Tighvein

27 June 2014

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Tighvein (Arran), 458m/1,503', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 69, NR 997274

The good spell of weather continued, in the west anyway, so another island trip beckoned. I had been to Cumbrae earlier in the week and the Arran peaks tempted. So it was an early start from home to catch the 9.45 ferry at Ardrossan. Tighvein, the highest point in the south of the island was the target today. This is a view of it from the ferry- it is the plateau to the right of Holy Island. Can't say that I had noticed it before, it just looked like any other bit of high moorland but I was hoping for a good walk without too much rough ground plus some good views.....

 

 

The weather forecast was looking as though it would be correct for once; I was certainly tempted to abandon my sub-2k for another ascent of Goatfell but resisted.....

The starting point was a small Forestry Commission car park at Dyemill, just to the north of Lamlash The map showed a path going to Urie Loch which was on the 1,300' contour so that would be most of the ascent taken care of. In fact it was signed and there was a waymark pole from time to time. Obviously the loch was a popular local walk. The path started in a deciduous forest alongside a stream and then entered a pine forest where it got a bit steeper. This section was a bit muddy in places but not too bad and we made good time. The path ran along the top of the forest for a bit, steepened, and then we were out of the trees on to the plateau. There was a great view back to Lamlash......

 

 

across to Holy Isle.....

 

 

across the moor to the main Arran peaks.....

 

 

and this is Ben pausing to take it all in.....

 

 

The loch was just ahead in a small dip with Tighvein above it, not far away at all.....

 

 

The path ended at the loch and after that it was just a case of ploughing across some rough heather moorland and crossing a few peat hags. I doubt if other than Marilyn baggers would venture further than the path end! However there was very little ascent left to do and around 15 minutes saw us at the top, where there was both a trig and a cairn. The trig looked marginally higher. It was certainly a clear day; I could see the coastline of Northern Ireland, Kintyre, Ailsa Craig, the Ayrshire coast with the Galloway hills beyond and of course Goatfell. Here are a few photographs....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So another unpromising looking lump of a hill had turned out to be a special viewpoint. It is however one to leave for a clear day. It took about 3 hours up and down and that included a generous amount of time sitting around at the top.

 

The Goatfell hills were still looking good when we got back to Brodick.....

 

  

Birnam Hill

19 June 2014

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Birnam Hill, 404m/1,324', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 52, NO 032402

There are still a number of Marilyns just off the A9 that I haven't climbed but for one reason or another they are not dog friendly. So I decided to stop off on the way home and do Birnam Hill again; the circuit north to south is an enjoyable 2 and a bit hours. And the weather was lovely again. I parked at the station and was soon on the path that winds steeply uphill through a lovely, mainly birch, wood.....

 

 

There were occasional views down to the villages of Dunkeld and Birnam.....

 

 

Last time I was here the summit marker was just a huge pile of stones, now it is a properly built cairn with steps built into it and places to rest weary legs.....

 

 

The best of the view is to Schiehallion but.....another wind farm has made an appearance! I counted over 40 turbines.....

 

 

After a good rest at the top we carried on heading south where some steps have been built into the hillside at the steepest point. Just past here there was a good view to the Sidlaws.....

 

 

This is part of the path on this side of the hill.....

 

 

It was a really hot day again and Ben was really pleased to come across this beautiful double waterfall and pool.....

 

 

I have climbed Birnam Hill now on a number of occasions. It is great at all times of the year- a highly recommended walk.

200 Scottish Sub-2k's up- Ben Horn

18 June 2014

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Ben Horn, 521m/1,710', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 17, NC 807064

I had always fancied visiting the hills of Eastern Sutherland and Caithness and a search of various hill-walking websites drew my attention to Ben Horn as being one of the best hills in the area. The forecast was good although warm so as I was based in Inverness for a few days I decided to seize the opportunity and go for it. What a good decision that turned out to be. So I drove to Golspie and turned up the single track road that goes up Dunrobin Glen as far as Bridge of Horn where there was lots of parking.....
 

 

The route initially was through some forestry but that soon ended. There was a gate at the top of the forest and a style beside it; Ben was having nothing to do with the style but fortunately he was able to squeeze through a gap low down in the fence. Bigger dogs would have a problem. This is looking back from through the gate, the hill in the distance is Ben Bhraggie with the monument to the Duke of Sutherland prominent. I must go and have a look at this infamous object next time that I'm in the area, especially as Ben Bhraggie is the south top of another sub-2k! The Duke and his kind drove out all the people so that they could use the land for sheep, but strangely I never saw a single one of these beasts on the hill today. Maybe the sheep have in their turn been driven out to be replaced with wind turbines- see later.....

Now my hill was in sight standing above a loch of the same name.....
 

 

The going was excellent after I got past the immediate lochside area, short heather that was easy to walk over. And the views were starting to open out. This is a telephoto shot of Ben Bhraggie.....
 

 

and this is looking down on Loch Horn with Ben Wyvis and Carn Chuinneag on the horizon.....
 

 

It was a steady pull up to the summit where there was a small cairn. At last I seem to have got Ben to sit at cairns and trigs to get his photo taken.....
 

 

What a situation, pity there had to be a downside. This.....a wind farm on the north slopes of the hill spoiling the view to Ben Klibreck and the other hills of the far north. I don't mind wind farms in industrial areas but this is one that should never have been allowed......

The view further round was to Morven and its neighbours and would you believe it, there was another wind farm, although not so prominent.....

It was warm in the sunshine but there was a wee bit of a breeze so I sat around for a good while. Even with the wind turbines, it was a fantastic viewpoint, everything that I had hoped. I took a couple of wide angle shots, the first is over Loch Horn to the distant Ben Wyvis (with the snow patches) and Carn Chuinneag, the double topped hill to the right, and the second is the northern arc of hills- the big pointy one is Ben Klibreck with Ben Armine centre and the Ben Griams to the right.....
 

 

 

 

Then it was back the same way and of course Ben had a swim in the loch.....
 

 

It was only when I got home and checked my records that I realised that this had been my 200th Scottish sub-2k Marilyn. I had certainly (unconsciously) chosen a good one for that landmark. And there are lots of other good hills in this area to tempt me back.

 

 

Cnoc an t-Sabhail

17 June 2014

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Cnoc an t-Sabhail, 380m/1,246', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 21, NH 694787

Now this is an obscure one! It is situated north of Alness and is reached from the Struie road, the B9176. Driving past, it looks like another of those tree clad monstrosities. But from further up the road, you can see that the forest only covers one side of the hill and that a lot of it is clear. There is also a useful track through the forest section starting at a point marked as a cycle track on the map.....
 

 

 

The first part of the track followed the route of an old drove road. There are a number of these old cattle trails in this area and I read somewhere that they may have been used to avoid paying tolls on the main roads.....
 

 

After less than a mile, a side track headed into the forest passing a pleasant loch called Loch Sheilah.....
 

 

Just before reaching the loch, there was a good view west to the Graham of Beinn Tharsuinn, which I might have climbed today had I had more energy.....

The trees didn't hem the path in too much although there had been some new planting between the track and the more mature forest.....
 

 

It was a steady climb up the track and not too long before I spotted a thinning of the trees ahead. There was a fence between the forest and the moor but a good space had been left between the trees and the fence so I didn't have to cross it. The going was quite good underfoot but looking back at one point when I paused for a rest I saw a big fox crossing the moor and disappearing into the trees. I hoped that it wasn't searching for spaniels and did wonder if I should put Ben on his lead when I got back down to the forest but fortunately it was a hot day and he wasn't running about as much as usual and was sticking quite close.

 

The views weren't too bad. This is looking north to Struie, which is probably the best of the sub-2k's in the area.....
 

 

this is looking west to Beinn Tharsuinn.....
 

 

and this one is the Dornoch Firth with some of the hills of east Sutherland and Caithness beyond.....
 

 

Not a bad view at all but I knew that the actual summit was in the forest. I had looked at it on Google Earth before I left home and knew which forest ride it was in. This one.....
 

 

But, in keeping with the obscure nature of the hill, the highest point wasn't marked and without a GPS to tell me, it could have been any one of a number of tufts of grass. Ben thinks that he's found the spot.....
 

 

It would have been possible to follow the forest ride down through the trees to join another track but I decided to keep on open ground as much as possible so returned the same way. Ben was able to cool off in a stream down by the loch; I had to wait until I'd driven to Alness before I got my cool drink.....