Viewing an industrial landscape: North Queensferry hills

26 January 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben

 

Where: Ferry Hills, 71m/233'/P54m, Tump, OS 65, NT 129 812; Letham Hill, 95m/312'/P60, Tump, OS 65, NT 147 836; Pilkham Hills, 194m/636'/P32m, OS 65, NT 184 890.

 

This Tump bagging is certainly taking me to some new areas. I wanted to see the new Queensferry crossing, there were a few Tumps in the area, it was a nice day.....

 

Ferry Hills stands above North Queensferry. I parked on Ferryhill Road where it widened, walked back up the hill a bit to a gate and a track that took me to the top.....

The highest natural point seems to be a few yards west of the water board compound/reservoir. There was a good view of Rosyth Dockyard to the west and of course the motorway carrying traffic to and from the bridges. Still, there was a good view of the Ochil Hills beyond and in the distance I could just see some of the hills of the Highlands, still snow covered......

There was a massive quarry in the other direction, but beyond that a nice view of the river and Dalgety Bay, with a plume of steam rising into the sky in the distance- Moss Morran chemical plant, more of which later......
 

 

I could see the towers of the Queensferry crossing and the old road bridge.....
 

 

but to get a proper view I had to go down to North Queensferry itself. The new bridge is a magnificent feat of engineering.......
 

 

We had a walk around North Queensferry which is a nice wee village but I'm not sure that I would want to have 3 major bridges overhead! Guess that the locals are used to it though, the rail bridge has been there since 1890.

 

I headed next for Letham Hill, a wooded area on the outskirts of Dalgety Bay. It was a very pleasant walk with a path running along the spine of the hill. There were two or three spots alongside the path that could have made a claim to be the highest point.....

Next I headed towards Cowdenbeath for Pilkham Hills. There are a few Tumps in this area and this one looked as though it might be the best; several others are gradually being worn away by quarrying activity. I parked at the entrance to the wooded area at Culloloe, crossed the road, went over a stile and on to the hill. A finger post said that the track here was part of the old A9 road. Traffic was a lot lighter in those days. It was a nice walk up through the woods so it was a bit of a shock when I reached the top, I was looking straight down to the Moss Morran chemical plant.....

There were also a number of wind turbines including one a couple of hundred yards from the summit. This is looking towards Cowdenbeath with the Ochils in the background.....

Industry is necessary but imagine what a fine view this hill would provide were it not there! It was OK towards the river although even in this view you can see a turbine.....
 

 

I reckoned that that had been a good variety of hills so rather than do any more I decided on an antidote to industrial landscapes, a walk in Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline. This is one of the best parks in Scotland, gifted to the town by Andrew Carnegie.....
 

 

Great for dog walking as well, and with a fine view of Dunfermline Abbey.....

It was almost spring like.