Two Arran Humps: Clauchland Hills and Torr Righ Mor

 27 November 2023

Where: Clauchland Hills, 259m/851', P 145m, Hump, OS 69, NS 033 338

A short break in Arran coincided with a spell of great weather, ideal for a couple of hill walks with Harvey. First one was Clauchland Hills, situated just south of Brodick. There was a Forestry car park at the start, a track to start with followed by a good path through the forest on to open land at the highest points. Harvey on the path.....

There was a big cairn and a memorial bench at the high point and a fantastic view of Brodick, the Bay, and Ben Nuis and Goatfell. Harvey enjoyed the view as well!

The southern view was to Holy Island, the cloud making it look like a small volcano.....

An excellent short day!

28 November 2023

Where: Torr Righ Mor, 137m/449', P 110m, Hump, OS 69, NR 888 310

Over to the west side of the Island for todays walk. I parked in the car park for the path to King's Cave and followed the path clockwise through the forest. When level with a small loch that I could just see through trees, we cut up easily through the conifers. Getting out of the trees at the top was a different matter, the small (Christmas?) trees were thick and it was a bit of a struggle for me getting through. Harvey had no difficulty though! There was then a fence to get over; I found a spot where the barbed wire had been removed and got over there, Harvey however had to stay tied to the fence post while I visited the trig 10 or so yards away.....

The view was to Kintyre, I could see as far south as the Mull.....

After returning the same way, I headed north and found a place to stop by a small beach that provided a great view of the hill I had just climbed plus the Kintyre peninsula..... 

Blacklaw Hill and Blacklaw Hill West Top (Dundee)

 26 November 2023

Where: Blacklaw Hill, 284m/932', P 52m, Tump, OS 53, NO 289 344 and Blacklaw Hill West Top, 273m/896', P 34m, Tump, OS 53, NO 275 349

On my way home from DMFF. It was a bit cloudy and misty but still not bad for the time of year. These two Tumps are part of the Sidlaw Hills and lie just to the north of Dundee, west of the Dundee/Couper Angus road. There is lots of parking at Piperdam and a good track follows the north shore of the loch of the same name, turning into a path once past the loch. The top can just be seen from the loch shore, above some trees.....

The path wends gently up the hill and easily reaches the trig at the top. There is also a memorial seat, and a couple of large cairns..... 

The view back to Piperdam.....

The view to Dundee and the Tay.....

There are a lot of paths on these hills but the one to the West top was obvious. Approaching the West top.....

The summit is marked by a couple of boulders and the view from there looking west is to King's Seat, the highest hill in the range. Unfortunately, mostly cloud covered today.....

I retraced the outward route over Blacklaw Hill to Piperdam.....

A nice walk, I would do these again on a better day.

Craig Roman (Blairgowrie)

 24 November 2023

Where: Craig Roman, 210m/689', P 42m, Tump, OS 53, NO 163 457

It was time for the annual Dundee Mountain Film Festival. Weather permitting, I do a hill on the Friday going to Dundee and another on the Sunday when I am making my way back down. This year, I diverted to go to Blairgowrie to take in Craig Roman, a Tump just to the north of the town. I managed to find a place to park well up the hill, at the start of a track which was actually the route of the Catteran Trail. The lower part of Craig Roman is called Knockie Hill and it was signposted from the track. I followed the path to The Knockie viewpoint which provides a fine view over Dundee to the Sidlaw Hills.....

The Tump summit is slightly above and further west, the whole area is planted with a crop. However, it was all stubble today and the farmer was out collecting the bales. So I was able to venture about 40m into the field to what I judged to be the highest point.

Follow the tram lines to the summit.....

Summit.....

Looking west.....

Looking east.....

The Inneans (Cleish Hills)

 10 November 2023

Where: The Inneans, 336m/1,102', P 43m, Tump, OS 58, NT 088964

It was thick mist when I got up in the morning and I wondered if I should continue with my plan to go walking. However, the forecast was good and a look at some on-line webcams showed that the sun was already out in the area of the Cleish Hills so I set off. I parked at the end of the track to Loch Glow and walked down to the fishery buildings. The Inneans from the fishery buildings, there are 3 tops of which the central one is the Tump.....

There were lots of paths; I started by following one below the dam wall and on to the open hillside. This skirted the east shore of the loch from where there were fine views of Knock Hill, Georgeton Hills and Dumglow.....

The view to the east opened up as I climbed the slopes of the first of the Inneans.....

From it's top, I could see the route to the Marilyn, Dumglow, done many years ago and not on todays agenda.....

The best view however was to the east, towards Loch Leven and the Lomond Hills, what a fantastic view it was in the clear conditions.....

The Tump top was next, looked steep but turned out to be easy when approached from the east side.....

There was still a lot of fog to the south, over the Forth but I could just make out the Pentland Hills beyond.....

The Tump summit with the Lomond Hills distant.....

The final top to the north which I didn't bother visiting.....

I returned more or less by the same route, but missing out the first top. What a perfect walk it had been!

Muckle Knock (Pentland Hills)

 31 October 2023

Where: Muckle Knock, 465m/1,526', P 52m, Tump, OS 65/72, NT 117563

I took advantage of a rare good weather day to get out again to the Pentland Hills, this time to bag Muckle Knock from West Linton. I parked at Badinsgill Farm and followed the Thieves Road, an old drove road that goes through the range. Leaving the track, I climbed the west slopes of Muckle Knock. It had been cool in the valley but on top there was a strong east wind blowing and it was baltic! I wouldn't have liked to have been on a higher hill today. This is a very short walk to a lesser visited Pentland hill and with the autumn colours still on the trees, a perfect day to do it.

Autumn colours around Badinsgill.....

On the Thieves Road approaching Muckle Knock.....

Looking to Mount Maw and Badinsgill reservoir from the slopes of Muckle Knock.....

East Cairn Hill.....

The Kips appear in the far distance.....

The summit.....

Birniehill (nr Milnathort)

 9 October 2023

Where: Birniehill, 262m/863', P 54m, Tump, OS 58, NO 125083

I had aimed to get my Tump total up to 1,600 before my partner, Steven, went on holiday; a totally arbitrary objective! It had seemed to be an age getting through the 1,590's and I had one to go before 12 October. So it was back to the wee hills above Milnathort for Birniehill, another pasture Tump.

I parked in an old quarry and followed the fields up. The high point was in an area of rushes. That's Tumping for you!

Moonzie Hill, Tay Mount and Temple Hill (Fife Tumps)

 2 October 2023

Where: Moonzie Hill, 138m/453', P 37m, Tump, OS 59, NO 337 176, Tay Mount, 189m/620', P 42m, Tump, OS 59, NO 348 224, and Temple Hill, 283m/928', P 38m, Tump, OS 58, NO 107 096

A breezy day but mainly dry for another visit to north-east Fife. Moonzie Hill was first on the agenda and was almost a drive up. It is crowned by Moonzie Kirk which went out of ecclesiastical use in the 1970's but which still has a well tended graveyard. I parked at the farm just short of the church and walked up the track to it. The high point of the hill is in a field at the back of the church and was accessed by a side gate in the graveyard. Best of the views was to the Marilyn, Mount Hill.....

I then drove a short distance north to Tay Mount where there was a convenient parking spot just inside a field gateway. I walked along the side of the field and found a rough path through a wood which led to a style over a barbed wire fence into another field which contained the high point of the hill. There was a trig which was almost but not quite at the high point.

Heading for home, I remembered as I approached Milnathort that I had not yet bagged Temple Hill; a herd of cows had taken possession of the hill last time I was up this way. So I decided to take a look and drove to and parked in a car park for off road driving participants. The hill had sheep in it today so that was a good decision. It was the best viewpoint of the day particularly looking south to the Lomond Hills from the grass covered cairn.....

Another 3 Fife Tumps bagged!

Borders Tumping

 12 September 2023

Where: Dunhog Moss, 303m/994', P 36m, Tump, OS 73, NT 469 244; Gersit Law, 195m/640', P 61m, Tump, OS 74, NT 612 268; Brox Law, 99m/325', P36m, Tump, OS 74, NT 697 338; Hume Castle, 224m/735', P 64m, Tump, OS 74, NT 704 414.

I set off early on the long drive with the first stop just south of Selkirk. The target was Dunhog Moss which is the highest point south of the town and is crowned by a large transmission mast. There is a service road to the mast and I could have driven up but I decided on the short walk. The actual summit was close to the mast and next to a wall. There were good views to the south.....

Back at the car I next drove cross country to join the A7 at Ashkirk. The next hill, Gersit Law was a couple of miles to the north. I parked in a layby south of the track to it and walked north along the road verge. I could have walked through a caravan site instead, I returned that way. There was a fine view north to the Eildon Hills from the track.....

The hill is crowned by the Mausoleum of Sir Thomas Monteith.....

It is only open to the public by appointment but when I reached it, a guide was talking to a couple of visitors and I was allowed in for a look. There were a couple of large statues inside which the guide told me were reckoned to represent Sir Thomas' daughters and a wonderful domed ceiling......

Again the hill was a good viewpoint looking south to the Waterloo Tower with the Cheviot hills beyond.....

Next it was on to Kelso and Floors castle. Brox law is the highpoint of the castle grounds easily reached along a good track from the castle car park. It was however a bit of a nothing hill next to a pond in an area used for rearing pheasants. There were dozens of them about.....

Turning for home, I headed for Hume Castle, which I'd never heard of until I started looking for Tumps. It was a peaceful spot with the best views of the day, looking south to the Cheviot. The high point of the hill seemed to be inside the castle beside a seat.....

An interesting outing, the only downside was the Edinburgh City bypass which is more like an endless car park than a major road!