Cnoc Brannan (Glen Artney)

24 May 2019

Participants: Just me
Where: Cnoc Brannan (Glen Artney), 398m/1,306', P 90m, OS 57, NN 722 158

The sun had reappeared but the forecast was saying that this was the last day of the current good spell. So I needed to take advantage of it. I parked in the church car park in Glen Artney, walked back along the road a wee bit and took the track that went south around the flank of Cnoc Brannan. It was just a case of following this until I chose to head up the western slopes of my objective, This is the hill from the car park.....

There was a fine view of Beinn Dearg on the other side of Glen Artney.....

It was easy going on grass slopes. Glen Artney is a fine glen providing an approach to Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich, rather longer than the normal route from Loch Lubnaig or Loch Earn. I did it once this way. Higher up there was some heather but it was easily avoided and it didn't take too long before I was at the unmarked summit. Some views, firstly up the glen to the two Munros.....

north to Ben Chonzie.....

The Graham Uamh Bheag.....

Down the Findhu Glen towards the Marilyn Ben Clach

Another excellent short walk.

Dungavel Hill (near Strathaven)

22 May 2019

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Dungavel Hill, 458m/1,503', P 44m, TuMP, OS 71, NS 675 354

 

It was cloudier today but visibility remained excellent. I had looked at Dungavel Hill on the map and wondered how bad the forestry was. However, I needn't have worried, there was a good track and the paths from there through the trees to the open ground above were clear and obvious. There was space for the car at the start of the track; there is a mast there as well but it is surrounded by trees so you have to know that it's there if you're using it to identify the start point. The walk was straightforward, I followed the track until it reached a T junction and the path through the trees started opposite. Another path left this one close to the top edge of the trees and went to the summit, marked by a trig and a large cairn. This hill obviously gets a lot of visitors. The views were extensive.

 

Approaching the trig and cairn.....

 

 

 Ben at the trig.....

 

 

Looking to Arran.....

 

Wind turbines to the north.....

 

 

and the east.....

 

Galloway hills in the distance.....

 

 

The return followed the outward route.

Brown Hill (near Largs)

21 May 2019

Participants: Just me

Where: Brown Hill, 344m/1,129m, P 31m, TuMP, OS 63, NS 245565

 

I suppose that Brown Hill is the TuMP top of the Marilyn, Blaeloch Hill. The latter is now home to a wind farm but Brown Hill is fortunately clear. The access road for the wind farm however provides easy access to the hill and there is a large car park at the start so its not all bad......

 

 

I followed the track to around the 280m contour before taking to the hill. Other reports that I have read talk about bogs but after the long dry spell, there were none of those today. The highest point was on the easternmost rise but the best views were from its near neighbour a few yards away to the west. The high point is unmarked and from it, the tops of the Arran hills can be seen poking out.....

 

 

Looking down on Muirhead reservoir.....

 

 

The view to Arran, Cumbrae, Bute and Kintyre from the west bump.....

 

 

 

A pleasant, short walk.

Middle Moor (Wanlockhead)

14 May 2019

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Middle Moor, 470m/1,542', P 31m, Tump, OS 71, NS 869 111

 

There are a lot of Tumps in the high moorland around Wanlockhead and this day out was really only a recce. It is prime grouse shooting territory with lots of tracks and new looking grouse butts. Although it was a short walk, I didn't see any grouse! Still, an area to avoid in the autumn.

 

I found a convenient lay-by just outside the village at Mennock Hass and followed a broad track across the hillside which meant that there was only a little bit of heather bashing required to reach the high point. I have recently purchased the View ranger app for my phone and it came in handy here to find the high point in some featureless moorland. Best of the views was to the main Lowther hills. A short walk followed by a cup of coffee and scone at the Wanlockhead Lead Mining museum café before driving back!

 

 

Cnoc Beithe and Craig Kipmaclyne (Crieff)

12 May 2019

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Cnoc Beithe, 447m/1,466', P 31m, Tump, OS 52/58. NN 865268 and Craig Kipmaclyne, 375m/1,230', P 34m, Tump, OS 52/58, NN 876 266

 

The good weather had followed me home, it was a lovely day and  these two hills, which had been on my to do list for ages, were not too far away. A bonus was that there were tracks all the way, this is sheep and grouse country. Although their prominence is low, the approach climbs are considerably greater and these definitely feel like much bigger and wilder hills. Craig Kipmaclyne is prominent from the word go.....

 

 

 

Cnoc Beithe, which I decided to climb first, is tucked in behind it.....

 

 

I had heard gun shots in the distance when I was approaching the hill and there were a couple of very loud bangs- obviously quite close- when I was at the summit. Gamekeepers shooting rodents no doubt. However I saw no one but safety first, I didn't linger, stopping only long enough to take a few photographs. The high point was marked by a conspicuous boulder and there were good views to distant Ben Vorlich, to the Ben Chonzie hills and south to the Ochils.....

 

 

I returned the way that I had come before striking up a rougher path up Craig Kipmaclyne. This was an extremely pleasant perch and without stray bullets to bother me, I spent some time here. Again, there were fine views west to Ben Vorlich....

 

 

 

a nice panorama of hills to the south-east.....

 

 

and of course the Ochils.....

 

 

This is one hill that I would definitely go back to.

A week in Oban, Part 7: Eilean Duirinnis and Dun Athaic.

7 and 8 May 2019

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Eilean Duirinnis, 41m/135', P38m, Tump, OS 50, NN 012 332 and Dun Athaic, 166m/545', P49m, Tump, OS 50, NN 144 258

 

The final full day of my holiday was a bit cloudy with showers about. I was looking for a short day and spotted that the small hill at Bonawe on Loch Etive side was on the Tump list. It obviously receives some visitors because there was the makings of a path. The hill juts out into the loch so there was a nice view westwards towards to mouth of the loch......

 

 

and across the loch to Taynuilt.....

 

 

but it was cloudy and raining up the loch towards Glencoe.....

 

 

I had looked at the hill bagging site to see if there was anything I could do on the way home the next day. Dun Athaic behind Dalmally caught my eye, especially because it had a monument to Duncan Ban MacIntyre, the Gaelic poet, at its summit.....

 

 

An added advantage was that there was a road to within 50m of the monument so it really was a short walk and an easy bag! The monument is an extraordinary granite structure.....

 

 

 

but it is positioned so that it overlooks the countryside loved by the poet. This is looking west to Loch Awe....

 

 

The weather had been cold all week and there was fresh snow on the tops of Cruachan (yes, it again) and the Glen Strae Munros.....

 

 

Time to head home after an excellent week!

 

A Week in Oban, Part 6: Crinan Wood and Dunadd

6 May 2019

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Crinan Woods, 96m/315', P 63m, Tump, OS 55, NR 790 938 and Dunadd, 55m/180', P 49m, Tump, OS 55, NR 836 935

With no space on the Mull ferry for my car, I had to rethink my plans and find somewhere else to go for the day. The answer was a drive south to Crinan with plenty of interest on the way. First stop was in Crinan itself where there is a large car park at the harbour and a hotel and coffee shop but little else.

 

except a very pleasant walk. It started by going along the canal towpath.....

 

before crossing a swing bridge and entering Crinan Woods. It was quite a steep climb on a narrow path and we had a rest at a view point about half way up.....

 

the woods were fairly open so there were views.....

 

and the summit open was clear of trees. This is the view north with Scarba prominent and the northern part of Jura to its left.....

 

The path descended the other side of the hill and took us back to the harbour, very pleasant.

I had climbed Dunadd many years ago but didn't have any photographs so it needed a return visit. Dunadd is one of the most important places in what has since become Scotland. The original Scots were migrants from Ireland who from about 500 AD settled across Argyll and founded the Kingdom of Dalriada with Dunadd as its capital. The Fort on Dunadd was where the Kings were anointed.

The summit area is really interesting. One of the rocky slabs contains a carved bowl whose purpose is unknown. A second holds an imprint of a foot carved into the rock. It is thought that the King of Dalriada was inaugurated by placing his foot into the rocky imprint. They must have had small feet, my size seven was a few inches too big so I can't claim the Kingdom!

 

 

There is also is some inscribed ogam text (an alphabet of straight lines), whose meaning is unknown, and a carving of a boar. Dunadd dominates the Glen, you wouldn't get close to it without being noticed........

 

 

Bagging the Tumps takes you to some interesting places!