Black Hill, Bridge of Allan

20 February 2017

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Black Hill, Bridge of Allan, 226m/741', Tump, Map 57, NS 809980

 

Grey and cloudy, day after day this year in the Glasgow area. No sign of a prolonged spell of bright weather on the horizon. And this morning it rained. However, about noon, it started to clear, the Campsie Fells appeared and amazingly the sun came out.

 

There was still time to take advantage. The nearest and easiest Marilyn was Dumyat at the west end of the Ochils, a hill that I had climbed many times before but not for a few years now. So off we headed. Arriving at the high car park on the Sheriffmuir road, I realised that I would not be climbing Dumyat. A big flock of sheep grazed the hillside so Ben would have to go on his lead. And Ben on a lead at the start of a walk is a nightmare. Fortunately I remembered that the hill on the opposite side of the road above the car park was a Tump and one that I had not climbed before. Although it was heavily wooded, it would at least give us some exercise. In fact, it was a very pleasant walk through the trees.....

 

 

and it didn't take long before I could see the summit area.....

 

 

The trees had been cleared from the top of the hill leaving the usual mess of brash. The hill-bagging site helpfully provided the information that the highest point was "ground by a tree stump". Hmmmm!!!

 

 

At least there was a view. This is looking towards Ben Ledi, Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich......

 

 

And to Ben Chonzie.....

 

 

Stuc a'Chroin again.....

 

 

It was like a spring day, a temperature of 12 degrees and only a few snow patches visible on the distant hills. We headed back to the track and had a wander along some of the other laid out trails on the hill slopes before making our way back to the car, Dumyat ahead......

 

 

A short walk but extremely pleasant. But I need to be careful.....I seem to be starting to collect Tumps!

Whinney Hill, an unexpected Tump

10 February 2017

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Whinney Hill, 164m/538', Tump, Map 56, NS 399842

I had seen reports of occasional brilliant weather conditions in parts of the country, in particular north-west Scotland, but not wanting to travel long distances at this time of year, I was confined to canal walks with Ben under mostly grey skies. There is only so much of the same walk that I can take however so, although it was grey and snowing when I left the house this morning, I trusted the forecast that said it would be great visibility further west and headed in the direction of Loch Lomond. I stopped at Duncryne, which is a favourite wee hill at Gartocharn, but it started snowing again as I reached the top.

 

What to do now? There was no sign of any better weather, so no point in travelling much further. It looked like either the shopping centre at Loch Lomond Shores or a walk up Bromley Muir above Alexandria. I plumped for the latter, but couldn't find the road that would take me to the start (although I had been there last year). So I decided on a walk in Balloch Country Park instead. There were some signs that it might be brightening up when I started off.
  

I reached the northern limit of the country park and vaguely thought that the hill above was a Tump. So out with the phone to confirm- it was and looking at the reports on the hill bagging site there was a path a lot of the way. Decision made, and some blue sky was starting to appear. From the loch-side, I followed a rough path up the side of the Burn of Balloch and crossed a road that led to Boturich estate. I was now in some very pleasant woodland on the upper slopes of Whinney Hill, looked after by the Woodland Trust, a charity that is well worth supporting. And they had constructed an excellent path to aid progress.....
 

 

Like most small, wooded hills, the highest point was not obvious. It is somewhere here, at the other side of an old wall from the path.....

The only problem with wooded hills like this is that the views are a bit scarce but there were glimpses of the snow covered Luss hills to the north.....

  

The better weather had arrived at last, this is looking at Bromley Muir from the path.....

So I didn't do any of the things that I had thought that I would do with my day but instead bagged a Tump that I didn't really know existed. Result!