Craigannet Hill (Carron Valley)

 27 April 2022

Participants: Just me

Where: Craigannet Hill, 357m/1,171', P 54m, Tump, OS 64, 712 848

I parked at the entrance to the track to Craigannet Farm wind farm, next to the old Kirk O'Muir cemetery which is worth a look. The cemetery had a chapel dedicated to St Mary which was founded around the middle of the 15th century and of which no trace remains. Indeed, the cemetery itself is in a sad state of disrepair with the stones fallen and most of the inscriptions weathered away....

This is not the shortest route to the hill but it is the easiest in terms of parking. There is a good track alongside the forest; I followed it as far as the side track to the single wind turbine after which it was a straightforward climb up the north slopes to the flat summit area. I walked the area from east to west to make sure that I made the highest point, there are a number of candidates. From the track.....

Looking back to Carron Valley reservoir and Meikle Bin from the track.....

The summit area and the reservoir and Meikle Bin.....

Cairnoch Hill to the west, another Tump.....

Wind turbine land to the north.....

A bonus, there were a pair of Curlews circling the higher part of the hill, quite a rare sight nowadays, I heard my first Cuckoo of the year and spotted a Wheatear on the way down.

Wester Hill and Darling's Hill, Galashiels

21 April 2022

Participants: Just me

Where: Wester Hill, 254m/835', P 50m, Tump, OS 73, NT 507360 and Darling's Hill, 317m/1,040', P 38m, Tump, OS 73, NT 506 375

My first ever trip on the Borders railway- the Waverley line. It was closed as part of the Beeching cuts and partly reopened as far as Tweedbank in 2015. Something that I had been meaning to do for some time and when a look at the map revealed that there were a couple of Tumps just north of Galashiels, well, no time like the present. For once, the train timetables matched, I had 15 minutes to change trains at Edinburgh on both the outward and inward journeys.

It was a steep pull up from the station up Wylies Brae and then Langlee Brae. Wester Hill was tree covered with a mast on top so there was a good track up. The high point was at the foot of the mast. But very limited views.....

I retraced my steps to the road and continued uphill past Langlee Mains Farm. There is an excellent path network in this area with pedestrian gates into all the fields- very welcoming. I could see Darling's Hill in front of me after passing the farm.....

There was a track and then a path all the way to the high point which boasted a substantial cairn.....

It was a wonderful viewpoint, the outstanding view being in the direction of the Eildon hills.....

Sell Moor Hill, a Marilyn, was to the north.....

and Meigle Hill, another Marilyn, was to the west.....

It was a great spot to sit and have my lunch before returning to Gala for my train home. The town from Langlee Brae.....

An excellent day out, the Border hills are some of the best in the country.

Crow Hill (Bearsden)

 19 April 2022

Participants: Just me

Where: Crow Hill, 82m/268', P 41m, Tump, OS 64, NS 568 726

Crow Hill is a fairly recently discovered Tump, on the outskirts of Bearsden above Dobbies garden centre. This is it taken from the north.....

The Bearsden road is narrow, busy, and has no sidewalk or verge so the easiest and safest way to ascend the hill is from the centre. The fence between the centre and the fields has a large hole in it at the north west part of the car park and the top fence around the summit mound has similar. The fields had very recently been ploughed but a grass verge had been left so the ascent was straight forward.....

Approaching the summit.....

The summit area is a small clump of old trees and the high point appears to be a tree with a couple of bird boxes on it.....

It was a very pleasant spot with excellent views. To Glasgow....

To the Campsie Fells.....

And to the east.....

A Pentland Round: Capelaw Hill, Allermuir Hill, and Caerketton Hill

19 March 2022

Participants: Just me

Where: Capelaw Hill., 454m/1,489', P 54m, Tump, OS 66, NT 216 659; Allermuir Hill, 493m/1,617', P 235m, Marilyn, NT 227 662; Caerketton Hill, 478m/1,568', P 65m, Tump, NT 235 662.

Spring had arrived in Scotland, it was a glorious day. Although I had lived in Edinburgh for 30 years, I had somewhat neglected the Pentland Hills in favour of rushing up north to do higher things. As a result, I had not even walked some of my then local hills. Capelaw Hill was one I had never visited but today was the day to put that right. I decided on a linear walk starting at Bonaly and finishing at Hillend.

It was a steep start, initially through woodland but soon out on the open hill. There were signs pointing the way to a number of destinations but on a day like today, not necessary.....

I was soon getting views behind, of Edinburgh and once I got a bit higher, of Bonaly reservoir.....

Higher still, the hills of the south Pentlands- in particular Scald Law and the Kips- came into view.....

The main track ended but was replaced by a rough path which went straight up the north slopes of Capelaw direct to the summit with its strange summit sculpture.....

View south to Castlelaw Hill; the army were out on its firing range.....

and to the Scald Law group again.....

From Capelaw, I turned east for Allermuir, again following good paths.....

It was a fairly steep climb up and I stopped on a number of occasions to take photos back to the other hills.....

Capelaw from Allermuir.....

Summit of Allermuir.....

Edinburgh from Allermuir with Arthur's Seat prominent.....

It was another good drop to the col between Allermuir and Caerketton.....

There are two possible high points, I reckon that to the west just edged it.....

Looking back to Allermuir from Caerketton.....

Edinburgh from Caerketton.....

The descent from Caerketton to the ski centre at Hillend was really steep. I had been going well up to then but I find steep descents nowadays really take it out of me. But it didn't spoil what had been a tremendous walk. And there were still more to do in the Pentlands.