Cairn Hill (East Renfrewshire)

29 April 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Cairn Hill, 270m/886', P36m, Tump, OS 64, NS 485 510

 

A short day- a drive into East Renfrewshire to bag Cairn Hill followed by a walk with Ben in Rouken Glen Park. I parked at a field gate from where it was only a few minutes up sheep pasture to the high point in front of a strand of trees.....

 

 

The turbines of Whitelee Wind Farm dominated the view east but the view west over Corsehouse Reservoir into Ayrshire was better......

 

 

Rouken Glen was a much more satisfying walk!

 

 

Glentye Hill (Ochils)

21 April 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Glentye Hill (Ochils), 481m/1,578', P30m, OS 58, NN 847 025

 

It was the Easter weekend. It had turned out warm, dry and hazy but with a stiff breeze although that had moderated for today. I wanted something close to home- becoming more difficult- and this less distinguished Ochil hill fitted the bill.  I parked just past the former Sheriffmuir Inn opposite a clump of trees from where a path went all the way to the summit......

 

 

The way up.....

 

 

Looking back to Sheriffmuir.....

 

 

The path rose at a gentle angle and I was at the top in around 40 minutes.....

 

 

Looking south to Blairdennan Hill......

 

 

Back the same way- a short day.

Creag na Moine Moire (Aberfeldy)

13 April 2019

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Creag na Moine Moire, 501m/1,642', P 64m, Tump, OS 52, NN 895 454

 

This Tump is south of Aberfeldy in the Griffin Forest, now an unholy combination of Sitka spruce and a wind farm. This has however provided the area with a network of tracks and a car park and seems to be a popular place for cycling. I suspect that very few visitors however make the diversion to climb this Tump, although it's not a bad viewpoint as the top is above the tree line. Despite its simplicity, I made a hash of finding it, as I had forgotten to bring a map and the turn off to the hill is not obvious with the new wind farm road. So we ended up having a longer walk along the track than intended! On the way back of course, the turn off was obvious- an old track ran up the side of an old quarry and this led in only a short distance to some radio masts. The highest point was just beyond, on the other side of a wall.

 

The best of the view was to the north with both Schiehallion and Faragon Hill prominent.....

 

To the east were the massed conifers of Griffin Forest with turbines beyond.....

 

 

Not one that I would return to but a pleasant walk nonetheless!

Cringate Law (Carron Valley)

10 April 2019

Participants: Just me

Where: Cringate Law, 397m/1,362’, P 31m, Tump, OS 57, NS 684 883

A morning walk to this one which sits at the west end of the Carron valley and to the north of it. It is now part of a wind farm so although the remoteness has gone there are now access roads almost to the top. I parked at Todholes in the car park that is used for Meikle Bin on the other side of the valley.     It was a straightforward walk; I followed the track until I was alongside the hill and then cut up grassy slopes to the top.

The approach.....

The unmarked highest point.....

Looking north, this would be grand remote country were it not for the turbines.....

I returned by the same route with a view of Meikle Bin in front of me.....

 

A Fife visit: Kincraig Hill, Bankhead of Raith, Hare Law

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Kincraig Hill, 65m/213’, P49m, Tump, OS 59, NT 468 999; Bankhead of Raith, 164m/538’, P36m, Tump, OS 58, NT 237 929; and Hare Law, 149m/489’, P 46m, Tump, OS 58, NT 202 965.

It was great to wake up to bright sunshine and a good forecast after days of cloudy and windy weather. It was many years since I had been to the East Neuk of Fife and I had spotted that Kincraig Hill, a headland west of Elie, was on the list of Tumps. Not very high but a prominent landmark which had been used for military defences during WW2. This is the view of it from Lundin Links.....
 

I parked in the car park at the entrance to Shell Bay caravan park. There didn’t seem to be anything to stop me continuing on the track which went almost to the summit but I fancied the walk. As expected it was a great viewpoint. The massive caravan park sort of spoiled the view to the west but otherwise it was great. The high point was pretty close to the edge of the cliffs so Ben had to go on his lead while we were there. These are the photos........

Looking back down the track to Shell Bay with Largo Law in the background.....
 

Looking across Shell Bay to the industrial towns, Leven, Methil etc.....
 

Elie and Earlsferry and one of the beaches.....

 

The Trig, not quite at the highest point.....

 

Ben with the summit mast behind him.....
 

The war time remains were interesting, it’s amazing how many of them have survived along our coastline.....

We then went on to Elie and had a walk round the harbour. It was the school holidays and it was busy so we didn’t linger long before setting off home especially as I had two more hills in mind for the return route.....

Bankhead of Raith was almost a drive over! Situated just off a minor road between Kirkcaldy and Cardenden the highest point was on a track to a farm only about 100m from the road.....
 

I carried on along the road through Cardenden and Auchterderran for the final hill, Hare Law. I parked at the north end of the village. From there we followed a good track initially alongside a golf course and then up the south slopes of the hill; it seemed to be a right of way. There were a number of banks of conifers on the flat top of the hill but fortunately the highest point was reckoned to be just to the east of the first one we came to. Getting to the high point did however involve some ducking and weaving through some prickly woodland. The Lomond Hills were to the north.....

 

 

Another excellent trip.

Craigentaggert Hill (Ochils)

31 March 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Craigentaggert Hill, 493m/1,617', P 70m, Tump, OS 58, NN 906 057

 

I had attempted to climb this hill with Ben a few weeks ago but there was a new fence at the col between it and Kinpauch Hill so we had to turn back. Shame because it was an ideal hill for him with no sheep about. The only consolation was that the weather today was better, an almost clear blue sky and no wind. The view from the start at Blackford, Craigentaggert Hill is on the middle left.....

 

 

There was a track and then a path as far as the high point of Kinpauch Hill which was marked by a cairn, a fabulous viewpoint. I had a rest here and my first cup of chocolate for the day. Looking back down to Blackford with Ben Chonzie in the background.....

 

The view along Strathearn towards Perth.....

 

 

The path ended soon after, at the fence that had stopped us on the earlier occasion. It was then typical Ochil grass and tussocks to the top of the Tump.....

 

 

The summit area was very flat, someone had built a stone man but I didn't think that it was the highest point.....

 

 

There was a small rocky area to the south so I wandered over to that for a view down to the Upper Glendevon reservoir and beyond to the highest hills in the Ochils including Ben Cleuch. I could just make out that there were people at its summit......

 

 

 

It felt quite remote at the summit of Craigentaggert and the hills to either side of it- Wether Hill and Core Hill- are also Tumps so I will have to come back to the area. But no time today as I had to get home to Ben who would no doubt be spending his time sleeping on the couch! But there was time for one last photograph, to the panorama of Highland hills on the horizon, from Ben Lomond, far left, to Ben Lawers.....