Craigbeath Hill and Culliloe Hills (Fife)

28 January 2019

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Craigbeath Hill, 181m/594', P 30m, Tump, OS 58, NT 154 926 and Cullaloe Hills, 219m/718', P 82m, Tump, OS 65/66, NT 183 886

 

Snow was forecast for later in the week so I decided to head to Fife today to climb these two Tumps, one in Cowdenbeath and the other not far to the south. Craigbeath Hill was at the back of a new housing estate so there was no problem finding a place to park. The hill has been laid out as a small country park with good tracks, the high point was beside a covered reservoir, surrounded by an impenetrable fence. I thought that the highest ground was actually inside the fence although that might all have been man made. However, there was no way that I was getting in so I searched for the high point outside the fence which was in the middle if gorse. Aaah the Tumps!

 

The summit area from the east.....

 

 

and from the west.....

 

 

looking north to Kelty from the middle of the gorse.....

 

 

and to Benarty Hill, a Marilyn that I have climbed on a number of occasions.....

 

 

Then it was back to the car and a short drive south on the A909 to park at the entrance to Cullaloe Woods. I followed the track for a couple of  hundred yards before striking off uphill on an MTB path. This joined another, now unused, track which I followed further west, passing a folly, before striking uphill again over some very slippery ground- dead leaves on top of unconsolidated earth. Not pleasant when Ben was dragging me, especially going down! The initial walk along the track.....

 

 

I couldn't take Ben to the highest point of this one; it was right on the lip of a massive quarry. He got tied to a tree a few yards down while I visited the top, but he gets to claim it anyway. Looking along the quarry rim to the top.....

 

 

Across the quarry to Benarty Hill and Bishop Hill.....

 

 

And to the distant Ochil Hills.....

 

 

I don't know if they're still quarrying into the hill but there could be changes to the highest point in the future!

Barscube Hill and Barnbrock Hill

17 January 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Barscube Hill, 195m/640', P90m, TuMP, OS 63, NS 389 715 and Barnbrock Hill, 188m/617', P34m, TuMP, OS 63, NS 357 645

 

Another fine January day so it would have been a shame not to have ventured out again. It was back to Renfrewshire/Inverclyde this time to do these two TuMPs, the first of which promised to be a fine viewpoint above the Clyde. And indeed it was. I parked beside the Dargavel Burn to the south of the hill and walked up the road to a gate in the fence that gave easy access. This is a view of the hill from the starting point.....

 

 

It was easy walking and I soon spotted the trig, in a great position overlooking the river. The view down the Clyde with the Cowal hills in the background.....

 

 

Across the river to Dumbarton with a snow capped Ben Lomond in the distance.....

 

 

The view towards Glasgow.....

 

 

Back at the car, I decided to cut across by Bridge of Weir to do Barnbrock Hill. This hill is in the Muirshiel Country Park and there is one of their Visitor Centre's at the foot of the hill. Although it wasn't open, the car park was so I parked there. The hill was just across the road and up through a couple of fields.....

 

 

It was another fine viewpoint. Towards Glasgow.....

 

 

Over Inverclyde with the Cowal hills now more distant.....

 

 

The Muirshiel hills which I climbed last year.....

 

Corston Hill and Auchinoon Hill (Balerno)

14 January 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Corston Hill, 348m/1142', P 46m, OS 65, NT 095 634 and Auchinoon Hill, 351m/1152', P 75m, OS 65, NT 087 608

 

When I stayed in Balerno and wanted to walk locally, I headed to the main Pentland hills. Until I started climbing TuMPs, I had never given a thought to the two small hills on the other side of the A70, in fact it hadn't registered at all that there were any hills there! I rectified that omission today and of course they turned out to be fine viewpoints.

 

I parked in the small car park just off the A70 that I had used many times heading for the Bore Stane route, but this time I crossed the road to it's north side, found that there was a stile over the fence and then a signed footpath. In fact, bridges had been built over some drainage ditches (marked by yellow topped poles) so it was a really easy walk.  Corston Hill.....

 

 

Looking from Corston Hill to the Pentlands with Arthur's Seat sneaking into the left hand side of the photo.....

 

 

 

and the view north to Livingston.....

 

 

I could have carried on to Auchinoon Hill but decided to go back the same way and move the car to a small parking area at an old quarry close to the start of a track to the radio mast on Auchinoon Hill. The summit was marked by an upright stone, I wondered if it might be an old boundary stone but can find no reference to it if it is. Again, some great views.....

 

 

with the addition of a view over Harperrig reservoir to East Cairn Hill and West Cairn Hill.....

 

 

Corb Law and Down Hill (Ochil Hills)

8 January 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Corb Law, 475m/1558', P 116m, HuMP, OS 56, NO 004 091 and Down Hill, 361m/1184', P 112, HuMP, OS 56, NO 001 036

 

It was a rare sunny day amongst a lot of dry, but very cloudy, days to start 2019. I reckoned that these two HuMPs would provide a good outing; I had been thinking about climbing Down Hill for a while now and Corb Law had looked good when I'd seen it from the 3 TuMPs that I climbed to the south of it last year. I drove up the Dunning road and parked in the FC car park at Littlerig, immediately opposite the start of the RoW that cut through the hills to Auchterarder. I followed the track as far as the start of the Corb Glen, a deep pass between Corb Law and John's Hill. There was evidence of recent cattle activity but no sign of the perpetrators. This is a view of Corb Law from the track.....

 

 

John's Hill showed its steep side from here, better approached from further south.....

 

 

I left the main track just past a small plantation and followed another track up the hill. This gradually petered out but the underfoot conditions were good and it didn't take too long before I reached some fences that crossed the top of the hill. The highest point was just to the west of a fence; there was no cairn. A good viewpoint though, this is looking towards the Lomond hills in Fife.....

 

 

and south to the Steele's Knowe wind farm with Ben Cleuch beyond.....

 

 

and into Perthshire with Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich among other hills on the horizon.....

 

 

I returned the same way, and drove a couple of miles back down the road to the car park for Lendrick Hill. Opposite was Down Hill, which is the prominent hill at the foot of Glendevon when approaching from the south. Today though I wandered up the Downhill farm road for about 1/3 mile before taking to the hillside.....

 

 

Again there was evidence of cattle but again they were not on the hill. It was quite a steep ascent and I was glad to reach the top which contains the remains of an iron age fort. The hill sits immediately above Castlehill Reservoir but unfortunately the low sun was shining straight at me from that direction so I don't have a photo of it. No such problems looking across Glendevon to Innerdownie.....

 

 

or north to the wind farm and the cluster of hills around Corb Law.....

 

 

Lendrick Hill was immediately across the glen.....

 

 

There was a cold, fresh breeze blowing up here so I didn't linger. Two nice hills though.

 

 

 

 

Craigforth (Stirling)

1 January 2019

Participants: Just me
Where: Craigforth, 68m/223', P57m, TuMP, OS 57, NS 773948

Fine weather to start 2019, let's hope that it is a good omen for the rest of the year. I had passed Craigforth on hundreds of occasions but never got round to climbing it. Today was perfect to change that- early frost but clearing by mid-morning, clear skies, few people about. I wanted a longer walk so parked beside Kings Knot  at the foot of the castle and followed the southerly approach to the hill. This is it from close to the start.....

After leaving the footpath that runs alongside the A811 I followed a good track passing the houses at Kersebonny. Getting closer.....

There were lots of warning signs at the foot of the hill about difficult, slippery ground none of which were necessary as there was a good path all the way to top. I was pleasantly surprised at how open it was at the top , from afar it looks as though the trees are tightly packed. The highest point was at the edge of a cliff face and there were good views to the west with Ben Lomond prominent.....

A pleasant start to the year.

Kirkton Hill (Aberfoyle), Hill of Midgate (Perthshire), Leven Seat (Breich) and Tippet Knowe (Fauldhouse),

2 November 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Kirkton Hill, 88m/289', P41, TuMP, OS 57, NN 510004

I decided to climb this one because the map showed that it was covered in deciduous trees rather than conifers. What it didn't show of course was the vast amount of wet moss underfoot, windfall, ferns etc. Taking Ben was a bad idea, there were clearly deer close at hand and I was dragged all over the hillside. Mercifully, it was a short walk. The summit area.....

23 November 2018

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Hill of Midgate, 154m/503', P51m, TuMP, OS 52/53/58, NO 028 210

 

I was on my way to Dundee for the Mountain Film Festival, it was a grey, overcast day with showers but I arrived at the parking place in a bit of a lull. All I can say about this "hill" is "what". It is the highest point of extensive upland but fortunately the road runs close by and I only had a walk of a few hundred yards along an overgrown and wet path. The highest point is somewhere around here.....

 

3 December 2018

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Leven Seat, 356m/1,168', P38, TuMP, OS 72, NS 946 576 and Tippet Knowe, 290m/951', P49, OS 65, NS 921 612

 

A beautiful winter day with very clear visibility tempted me out to do these rather indistinct TuMPS. TuMPS. Leven Seat turned out to be a nice hill with fantastic views; pity it is now in a wind farm and there seems to be a massive landfill site being used next door. The approach track.....

 

 

and the summit trig.....

 

 

 

 Tippet Knowe at Fauldhouse is the remains of an old bing. It is approached from the play-park in the village. There is not much to say about it apart from the fact that the slightly lower top, which at least looks like a bing, is the best viewpoint, especially looking towards Edinburgh.....