Craigowl

8 September 2011

Participants - Us again
Where - Craigowl, 455m/1,492', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 54, NO 377400

My earliest recollection of going to the hills was a school trip to the Sidlaws when I stayed in Dundee. I can't remember if we got to the top of anything or not but the trip must have had an effect on me because I have since developed a life long addiction to the hills. Craigowl is the highest in the range and I had passed it many times heading up the Dundee to Forfar road to Glen Esk and such places before I eventually got round to climbing it.....

So this was my second visit on a day when the weather just got better and better. I parked at the Balkello Community Woodland car park near to Auchterhouse. There were lots of paths and I chose one that seemed to be headed in the general direction of Auchterhouse Hill, the most westerly of the three tops that we aimed to climb. After leaving the woodland, we joined a path that headed up a wee glen between Auchterhouse Hill and Balluderon Hill. This is Auchterhouse Hill.....

and this is the type of scenery we were walking through.....

We came across the occasional fence, usually there was a gate and where there wasn't the fence was old enough to let Ben slip through without difficulty. It didn't take long till we were approaching the memorial to Syd Scroggie that has been erected on the top of Balluderon Hill. Syd was a legendary local mountaineer and poet- a real man of the hills. Shortly after the end of World War II, he stepped on a land mine as a result of which he was blinded and lost much of one leg. However that didn't stop him going to the hills and his obvious enjoyment of his trips shines through in his poetry. A real inspiration!

The memorial could not have been erected in a better place; I would say that the top of Balluderon hill is by a long way the finest view point in the group. The memorial incorporates a view indicator giving the distance of some of the more prominent hills. Definitely a place to linger! This is the view looking across the Tay to the Lomond hills....

But I had an impatient spaniel with me and Craigowl was now in view ahead.....

The views now included Strathmore and the Grampians.....

We passed a lone pine on the way up Craigowl.....

which is unfortunately crowned by lots of telecommunications equipment. The trig was situated on a small mound between the buildings and there was also a small cairn a few yards away. I took this picture looking north-west to some of the higher hills; you can spot Schiehallion if you look closely.....

Dundee was much closer.....

We could have descended by another path directly back to the car park but it was a day for staying high so it was back the same way and another stop at the top of Balluderon Hill. Rather than head back to Perth by the main dual carriageway, I decided on the scenic route and headed up to Meigle. I had a suspicion that there might be a coffee shop there and there was- a really good place at the road junction in the centre of the village. It was warm enough to sit outside. I must be getting old.....when once I would have used every last ounce of daylight to tick off Munros I am now taking leisurely strolls over smaller hills followed by visits to coffee shops....hmmmmm