Airngath Hill (Linlithgow)

18 November 2019

Participants: Just me

Where: Airngath Hill (Linlithgow), 171m/561', P 112m, Hump, OS 65, NT 003 791

This hill has been on my to do list for ages but as its slopes contain the West Lothian Golf Club I kept on putting it off until a hard winters day came along. I also wanted good visibility because it is a fine viewpoint overlooking the Forth estuary. Today was the day- a hard overnight frost followed by sparklingly clear atmosphere. There were a few golfers about but they were well away from the bit of the course I was interested in. As well as the views, the hill is notable for the Hope Monument, erected in memory of Brigadier Adrian Hope who was killed in 1858 during the Indian Mutiny.....

The high point of the hill seems to be on the first fairway although a bit further east looks as though it might also have a claim. I visited them both.....

After visiting the Monument and the high point, I walked round the edge of that part of the course to get the views over the Forth. Bo'ness and the Ochils.....

Grangemouth, Kincardine and the Stirling shire Hills.....

Grangemouth and the Campsie Fells.....

An excellent hill!

Blair Hill (Milnathort)

14 November 2019

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Blair Hill, 275m/902', P 41m, Tump, OS 58, NO 107 103

It was a bright early winters day after an overnight frost so I decided to go back to the hills above Milnathort to climb this Tump. The hill has been taken over by an off-road driving school so there are lots of tracks but being a Monday morning it was not in use. I parked in the school's car park. Blair Hill from the car park.....

It was a very simple route, follow a track to the school buildings and another track up the hill. A view to West Lomond.....

The hill overlooks Glenfarg reservoir and it was good today with the snow covered highland hills on the horizon.....

I met the owner on the way down and we had a chat; he said that the hill was the third best viewpoint in Fife and while that might be debatable, it was certainly good. I stopped off at Loch Leven on the way home and had a walk along another part of the loch trail, this time in an anti-clockwise direction from the car park. This bit is away from the water for the most part and the views are not particularly special.

Lewis Hill and Middlethird Hill

31 October 2019

Participants: Just me.

Where: Lewis Hill, 266m/873', P 74m, Tump, OS 57, NS 760 888 and Middlethird Hill, 230m/755', P 41m, Tump, OS 57, NS 763 896

 

The good weather continued, we had had a walk alongside Loch Katrine the previous day....

 

 

but another day on the hills was necessary, especially as the forecast was saying that this was to be the last day of the good weather . My choice was these two Tumps south of Stirling, along the top of some pretty vertical looking cliffs. For that reason, it was not for excitable spaniels so I went on my own. There was parking for a number of cars on the unclassified road south of the North Third reservoir, right opposite the start of the path. Here is a view of Lewis Hill with the cliffs from the road..... 

 

 

The colours of the trees were of course brilliant and it was a very pleasant walk up through them.....

 

 

 Looking down on the reservoir, approaching the highest point of Lewis Hill, and the trig.....

 

 

Another view down to the reservoir, looking due west to Earl's Hill in the Campsie Fells, and over the reservoir dam to the familiar peaks of Ben Ledi, Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich.....

 

 

The path now hugged the edge of the cliffs before heading steeply down to a col before Middlethird Hill which was much more heavily wooded.....

 

 

Towards the high point it again passed very close to the cliff edge. There was no trig on this hill to mark the high point; it was probably a knoll close to the cliff edge or it could have been somewhere in a cleared area to the east of the path.....

 

 

Whichever, I was bound to have visited it. I then went back to the col between the two hills from where I could have followed a path across the dam wall and back along the shore of the reservoir but instead I opted to see the views from Lewis Hill again.

 

 

Kilpatrick Hills- The Slacks and Cochno Hill

28 October 2019

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: The Kilpatrick Hills: The Slacks, 365m1,197', P 44m, Tump, OS 64, NS 467 752 and Cochno Hill, 348m/ 1,142', P 65m, Tump, OS 64, NS 483 756

 

I don't know why I've neglected to visit these hills before. They provide great walking conditions, great views, they are perfect for dog walking as there are no livestock and the are only 30-40 minutes drive from home. Today I also had the benefit of perfect walking weather, high pressure in October is a recipe for walking heaven!

 

I parked at the top of Cochno road at the start of the private road to the waterworks. The official car park further on along Cochno road didn't look very inviting and I wouldn't like to leave my car there unless I had to. The track in to the hills had a good surface and the incline up to Greenside reservoir was gradual....

 

 

I decided to climb the higher of the two hills- The Slacks- first so crossed the dam and followed the continuing path up the hill. Cochno Hill from the dam.....

 

 

There were great views back down to the reservoir and across it to Cochno Hill as I got higher.....

 

 

 

To the north I could see the only one of the Kilpatrick Hills that I had climbed previously- the Marilyn, Duncolm.....

 

 

The well engineered path meant that it didn't take long to reach the trig. Loch Humphrey, a popular walk in itself, was visible from here as well as the towns on the other side of the Firth of Clyde.....

 

 

It was great to have a seat and just admire the views. However, another hill called so we had to head back to the dam and pick up another path up Cochno Hill. This is a different sort of hill, much more grass and lots of humps and bumps. There was nothing to mark the highest point so I had to rely on Viewranger to show me that we had reached it. Duncolm was in view again and from this angle I could see Ben Lomond and other highland hills beyond..........

 

 

Yet another reservoir view from here, Jaw reservoir to the east with the Campsie Fells beyond.....

 

 

and a reasonable view of Greater Glasgow with Tinto on the horizon.....

 

 

We picked up another path on the way down which cut off a corner. Good hills, good weather, what more could I have asked for. Ben enjoyed it also.....

 

 

Brown Hill (Ochils)

21 October 2019

Participants: Just me

Where: Brown Hill, 419m/1,375', P 35m, Tump, OS 57, NN 834 002

The days have fairly drawn in and unless we get a really sunny spell of weather I am now concentrating on my list of hills to do closer to home during the winter period. Brown Hill is a bit of an insignificant looking Ochil outlier reached from the Sheriffmuir road at the map spot height 249m but it provided reasonable walking conditions. I had to cross a field initially and while there was plenty of evidence of cows having been present not so long ago, the field was empty today. This is a view of the hill and its southern top, Loss Hill, from near Sheriffmuir.....

 

 

Starting up the hill proper.....

 

 

Insignificant it may look but it was a fine viewpoint. This is looking to the west from part way up; the familiar shapes of Ben Ledi, Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich in view.....

 

 

The summit area, just east of an old fence, with Dumyat and the Forth and some familiar landmarks....

 

 

 

To the east is Colsnaur Hill, I'm not sure if I've done that one or not so a visit will be necessary.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barry Hill (Alyth)

13 October 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Barry Hill, 208m/682', P 60m, Tump, OS 53, NO 262 504

 

I drove back from Deeside view the Cairn o' Mount. The weather was still good so I made a slight diversion to climb Barry Hill east of Alyth. I had climbed its two bigger neighbours previously, Hill of Alyth and Hill of Loyal, but this one got missed out. The hill is notable for the remains of an Iron Age hill fort consisting of an inner wall which apparently was 35m thick enclosing a large area which would have been where the occupants lived. More recently, someone has built a number of stone shelters which kind of takes away from the feeling of the place.

It is a steep little hill. There is a parking area at its south west corner which will take a few cars, then its over a gate and up through some gorse bushes. The highest point is on the north rim of the fort.....

The entrance to Glen Isla is immediately to the north.....

north east the view is to Hill of Wirren.....

and the southern view is of the Sidlaws.....

  

Some Aberdeenshire Tumps

9-13 October

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Ord Hill, 224m/735', P 45, Tump, OS 37, NO 439 984; Knockargety, 267m/876', P33m, Tump, OS 37, NJ 454 031; Craigievar Hill, 349m/1145', P46m, Tump, OS 37, NJ 562 095; Drum Hill, 133m/436', P 55m, Tump, OS 38, NJ 792 002; Ley Hill, 112m/367', P 34m, Tump, OS 38, NO 730 968; and Mammie, 498m/1634', P 76m, Tump, OS 37, NJ 316 019

 

Here is a short report about the other Aberdeenshire Tumps done during my few days on Deeside while attending the MBA AGM.

 

Ord Hill is a small wooded knoll alongside the A93 just outside Dinnet. It is in fact the highest point of the Muir of Dinnet. The deciduous woodland was pleasant but there wasn't much in the way of views, although I did catch a glimpse of  Loch  Kinord.....

  

Knockargety was reached from a side road off the Dinnet to Tarland road. There was a large turning circle/parking area at the start and a track and then a path to the open summit. It was a fine viewpoint being close to Morven to the west and with an open aspect to Mount Keen and Lochnagar to the south.....

 

 

Craigievar Hill is part of the Craigievar Castle estate now owned by the NTS. There is a marked trail of about 2 miles from the castle over the hill including the highest point. With the autumn colours starting to appear, this was a very pleasant walk.....

 

 

Drum Hill is part of the NTS estate at Drum castle. The hill was less wooded than at Craigievar with nice summit views over the Dee valley, again reached easily on a marked trail from the car park.....

 

 

 

 

Ley Hill was the least interesting being entirely wooded. It completed the NTS estate hills being part of the Crathes Castle grounds.....

 

On the morning of the MBA meeting, I diverted to Gairnshiel to climb Mammie, a typical Deeside heathery hill. Fortunately, there was a track all the way as there was a phone mast on top. The shooters were out on neighbouring hills.....