Miscellaneous Tumps (1): Cumbernauld Hill; Cairn Hill (Bearsden); Kippen Muir; Carleton Hill; Cant Hills; King's Park (Stirling); Callum's Hill (Crieff); Knock Mary; Ravens Crag

Tumps- hills with at least 30m of relative height, some are also classified as Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, sub-2k Marilyns, or Humps. The ones below Marilyn prominence are in a class of their own though as regards bagging!! Some are excellent viewpoints, or make a nice short outing, especially if on the way to or from somewhere else, or if time is short or weather less than ideal. Some have never been climbed because they are sea stacks. Some are just mad, or rather, those who bag them are! Here are some mainly local ones that I have bagged in the last few months, I'll let you decide whether I'm mad or not!.

 

28 June 2017. Just me. Cumbernauld Hill, 149m/489', OS 64, NS 757 745

 

This might have been a nice hill if they hadn't built Cumbernauld! The highest point is the east side of the church behind the shopping centre, apparently at this piece of stone artwork....

 

 12 July 2017. Neil and Ben. Cairn Hill (Bearsden), 73m/239', OS 64, NS 543 708

 

Cairn Hill is a wooded green space in the middle of a housing area, close to Canniesburn Toll. There are a good number of paths so it was ideal for dog walking. The highest point seemed to be somewhere in an area of felled rhododendrons; there was of course no view.....

18 July 2017. Neil and Ben. Kippen Muir, 193m/633', Tump, OS 57, NS 625 919

 

Kippen Muir is situated to the north of the Marilyn's Caerleatheran and Stronend and provides a good view of them. The B822 from Fintry to Kippen runs along the top of the Muir so there was virtually no ascent required. I parked in a layby about 100m east of a track to some holiday cottages. A couple of hundred yards walking along the track and another hundred yards or so west across rough ground brought us to the highest point. Choose your own tuft of grass for where exactly it is.....

 

 

The view north to the highland hills including Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich was nice.....

 

 

4 August 2017. Just me. Carleton Hill, 101m/331', OS  85, NY 450 500

 

The A6 south of Carlisle passes over this one (centre, distant).....

 

 

The highest point is apparently the other side of the hedge on the west side of the road. I could have leapt (!?) out of the car, gone through a gate and stood at the highest point in the field; roughly two minutes. However, I parked in a lay-by a few hundred yards away and undertook the strenuous walk along the pavement.

 

24 August 2017. Just me. Cant Hills, 306m/1,004', OS 65, NS 850 621

 

Beside the Kirk of Shotts to Shotts road, the highest point is a mound in a small pinewood copse above a lay- by at a bend in the road. Over the fence, climb about 15m and I was there.....

 

 

30 August 2017. Just me. King's Park, Stirling, 69m/226', OS 57, NS 781 931

 

In Stirling, the path runs along the top of a golf course. I should have left this one until winter, the highest point is in here somewhere......

 

 

There was a reasonable view to Ben Ledi and neighbours..... 

 

 

2 September 2017. Just me. Callum's Hill, 159m/690', OS 52, NN 875 222

 

I stopped to do this one and also Knock Mary on my way back from climbing Kenmore Hill. The highest point is at a radio mast at the back of some houses on the eastern outskirts of Crieff- a 15 minute trek there and back.....

 

 

2 September 2017. Just me. Knock Mary, 180m/592', OS 56, NN 843 200

 

A wooded top west of Crieff, there was no view once in the trees but it was a pleasant stroll of a couple of miles none the less.....

 

 14 September 2017. Neil and Ben. Raven Craig, 290m/951', OS 65, NS 991 705

This wooded, craggy area is near Bathgate, across the road from the Marilyn, Cairnpapple Hill. I parked in a car park to the south and followed a myriad of paths which eventually took me to what I thought was the highest point. The atmosphere was very clear so, outwith the trees, the views were excellent, especially towards the south-east. I could make out features from North Berwick Law to Lanarkshire. On a fine day, the Bathgate Hills are well worth visiting for their panoramic views of central Scotland....

 

Mailer Hill (Perth)

19 September 2017

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Mailer Hill, 182m/597', Hump, OS 53, NO 101 210

 

Mailer Hill can be seen from most directions as you approach or are in Perth; it is the hill with telecommunications masts on the west side of the motorway.....
 

 

There is a high car park on its east side so the amount of climbing required is minimal. The views from the car park were pretty good.....

The motorway has been driven through the hill so after a short walk through the wood, the path drops down to a pedestrian bridge over the road before rising again through more woodland and joining a track which comes up from the west......

There were cows in the field that contains the summit so I tied Ben to the fence before making my way into the field and up to the trig, which was being used as a scratching pole.....
 

 

 

It was a great viewpoint. Perth with the Grampians distant.....

west towards Stirling with the Ochils on the left and the familiar shapes of Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin distant right.....

and across Fife to the Ochils.....
 

 

If you have an hour or so to spare in Perth on a clear day then this is a really worthwhile walk.

Stuc Odhar (Glen Finglas)

17 September 2017

Participants: Just me
Where: Stuc Odhar (Glen Finglas), 638m/2,093', Hump, OS 57, NN551 088

In terms of actual height, Stuc Odhar would be classified as a Graham if it met the prominence criteria. It doesn't so is classified as a Hump. It is, however, a fine hill, rising from the shores of Loch Venachar which means that you have to climb most of its 638m if you want to bag it. The southern slopes are owned by the Woodland Trust who have created a network of paths one of which takes you well up the hill. I parked at the Little Druim car park, crossed the road and was on a well engineered path that contoured gently round and up the hill. Very soon Ben Venue appeared to the west.....

 

 

And a bit further up and I could see the Arrochar Alps in the distance.....

 

 

The path got a bit narrower and a bit wetter as I got higher and eventually reached the boundary of the Woodland Trust land at a high deer fence. They had however kindly provided a stile. The summit of Stuc Odhar was now in view.....

 

 

The going was a mix of heather and grass and was not too bad as I angled up onto the ridge. Almost there.....

 

 

The final slope was steep but I was able to angle round to the north to find a reasonable way up (and down). Ben Ledi is immediately to the north; I could see folk at its summit.....

 

 

But Stuc Odhar I had to myself, although I did meet a couple of parties on the Woodland Trust path who were doing the whole trail rather than taking in the hill. The weather was a bit dull although visibility was superb. Here are some photos taken from the highest point, which is about 15m west of the cairn. Ben Vane.....

 

 

The Crianlarich hills in the distance, Ben More and Stobinian with a little bit of cloud cover.....

 

 

And looking over Glen Finglas reservoir to the distant Arrochar hills.....

 

 

This is a hill that probably deserves more attention than it is likely to get, not being classified a Munro, Corbett, Graham or indeed a sub-2k Marilyn. The Trust have established a number of paths across their estate so there are plenty opportunities to investigate this area only an hour away from Glasgow if you don't want to climb the hill. Time taken was 4 hours 10 minutes.

Startup Hill

9 September 2017

Participants: Just me

Where: Startup Hill, 439m/1440', Hump, OS 72, NS 977 296

 

Down to the Border hills today- Startup Hill lies to the north of the main Culter hills and is approached from the village of Lamington. This is a view of it from A73 to the north......

 

 

I parked in the small car park at the church; it was a walk of only a couple of hundred yards along the main road from there to the start of the side road that went into the hills. I walked along that road as far as the farm at Baitlaws and then took to the east slopes of Startup Hill. There was still a bit of cloud about- this is looking to Tinto- but it was clearing.

 

 

The ground was very wet and when I came to a patch of bracken I was glad to find a sheep trod through it....or maybe it was a Humpers trod? Whatever, it didn't take too long before I was approaching the top, with Dungavel Hill to its right.....

 

 

The hill overlooks the Clyde valley and I could see all of the way to the Pentland Hills to the east.....

 

 

The clouds were pretty thick to the south, to the Culter hills, and it looks as though the massive Clyde wind farm is marching steadily north.....

 

 

No cairn or trig on this one but the highest point was obvious. With the cloud now cleared from Tinto.....

 

 

I started down, enjoying the view of Lamington Hill as I descended.....

 

 

Creag an Fhudair (Kenmore Hill)

2 September 2017

Participants: Just me; Ben had an operation this week to remove a couple of fatty lumps and the wounds need to be kept clean, so no off-lead running about.

Where: Creag an Fhudair (Kenmore Hill), 515m, 1,690', Tump, OS 52, NN 780 436

 

Back to the "real" hills". I drove to Kenmore and took the hill road that goes over to Amulree. After about a couple of miles, a track goes off to a small car park (signposted by the estate) and from there a path goes to pretty near the summit providing a fine walk through a mix of old and new Scots Pines. High up, the path reaches a viewpoint marked by a very large cairn.....
 

 

 and shortly after, starts to descend to form a loop back to the car park. The summit is not far above across fairly short heather. There were a number of knolls each with a cairn but the highest point for some reason only attracts a couple of stones.....

As expected, the hill is a very fine viewpoint. This is looking east to Meall Tairneachain and Farragon Hill with Beinn a'Ghlo in the background.....
 

 

Along Loch Tay to Ben Lawers and its neighbours.....

Across the moors to Creagan na Beinne.....

and north over Kenmore village to Schiehallion.....
 

 

There are a number of wind farms to the south and unfortunately they appear to be creeping closer. There appeared to be a new track running across the moor from Loch Tay and a couple of wind turbines on the next hill to the south. Whitelee is the place for turbines, not here! This is also grouse shooting territory and I heard a number of shots as I sat at the cairn. Rather than continue on the loop, which seemed to disappear into the forest, I went down the same way to keep as much of the view as possible. The colours are getting to their best at this time of year; this is another photo looking to Farragon Hill.....
 

 

I drove back over the hill road through Glen Quaich. It was popular, just as well there are a few passing places and it now has a reasonable surface. I remember when it seemed to receive no upkeep at all but then it is many years since I had been here. The area looks worthy of further exploration. I've put it on my "to do" list before the turbines take over and of course outwith the grouse rearing and shooting season.