Mugdock Country Park

 29 November 2025

It was a few years since I had visited Mugdock Country Park but it seemed an ideal place for me to add to the list of places that I am visiting to create photograph records. Mugdock is, in my view, the best of the Country Parks which are situated around Glasgow. It comprises 270 hectares of moorland, heathland and woodland gifted to what are now Stirling and East Dunbartonshire Councils in 1981 by Sir Hugh Fraser (House of Fraser family). The Park includes a couple of former castles in differing states of disrepair, WW2 gun emplacements, a loch, and a plethora of paths so lots of different walks are to be had. The weather was quite atmospheric, mostly cloudy but with the sun breaking out from time to time.....

There is courtyard building which serves as a visitor centre and includes toilets and cafes so I was able to purchase my usual latte at the end of my walk.....

There is not much remaining of Craigend Castle, indeed, it has been fenced off for a number of years as it is now in a dangerous state. I suppose that it's main claim to fame is that the final occupants used the ground round about as a zoo!

My route then took me to the high ground to the south of the Park to visit the remains of the WW2 defensive bunkers.....

They certainly commanded a good view south over Milngavie towards Glasgow and north to the Campsie Fells......

Mugdock Castle was the next point of interest, It was originally built by the Graham family in the mid- 14th century and was abandoned in the 17th century. There are connections to the Marquess of Montrose. The remaining tower has been renovated and apparently now contains a museum. It is open to the public at times during the summer so I will have to go back on one of these days.....

Mugdock Loch lies below the castle. A sign says that it is reckoned to be a "kettle hole"......

After walking around the east and north side of the loch, I made my way back to the visitor centre and the car park passing a pretty little waterfall and a pond......

An excellent walk!

21 November 2025

Broadwood Loch, Cumbernauld

I usually go to Colzium or the Forth and Clyde canal for my daily walk but today I decided on a change. There is a round loch trail on a very good track which gives me about 5k steps, my limit at the moment as I continue with recovery from my medical problems. It was a perfect day for walking, clear blue sky, little wind and a temperature of 5C. This is the best strip of water in the area for wintering birds; today there was a large group of Mute Swans plus Mallard, Wigeon, Coot, Moorhen Tufted Duck, Canada Goose plus a few Cormorant. The loch is accessed by the road to the football stadium. Some photos:

Aberfoyle and Rev Robert Kirk grave

 28 October 2025

It is a long time since I last posted, much has happened in the interim. I had a major cancer operation at the start of May followed by a diagnosis of heart failure so in all many weeks in hospital followed by a lengthy convalescence. I am still nothing like fit but I am getting there. I expect however that my hillwalking will be severely curtailed in future; just as well that there are lots of countryside walks and places of interest for me to do and visit. It will be important that I keep walking as part of my heart failure treatment.

Anyway, my first trip away yesterday, to Aberfoyle. The objective was to follow up on the story (fable!) of the Rev Robert Kirk and the faeries. The story in summary:

Robert Kirk was the Minister in Aberfoyle in the 17th century. He was also very interested in the habits of faeries and in 1691 he published a book titled "The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies". One evening he failed to return from a walk. His body was found at the top of Doon Hill and it was concluded that the faeries had stolen his spirit for revealing their secrets. It was also believed that the Ministers spirit had been imprisoned in a tree which still stands at the summit of the hill. This tree has gathered a lot of trinkets and messages over the years ( as has Rev Kirks' grave in the old graveyard in the village) although on the last occasion that I was up Doon Hill most had been removed on environmental grounds.

The old graveyard was really interesting. All of the stones are numbered and there is an information book containing details of the person buried there. Everything was being tidied up when I was there and it looks as though the intention is to use the Rev Kirk story to attract more visitors to the village.

I also had a wander round the village. There are views to Ben Lomond in the west and the village is overlooked by Craigmore which is a fabulous viewpoint. I have included a photo of the tree on the top of Doon Hill, taken on a previous visit.

Main street Aberfoyle......

Craigmore......

Distant Ben Lomond......

The old church with Doon Hill background.....

Inside the old church.....

Rev Kirk grave.....

The tree on top of Doon Hill......

More information.....

Ben Gullipen

 6 February 2025

Where: Ben Gullipen, 414m/1,358', P 63m, Tump, OS 57, NN 596 044

I last climbed Ben Gullipen south of Callander in 2005 on the way to the Marilyn, Beinn Dearg. Didn't take any photos on that occasion so another visit was due.

Took a chance today that a forecast of lots of cloud might be wrong; it wasn't, but I hung around the top for long enough to claim a partial success. It was a clear blue sky when I left home but the cloud built as I drove north and the hills were clagged in when I got to the start point.

There was nothing to see when I reached the top but perseverance paid off and after about 20 minutes there was a partial clearance. On this occasion I didn't carry on to Beinn Dearg, the going in between the two hills is the worst of the worst although it looked as if there might now be a partial path between the tussocks.

The approach to the summit from half way up the path (taken on the way down)........

Misty at the top.....

Looking down on Loch Venachar.....

Lochan Balloch and Loch Venachar.....

Beinn Dearg above Lochan Balloch.....

Summit looking much clearer when I left.....

Ben Ledi still in cloud.....

Law Hill (Ochils)- Repeat visit

31 January 2024

Where: Law Hill (Ochils), 202m/663', P 36m, Tump, OS 58, NS 976 992

My first hill walk of 2025 after a pretty miserable start to the year weatherwise and a back problem. I think that I'll probably be concentrating on the more scenic small hills this year (with some new Tumps among them!) rather than charging about visiting odd patches of rough ground in search ao another "tick". Also concentrating more on photography.

Today I started by revisiting Law Hill which is east of Dollar on the south fringes of the Ochil Hills. It was a dull day when I was last here, not so today. If I can get more days like this I will be well pleased.

Law Hill from the north, the approach was from the Law Community woodland.....

A nice little copse of trees at the summit, glad to see that they survived the recent storm.....

Looking to King's Seat Hill, Tarmangie Hill and Whitewisp Hill.....

Looking west, the Campsie Fells can just be made out on the horizon.....

Looking to the east top from the summit.....

Looking south to the Craigluscar hills.....

I carried on the the east top which has the trig and from where there was a fine view back to the main summit with King's Seat Hill in the background.....

On the way back I had a walk through the woodland park.