Balgreggie Craigs (Fife)

 19 March 2023

Where: Balgreggie Craigs, 138m/453', P 37m, Tump, OS 58, NT 232 969

A brief letup in the grey, damp weather so I headed to Fife to do bag this Tump. I parked in Kinglassie and followed a track to a farm, then another track to a couple of masts and then made my way through whins and rhododendrons to the high point beside an old wall. There was no view from the top but a good one to the Lomond hills from the mast. Not a very inspiring hill but at least I got a walk. View to Lomond hills from track and again from the masts.....

The summit area.....

Wether Hill (Ochil Hills)

 7 March 2023

Participants: Just me

Where: Wether Hill, 503m/1,650', P 117m, Hump, OS 58, NN 922 059

I had intended to climb Little Hill at Comrie but a road closure with a long diversion encouraged me to turn down Glendevon instead for another hill on my wanted list- Wether Hill in the north of the Ochil Hills range. I parked in the lay-by opposite the private road to Frandy Farm and followed that road for a couple of hundred metres or so to the start of a grassy track which I knew went to the top of Common Hill but in fact went all the way to a few metres short of the summit of Wether Hill. Just as well, it is tussocky ground in these parts. Looking back to Glendevon from Common Hill.....

From here, Wether Hill looked a long way off, although I found that appearances in this sort of landscape can be deceptive.....

There was soon a good view down to the valley and the Lower Glendevon reservoir.....

Similar view but with Wether Hill to the right.....

Getting closer......

Looking back to the start from close to the summit.....

Looking east from the summit, Bishop Hill in Fife middle distance.....

The Highland hills from the summit.....

Panorama of hills from Ben Lomond to (almost) the Ben Chonzie group.....

It was a pleasant walk, although the longest that I had done this year. I saw no-one else on what is the remotest part of the Ochil range.

Berry Hill (Muirshiel)

 26 February 2023

Participants: Just me

Where: Berry Hill, 303m/994', P 30m. Tump, OS 63, NS 243 691

Tussocks! Muirshiel is one of the worst areas that I have come across for them and Berry Hill, to the south of the Cornalees visitor centre was no exception.....

Fortunately, it was only a short ascent from Old Largs Road and the ground was dry. I parked at Rottenburn bridge and ascended from there straight to the summit. There was a small cairn and the views from it were not too shabby! The view to Arran.....

To Dunoon.....

To Bute and Rothesay.....

North over Loch Thom to distant Ben Lomond.....

East to Creuch Hill, another Tump and it looked as if the going was just as bad on it.....

Back at the car, I drove another mile south to a big parking area where I sat and ate my lunch. There was a good view of Berry Hill from there.....

Dunearn Hill (Fife)

 24 February 2023

Participants: Just me

Where: Dunearn Hill (Fife), 224m/734', P99m, Tump, OS 66, NT 211874

It was a nice sunny day and I found that I had time for a short hill walk between appointments for the dentist and the vet (only one of these was for me!). So I drove through to Fife to bag Dunearn Hill which stands north of Burntisland. It is a two topped hill with a nice pond in the valley between the tops. The north top is the higher but the south top is the viewpoint. It is currently adorned by a sofa, goodness knows how it was transported up here. I parked in Standingstanes Road opposite the start of a track that went up to a communications mast; the twin tops were just beyond.

The pond between the tops and the north top from the pond.....

The main top is tree lined with the high point at the west end of a nice narrow ridge.....

The main top from the south top.....

View to the Forth bridges.....

Across the Forth to the Pentland Hills.....

Looking over Burntisland and the view down the estuary to North Berwick Law.....

A delightful little hill.

Duncryne

 22 February 2023.

Where: Duncryne, 142m/466', P 70m, Tump, OS 56, NS 435 859

Took advantage of a rare sunny day after a long run of cloudy days to re-visit one of my favourite Tumps. It was busy! Must be the view which is excellent.

Looking over Loch Lomond to the Luss hills, The Cobbler (background), more Luss hills, Ben Vorlich and Ben Lomond.....

Looking south to the Campsie Fells.....

Henshaw Hill (Pentland Hills)

 5 February 2023

Participants: Just me

Where: Henshaw Hill, 416m/1,365', P 35m, Tump, OS 65/72, NT 061 545

It was a sunny morning but with the expectation of cloud moving across the country from the west in the afternoon. So I headed east to bag this Pentland's outlier. I parked in a large lay by at the junction of the A 70 and the road to Tarbrax where a Scotways marked cross Pentlands path started. It was a bit wet to begin with but the path soon joined an excellent track which reached and then traversed Henshaw Hill just west of its summit. It was a high starting point so there was very little ascent on this walk. I saw no one else, this part of the range is very different from the popular area close to the city. But the spaciousness has an attraction of its own. One of the marker posts on the route.....

Henshaw Hill in the distance.....

I seemed to be right at the junction of the two weather systems, blue skies and sunshine to the east and cloud to the west! Tinto was a constant in the west view, a bit hazy but an attractive picture....

I left the path just before its high point and took to the easy upper slopes of the hill. The summit area was broad and it was impossible to determine an actual high point. The difference in weather patters was very obvious in the views, Tinto to the west and West and East Cairn Hills to the east.....

I returned by the same route.

Craig More (Comrie)

 30 January 2023

Participants: Just me

Where: Craig More, 169m/554', P 41m, Tump, OS 51/52, NN 786 228

Craig More is a wooded hill to the east of Comrie accessed by a track starting at The Milton. There was good parking opposite the start of the track. Just before the track started to level out, a faint path marked by a wooden post went off to the left. I followed this crossing a burn via a lovely old stone bridge.....

after which it reverted to a track again with my objective now in front of me...... 

I followed this round to the north side of Craig More where there was another track heading up the hill. This one disappeared into thick undergrowth so after faffing about for a bit I returned to the main track, carried on a few metres further east to where the trees thinned out and set off up the hill again. Very soon I had regained the hill track which clearly had been blocked by the thick undergrowth and which went all the way to within a few yards of the summit, marked by a wooden cairn.....

The trees were a bit thinner at the summit and there was an excellent view of Ben Halton and Mor Bheinn to the west.....

Hillfoot Hill

 26 January 2023.

Participants: Just me

Where: Hillfoot Hill, 442m/1,450', P 53m, Tump, OS 58. NN 969 005

An Ochil Hills hill that I had been avoiding until now as it was cloaked in dark conifers. However a lot of them, including the summit area, had been felled. I parked in the community wood car park to the south of the hill on a back road from Dollar to Tillicoultry, a short distance from the start of an excellent forestry track that headed up and round the hill passing close to the summit. The lower slopes were also clear of trees and I soon came across a viewpoint with a seat. Good view from here south to Knock Hill and Saline Hill.....

At a junction I took the left hand branch which rose gradually up the west and north sides of the hill. Another view south to Knock Hill.....

There didn't seem to be any easy route up the summit brash from there so I carried on descending slightly to the east side of the hill. From here I was looking down to Glenquey reservoir with Innerdownie rising to the north of it.....

The brash looked much easier from the east side so I went up here. The summit views were to Knock Hill.....

to West Lomond.....

and to King's Seat.....

Back down at the track I continued it round the south side of the hill back to the junction, stopping at the viewpoint for a coffee and a bite to eat, and then on to the car park. Another view of King's Seat from the track....