreckage was also lying in a firebreak also helped.

The remains of the Hurricane had been taped off, I assume to protect them from Forestry activity.

The firebreaks in this forest were very boggy, and flooded in some places. It was taking me quite a while to make any progress into the woods as I was having to make numerous diversions to avoid large flooded areas and very wet bogs. About 400 yards into the trees I gave up on trying to keep my feet dry and began wading through the mud, this made progress much quicker.

Rolls Royce Merlin engine

Apart from a little confusion when I came across a newly constructed forest track that wasn't on my map, I found the crashsite of the Hurricane without any difficulty. The first thing I could see was long lengths of yellow tape tied between the trees, perhaps Baldrick and his Time Team buddies had been here before me.

The front end of the engine has been smashed off.

gears to drive ancilliary componants on the back end of the engine.

As well as suffering damage in the crash the engine has also sufferd vandalism from Graverobbing Souvenier hunting Muppets.

The engines crankshaft and piston big ends

Apart from the engine the largest part is this wingspar section.

The propeller hub, still attached to the end of the crankshaft which has snapped off.

The trip to find this Hurricane served two important purposes for me. it made me realise how much I missed these little excursions to look for crashsites and it made me realise how fat and unfit I had become.
Two things that I would quickly put right.

During the October half term of 2022 myself and my freind Stuart returned to Loch Doon and after visiting the crashsite of Lockheed Hudson N7235 we nipped along for another visit to LD564.

Our cars, parked at the far end of Loch Doon, unfortunately my car was now a Shitroen C4 and not Blueberry Esmerelda Muffin II.

Although I'd been to this crashsite before, according to some reports on the interweb the trees had now been felled around it, plus Stuart hadn't been to it as well, so that merited another visit. Because of the felled trees and a locked gate it was to turn out to be a completely different walk anyways.

above and below:-A couple of nice views down Loch Doon, because the gate was open on my first visit here I drove most of the way and didn't get to enjoy such views. On this visit said gate was locked.

Because of the felled trees a more direct and less boggy route was utilised this time.

Above and below:-Reaching the crashsite of LD564 is now much easier and dryer thanks to some forestry roads and a very helpfull signpost.

above and below:-The Forestry company have very kindly fashioned a footpath up to the crashsite which includes a cute little stone bridge across a burn.

It looks like a Harvester has been used to stamp out some of the path.

Above and below:-Approaching the crashsite of Hawker Hurricane LD564, a very different scene to my last visit.

Above and below:-Memorial Plaque now at the scene. More crashsite photos.