Beinn Lora

16 March 2016

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Beinn Lora, 308m/1010', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 49, NM 919377

 

I stopped off at Beinn Lora at Benderloch on the way home, another favourite stop-off hill on a travelling day. The good weather continued; here are a few photographs taken on my phone.

 

The view to Ben Cruachan....

 

 

 

Loch Linnhe and the hills of Morvern.....

 

 

The hills to the north.....

 

Ben after finding a mucky puddle.....

 

Beinn nam Beathrach

15 March 2016

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Beinn nam Beathrach, 582m/1911', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 49, NM 752572

 

I was staying at Strontian and you could see Beinn nam Beathrach from there, across Loch Sunart. This was the view of it in the morning.....

 

 

It was only a few miles drive to the start of the walk, the high point of the road that goes to Lochaline. There was a convenient parking place at the start of a rough 4WD track that went to a couple of masts a short distance up the hillside. After that it was a case of picking my way up to the ridge keeping to the right of an obvious gully to arrive at the east top and another superlative view! I found that this was the best bit of the hill from which to see the hills of Ardgour, with both Sgurr Dhomhnuill  (centre in the next photo) and Garbh Bheinn (right hand side) prominent. Loch Sunart is in the foreground and you can also make out Strontian.....

 

 

 

The summit was the best bit of a mile away over some lumpy ground with lots of little lochans; I could just make out the trig in the distance.....

 

 

To the east I could see the mainland hills over Loch Linnhe.....

 

 

and to the north Beinn Resipol over Loch Sunart.....

 

 

Then Rum, with Eigg in front of it, and Skye came into view.....

 

and it didn't take too long to reach the Vanessa trig. Ben knows now that he has to sit at the summit to get his photograph taken, here with the whole range of the Ardgour Corbetts in the background.....

 

 

Loch Sunart, Rum, Eigg and Skye and you can just make out the Outer Hebrides in the background.....

 

 

Beinn Resipol.....

 

the hills of Mull.....

 

 

Needless to say, I sat around for quite a while. You don't get many days like this in a year. While I was at the trig, Ben suddenly shot off, down the slopes to the south and up the other side. I hadn't seen them but there were some deer there and I watched them take off as this white shape charged towards them. He obviously realised that he was getting rather far away from me so I saw him stop and head back. It was a tired dog that dragged himself back to the trig after about a half mile run full tilt!

 

We went down by the same route and as it was still early I headed down to have a look at Lochaline. There were some strange cloud formations over our hill.....

 

 

And to complete a perfect day, there was a good sunset so an evening pic of Beinn nam Beathrach to finish.....

 

Meall Mor, Rannoch Moor

14 March 2016

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Meall Mor (Rannoch Moor), 492m/1615', sub-2k Marilyn, Map 50, NN 304471.

I had to take advantage of the glorious weather this week and get out on the hills. West was to be best so I headed to Strontian to climb a wanted sub-2k in Morvern. On the way up, I stopped off to climb Meall Mor, which demonstrates the truth of the phrase "maximum reward for minimal effort." I had climbed it before but these were easily the best conditions that I had had. It's well worth stopping to do if you're travelling the A82 and have an hour to spare.

I think that this is the best time of year, there is still some snow on the hills and you have a good chance of sharp visibility. These were the views today:

The hills of the Blackmount.....

Ben at the cairn.....

The Stob Ghabhar hills.....

Clachlet and Meall a'Bhuiridh.....

Looking over Lochan na h-Achlaise and Rannoch Moor.....

Beinn Achaladair and Beinn an Dothaidh.....

Beinn an Dothaidh and Loch Tulla.....

Zoom to Ben Cruachan.....

Wonderful! Then it was on through Glencoe.....

To be continued.....

Airdriehead Hill

13 March 2016

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Airdriehead Hill, 159m/522', Tump, OS 64, NS 748758

I was passing Cumbernauld today so decided to have a look at Airdriehead Hill. The Inn Pinn it aint! More a patch of scrubland in the middle of houses etc. I parked at the school and walked past the play area and I was there. Still, I could see the Arran hills, Meikle Bin and Tinto in the distance. The highest point is somewhere in the photos, Ben thinks that he's found it.

 

 

Best view in central Scotland- Cockleroy and Witch Craig

7 March 2016

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Cockleroy, 278m/912', Tump and Witch Craig, 287m/942', Tump, south of Linlithgow, Map 65, 989744 and 990726.

 

Visibility was superb today. I didn't want to go far but still fancied something different. The Bathgate Hills fitted the bill, not the highest point Cairnpapple Hill which I have done before but a couple of the smaller summits. We did Cockleroy first, from the car park on the Linlithgow to Bathgate road. It is only a short climb but, wow, well worth many times the effort. This the way up.....
 

to see this.....

 

 

The furthest away hill noted on the indicator was Goat Fell in Arran at 66 miles and I could see it easily. Ben Lomond was 43 miles away- it is the snow covered hill on the extreme left in the first and second of the summit shots above. Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich are also seen well towards the centre of the photos. Even the industry of Grangemouth was not spoiling the views today!

Swinging round and I could see the Pentlands.....

 

and I was looking down on Linlithgow Loch and Palace.....
 

 

After Cockleroy, I drove further down the road towards Bathgate, not sure what I was going to do next. Shortly, I came across the Korean memorial, I wasn't aware of its existence. It does of course commemorate the soldiers who died in the Korean War of 1950-53. It is a really nice memorial and well worth a visit. The centre piece is a small pagoda.....
 

 

The memorial is on the slopes of another Tump- Witch Craig, and I found that there was a path from the memorial garden to the plateau. So, of course, we went up. The highest point isn't marked but seems to be at the southern end of a wee escarpment. It provided more views of the central belt and the hills of the southern Highlands.....
 

 

and this is the view from it to Cockleroy......

So not much walking today but a superb day out nonetheless.

Another local repeat- Lendrick Hill

3 March 2016

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Lendrick Hill, 456m/1,496', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 58, NO 019036

I'm not a great fan of walking in snow so today I did another repeat of Lendrick Hill in the Ochils while waiting for the snow to clear off the higher hills. Judging from the view to the north, I'm going to have to wait a while before venturing into the Highlands!

The track goes round the north side of the hill before you leave it to climb up a grassy gully. There was even some snow here and it was also a bit icy deep in among the trees. This is Lendrick Hill from Castlehill Reservoir in Glen Devon.....

It had been nice and sunny early on in the day but by the time that I started walking it was already clouding over although visibility remained excellent. This is looking west over Innerdownie with the snow covered highland hills on the horizon. Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich are easily seen.....

The summit area has both a cairn and a trig, the former is higher. This is looking from the cairn over the trig to the Forth valley.....

And of course the obligatory shot of Ben at the trig, with the Lomond Hills and Loch Leven in the background.....