Steeles Knowe

18 August 2010.

Participants - Just me
Where - Steeles Knowe, 485m/1,592', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 58, NN 969080

For this week's walk, it was back to the Ochils, where there are lots of Marilyns. The last time I went up Steeles Knowe I simply followed the wind farm access road from Glen Devon, an easy but not really a hill walking route! This time, I parked in an FC car park on the Yetts o'Muckhart to Dunning road opposite the entrance to the track up the Corb Glen and so approached the hill from the east. The track initially went through a small wood, then through a gully/gorge, then it meandered across the side of Muckle Law before reaching a farm at Coulshill. I left the track about 1/2 mile before the farm, crossed the burn, and took to the grassy slopes of Steeles Knowe. This is a picture from fairly high up on the hill looking back at the way I came; the notch towards the left of the picture is the gully.....

My return route was over the hills on the right of the picture- Rowantree Craigs, Green Law, Sim's Hill and John's Hill before dropping back to the track near the entrance to the little wood which made an excellent round. There were rough tracks over all of the hills and I also used the wind farm road so it was all easy going. This is the less popular side of the Ochils, I only met one other walker all day.

What used to be a remote trig in the middle of moorland is now surrounded by turbines.....

This is looking back at the summit which is at a point between the two turbines on the right.....

and this is looking back at Steeles Knowe from Rowantree Craig.....

Despite the mechanised intrusion, this is still a good walk. I was out for 4 hours and the distance was about 7 miles with just over 300m of ascent. More of this area is attracting turbines however- I noticed that another wind farm on the other side of Glen Devon was being constructed.

Beinn Ime, Beinn Narnain

13th August 2010.

Participants - Just me
Where - Beinn Ime, 1011m/3,318', Munro; Beinn Narnain, 926m/3,038', Munro, Map 56

 Although they are among the nearest Munros to my home, it was years' since I had last climbed these two. I hadn't even been up the improved path from the car park at the head of Loch Long which provides a longer, but easier, approach to the Cobbler corrie. A board in the car park provided some information about how these hills were formed.....

The weather was really nice and there were occasional views from the path down the length of Loch Long......

The Forestry Commission has planted all of this area and although it is a mixed woodland, they have been a bit heavy with the conifers. In a few years time, I guess that it will be just another forest walk with little to see. However, once past the forested area, things improved- the Cobbler came into view for one thing......

All of the paths to the Cobbler seem to have been improved since the last time that I was here. The routes on Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain however have been left to their own resources and were as rough and wet as ever. Favouritism! I had set out intending to do Beinn Narnain but arriving at the Bealach a'Mhaim, Beinn Ime didn't seem to be all that far away.....

and it would have been a shame to have come this far and not done it. There was a good view west from the Bealach to Beinn Donich and Beinn an Lochain.....

No matter what direction I do it from, I find Beinn Ime a bit of a slog; from this side it is a long, gradual incline up wet grassy slopes. This is looking back from close to the top with Ben Lomond and Beinn Narnain in the background......

The top certainly gives an impression of space and height when looking down Glen Kinglass towards Loch Fyne.....

After chatting with a couple of other people at the top I headed back down to the Bealach with my next objective, Beinn Narnain, ahead.....

And this is the reverse view- Beinn Ime from the slopes of Beinn Narnain.....

Although it is lower, I think that Beinn Narnain has the better views. This is looking down the Clyde estuary with Ailsa Craig and the hills of Arran on the horizon......

And this is looking over the Spearhead towards Ben Lomond.....

I was getting tired, I had not brought enough water, so it was a slow journey back down the path on legs that were getting increasingly wobbly. There was a final view of Ben Lomond over Arrochar before I collapsed into the car.....

According to "The Munros", the day involved 1,320m of ascent. I estimated that the distance was about 9 miles and it took me 7 1/2 hours.

Eildon Mid Hill and Sell Moor Hill

8 August 2010.

Participants - Just me
Where - Eildon Mid Hill, 422m/1,385', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, 73, NT 548323; Sell Moor Hill, 423m, Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 73, NT 480444

 Iron Age settlers, the Devil, a wizard, King Arthur, the Romans, writers and poets. As well as being among the best known hills in Scotland, the Eildons are associated with all of the above. Although rising to only 422m at Eildon Mid Hill, they dominate the surrounding countryside and can be seen from miles around. One of the best places to view all three hills is from Scott's view to the east from where millions of pictures must have been taken; here is my effort.....

According to legend, the Eildons were originally a single hill which was cleft into three pieces by the devil who had been summoned by a local wizard, Michael Scott. Another legend associates King Arthur with the peaks.

I was returning from an MBA meeting at Hope bothy- a great wee howff in the hills near Peebles which unfortunately had just been sold (the bothy, not Peebles!) and will no longer be available to provide rough shelter. I had a bit of time to spare so decided to renew acquaintance with the Eildons. The hills are criss-crossed with paths and the route from Melrose initially follows the route of St Cuthberts Way.....

I headed for the highest point first- which is a Marilyn. It has a view indicator which incorporates a plaque to Sir Walter Scott.....

The weather was a bit changeable, alternating between bright sunshine and heavy cloud cover and the atmosphere was sometimes a bit flat for good photography. I had to hang about to get the better weather breaks for pics.This is Melrose from Mid Hill.....

and this is a zoomed shot of Melrose Abbey.....

Then it was back to the col and up Hill North, which I would have said was actually to the east but never mind! This is a view back to Mid Hill and the much lower Wester Hill from the slopes of Hill North.....

and this is Hill North from part way up Mid Hill.....

Hill North contains most of the historical interest. There has been a settlement here together with an outer defence system since around 1,000BC although I couldn't see any obvious signs. One feature that did stand out was a natural shelf on the south side of the hill which presumably was also used by the early settlers.....

Apparently Hill North was also extensively used by the Romans as a signal station and the Eildons stand above the Roman fort of Trimontium. So lots of interesting history and pre-history to read up about.

On the way home, I made a slight diversion to take in Sell Moor Hill, 422m. It is a fairly recent addition to the Marilyn tables and was a new "tick" for me. It hardly qualifies for the description of "hill"; it is really only the high point of fields and moorland between Stow and Lauder and I approached it from close to the high point of the road between the two. It was only about 70m of ascent over about 1/2 mile following a path through a couple of fields. This is the summit trig looking west to the Moorfoot Hills.....

Brown Carrick Hill

5 August 2010.

Participants - Just me
Where - Brown Carrick Hill, 287m/943', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 70, NS 283159

 The weather was still mixed with a lot of showers rattling in so rather than going to get wet on one of the hills of the highlands, I opted for a trip down the Ayrshire coast for this week's walk. The highest point of the Carrick hills- Brown Carrick Hill- is a Marilyn and even better, there is a minor road starting about 5 miles south of Ayr that crosses these hills and makes the ascent a dawdle. You can see the Carrick hills from the beach at Ayr, this is a picture that I took late afternoon on a previous visit.....

The highest point was about a quarter of a mile beyond the top with the communications mast on it; and there was a service road to the mast. The hills hereabouts are exposed to the winds off the Atlantic- many of the trees lean sideways showing the direction and strength of the prevailing winds.....

Arran dominates the views although today it kept disappearing in the rain showers that were blowing about......

The views of the Ayrshire coast were also impressive, this is looking north over Ayr itself.....

Looking past the trig, I could see another island that I must try and visit sometime- Ailsa Craig- which must be one of the most impressive Marilyns.....

The Carrick hills provide good, open, views proving again that you don't have to climb a Munro to get a good hill day out!