Glen Lednock- Sgorr Racaineach, Crappich Hill and Am Binnein

25 March 2018

Participants: Just me
Where: Sgorr Racaineach, 404m/1325', P34, TuMP, OS 51, NN 755 244, Crappich Hill, 468m/1534', P38, TuMP, NN 748 248 and Am Binnein, 480m/1575', P41, TuMP, NN 744 252

Glen Lednock, north of Comrie, is one of the closest "Highland" areas to where I stay. There are lots of smaller hills to explore and this ridge, in the south-west corner of the glen, looked really attractive when I saw it from Sir David Baird's monument hill walk last year. There was a fine view of it from the car window on the drive north.....

 

 A good track, only part of which was marked on my old map, ran from the parking spot at a farm entrance across the ridge then partly along the lower western slopes of the hills. It really helped, as these hills are rough with many rock outcrops and the more outflanking I could do the better. My first objective, Sgorr Racaineach- the right hand one of the two pictured- certainly looked a tempting hill when viewed from the starting point.....

 

 Across the glen, a snow covered Ben Chonzie was in view most of the walk. At points I could see down to the car park for it; it was full with other cars lining the verge on either side. A rough guess- 30 cars. I had my ridge to myself and probably got better views as the top of Chonzie was in cloud a lot of the time (feeling smug!).....

 

Sgorr Racaineach must get visitors however as it had a substantial cairn. The view south was to Ben Halton and Mor Bheinn with a snow covered Ben Vorlich beyond and Loch Earn in the distance.....

 

Crappich Hill was next......

 

I descended to the track again to avoid crags and then picked up a faint path which avoided the worst of the heather and which took me all the way to the metal pole that marked the highest point.....

There was a much better view of Ben Vorlich from here, the hills at the head of Loch Earn are the two Balquhidder Corbetts, Creag MacRanaich and Meall an t-Seallaidh......

The helpful path disappeared so it was a case of a bit of heather bashing to Am Binnein (the rounded top in the centre of the photo).....

 

The approach.....

Another view of Ben Vorlich.....

The lowest point in the ridge allowed a view down to Glen Lednock with the Corbett Creag Uchdag to the left and part of Ben Chonzie to the right.....

Ben Vorlich again.....

And a view back from Am Binnein over Crappich Hill to the lowlands. The atmosphere was clear, the Lomond Hills in central Fife are on the left with most of the Ochil Hills to the right.....
 

 

I dropped down the hillside to the south where I followed sheep tracks across the hillside to avoid having to reclimb some of the humps and bumps and picked up the track where it ended/started. A fine ridge and I guess that few people do it. 

Rosneath Peninsula: Airlig and Clach MacKenny

20 March 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Airlig, 198m/650', P31, TuMP, OS 56, NS 229 854 and Clach MacKenny, 202m/663', P70, OS 56, NS 240 836

The first day of spring and the weather was glorious. The Rosneath peninsula was new to me and if the forestry allowed, I reckoned that it should provide good views. I aimed to walk part of the spine, starting at the Peaton Hill community nature reserve car park and take in the TuMPs of Airlig and possibly Clach MacKenny. In fact, a lot of the forest had been cut down and where it hadn't been the ground was steep enough to allow views of the loch below. A good forestry track ran all the way so the walking was easy.

It was a steady climb of about a mile to Airlig, a really fine viewpoint above Loch Long with the Cowal hills beyond. No surprise that there were a couple of picnic tables beside the cairn......

It really was an all-round viewpoint, to the north, the easily recognised Arrochar Alps.....

The Luss hills, shame that Faslane gets in the picture.....

Across the Gare Loch to Helensburgh.....

Down the Clyde to Arran, Bute and Cumbrae and right in the centre of the picture in the far distance, Holy Island.....

I hadn't set out with the intention of climbing Clach MacKenny but it didn't look too far away- the summit is next to the phone mast in the distance and there was a good track all the way so it was really a no-brainer.....

The track dropped down into the forest but there were still clear areas and from one I spotted this......

Heading out on another mission no doubt, there was certainly a lot of activity including a helicopter buzzing overhead. It (the helicopter not the sub) came straight towards me at one point so I guess that there's a photo of me and Ben now somewhere in the MoD.

Ben at the summit of Clach MacKenny with Loch Long beyond.....

From here, you could see all the way up the Gare Loch; some size Faslane......

It was also a fabulous viewpoint for the Clyde looking at Rosneath and across the water Rhu and Helensburgh with Stronend and its neighbours north of the Campsie Fells distant left.....

Then it was about turn and follow the same route back. It really is an excellent area, off the beaten track but you need a good day, which this certainly was.

Dundaff Hill

21 February 2018

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Dundaff Hill, 352m/1155', P103, HuMP, OS 57, NS 735 845

 

One of our favourite walks in the Campsie Fells is along the shores of the Carron Valley Reservoir. I had often looked up at Dundaff Hill and wondered what the view from it was like. Today I decided to find out.....

 

 

I parked at a phone box pretty close to the start of the climb. Looking at the hill.....

 

 

There was a big flock of sheep in the initial field so I avoided them by going into a wooded area and crossing the field higher up.....

 

 

There was a lot of barbed wire about but fortunately gates at all the crossing points. The view back to the reservoir with Meikle Bin at its head soon opened up.....

 

I reached a wall which I followed to the summit area, which was ridden with tussocks. I reckoned that this was the highest point.....

 

 

There were a number of circular depressions in the ground. I had read that there were Bronze Age enclosures further down the hillside but these looked more likely to be the remains of some industrial activity.....

 

 

It was a bit hazy so the view to the east was restricted; this was the best I could do- a very faint outline of the Ochil hills on the horizon

Black Hill (Lanark) collecting Boghill, Gallow Hill, Nemphler Moor and Hill of Maudslie along the way

20 February 2018

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Black Hill (Lanark), 290m/951' P51, Tump, OS 72, NS 832436; Boghill, 257m/843', P31, Tump, OS 72, NS 829 398: Gallow Hill, 247m/810', P39, Tump, OS 72, NS 889 442; Nemphlar Moor, 204m/669', P77, Tump, OS 72, NS 853 451; and Hill of Maudslie, 204m/669', P47, Tump, OS 72, NS 821 515.

 

Black Hill to the west of Lanark had been recommended to me by Alex and Bob of Blue Sky Scotland blog and that was the focus of the day. I worked out that by driving down the M74 and coming back by the A73 I could take in 4 more Tumps along the way with next to no effort, as will be explained.

 

The first stop was just past Lesmahgow to "climb" Boghill, I parked at a radio mast, crossed the road, went through a gate and over some rough pasture for a couple of minutes and I was there. About 5m of ascent I reckon. There were a lot of new plantings so the view was pretty restricted.....

Carrying on on the same road, it was only a few miles to the starting point for Black Hill. There was space for a few cars at the start of the hill which is NTS owned. The hill is a strategic viewpoint overlooking the Clyde valley. A Bronze Age cairn and an Iron Age settlement have been discovered here. Archaeological excavations took place during 2017 and more are planned in 2018.

It certainly was a great viewpoint. Ben waits to be let into the second of two fields to be crossed with the trig appearing ahead.....

A fine view of Lanark from part way up.....

The trig and a view over Lanark to (I think) the hills around Broughton.....

Looking north to the Glasgow/Motherwell/Hamilton area.....

Tinto- some say that our ancestors aligned their cairn on Black Hill with that on Tinto, who knows?

A couple of photos looking to the west......

This is a hill that I would be happy to revisit.

I then drove to Lanark for a walk round Lanark Loch, always a popular and pleasant way to spend a spare hour. And then it was time to head home and to demonstrate the absurdity, but fun, of Tump bagging. Gallow Hill in Lanark itself was probably nicely wooded at one time, but today has been built on. The highest point is in front of some houses.....

Nemphlar Moor is crossed by a road and the highest point is in the middle of a field- a little walking required here and a fine view of Tinto.....

Finally, back to the drive by. Hill of Maudslie in the village of Law has also been built on. The trig has been replaced by someone's house. All I had to do here to gain the tick was to step out of the car and then step back in.....

All quaintly enjoyable with Black Hill outstanding.

Some more Tumps: Fir Hill (Aberfoyle): Dunwan (Whitelee): Gallow Hill (Bridge of Allan):Eastcraigs Hill (Blackridge); Tormain (Ratho); Grayrigg (Avonbridge)

2 February 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Fir Hill, 78m/256' P59, OS 57, NS 537 970

 

Fir Hill is a small wooded hill south of Aberfoyle off the Glasgow road. There seemed to be no objection to parking in the Trossachs Holiday Park site beside a dog walking area from where a path led almost to the summit. Best of what views there were was of the Craig of Monievreckie to the north; looking to the west through the branches I could also see Ben Lomond......

5 February 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Dunwan (Whitelee), 300m/984', P33, OS 64, NS 547 489

Back to Whitelee to bag the Tump I missed out (due to an excess of sheep) on my last visit. On this occasion, we just made it, the farmer was gathering up his sheep from the moor and looking back after we'd climbed it, we saw that he was leaving them in the pasture around the hill! This is the best of the Whitelee Tumps, a very distinctive hill which apparently had an Iron Age fort on top. Some photos.....

9 February 2018

Participants: Just me
Where: Gallow Hill (Bridge of Allan), 110m/361' P43, OS 57, NS 783 987

I used public transport for this one- the train to Bridge of Allan. The path to the hill started opposite the station......

The best of the views were towards Abbey Craig and the Wallace Monument and to Stirling castle......

The highest point was a boulder in the trees with a view through the foliage to Dumyat.....

16 February 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Eastcraigs Hill (Blackridge) 250m/820', P43m, OS 65, NS 903 680; Tormain (Ratho) 147m/482', P39, OS 65, NT 129 697; and Grayrigg, 210m/689', P49m, OS 65, NS 909 767

Off to West Lothian on a bright day but with a strong, cold wind. From the A89 in Blackridge, I followed Heights Road to get to the north of Eastcraigs Hill. It was a bit muddy but only a short walk to the broken down trig and the summit boulder. There was a fine view to the Bathgate Hills.

I next drove to Ratho for Tormain, a very pleasant woodland walk to the west of the village. This was obviously the place that Ratho dogs go for their walks; we met lots of furry friends. The highest point was a mound with a couple of cup and ring marked stones. There were fine views of Edinburgh and of the Pentlands Hills from the edge of the woods with viewfinders to help with the identification of the distant hills.

I drove home by Avonbridge to tick off Grayrigg. The questions for this Tump must be "why" and "who finds these things"? It was a drive by as the B8028 runs within yards of the highest point which is next to the wall of a barn. I did jump the gate and go to it. A few minutes for this one!