Where - Craig of Monievreckie, 400m/1,312', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 57, NN 547020
It was 30 January and snow had covered the Scottish hills for weeks. I was desperate to get out. For my first trip of the year, I was looking for a hill that would involve little effort but at the same time provide a good view- a pre-requisite for my hill walking activities. I have been through the experience of going out in clag and rain just to get another tick on a list. Nowadays, I like to see where I am going and get the views. Fortunately, I discovered Marilyns a couple of years ago- hills with at least 500 feet (roughly 150 metres) higher than the land around them. Although many Munros and all Corbetts and Grahams are also Marilyns, there are also a great many hills of considerably lesser height on the list and these are often clear when their higher cousins are in cloud.
The Craig of Monievreckie is the highest point of the Menteith hills near Aberfoyle. It looks like any other low lying ridge but this is deceptive as it provides really good views of the Trossachs. We parked in the Forestry Commission car park at Braeval, east of Aberfoyle. Initially, the route follows a good forestry track, and you have to watch out for the break in the trees that leads on to the hill proper; it is not particularly obvious although a rough path is forming. We soon arrived at a fence and a gate; the forest is left behind and the Craig of Monievreckie is straight ahead.....
There is no real path after this point, just a few sheep tracks but being January, the grass and heather was short and it was fairly easy going. In the height of summer, I would guess that it might be a different story. Here is Steven nonchalantly leaning on the trig with a snow covered Ben Ledi in the background.....
There are fine views in all directions; to Ben Venue....
to the Lake of Menteith, which was frozen over.......
and to Ben Lomond.....
We returned by the same route completing a good short walk of around two hours.
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