Dent (Long Barrow)

16 August 2015

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Dent (Long Barrow), 352m/1155', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 89, NY 041129

It was August so I stayed clear of the main part of the Lakes, the roads are horrendous at the best of times and high summer is not the best of times. But I still had a couple of sub-2k's to climb on the western fringes, avoided by most hill walkers. I left the main road at Cleator Moor, crossed the river and drove to the top of the paved lane on the west side of the hill where there was a car park, not noted on the map- and free! The forest road up the hillside left from there.....

This was clearly a popular dog walking area and we met a few folk and their mutts. The track wound round the hill from west to east and after about a mile we came out of the trees.....

The cairn was a bit underwhelming, this is looking into the main hills with Blake Fell centre left........

The weather didn't seem to know what it wanted to do; it was mostly thick cloud but from time to time blue sky appeared and the sun came out. This is looking to Blake Fell again.....

The west top looked as if it might be higher, it wasn't.....

but a lot of folk must have thought that it was because the cairn there was slightly more substantial (or maybe it was just because it was the better viewpoint.....

The Fairy Hill (Doon Hill)

11 August 2015

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Doon Hill, 77m/253', Tump, Map 57. NN 525001

I occasionally take Ben up to the forest around Aberfoyle for a walk, there are lots of trails and you can walk as short or as long as you like. Today, I added in Doon Hill- the hill of the fairies- to the walk.....

At the top, there is a pine tree which is supposed to contain the spirit of a local Minister, the Rev. Robert Kirk, who is buried in the old churchyard in the village. In 1691, he wrote a book about elves and fairies. A year after the book was published, he died while walking on Doon Hill. After his funeral, he apparently appeared to relatives to tell them that he was in the land of the fairies and gave them instructions for his releaser. However, his wishes were not carried out and some believe that his spirit remains in the Scots pine at the top of the hill. It is said that if you tie a message to the tree then the fairies will read it and make your wish come true.

 

There must be a lot of folk who believe in fairies.....

 

A strange tale, adding interest to the walk.

 

 

 

 

 

The Coyles of Muick

7 August 2015

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: The Coyles of Muick, 601m/1,972', Sub-2k Marilyn, OS Map 44, NO 329910

 

The Coyles of Muick was on my list of "hills that I really want to do". It stands above the entrance to Glen Muick with an uninterrupted view to Lochnagar. I definitely needed a good, clear day for this walk and amazingly in this dreadful summer, one of those came along. It helped that it was cool for August, which sharpened the views, and there was a wee breeze, which kept the midges and most of the flies away. Looking at the map, I could see that there were routes through the forest starting from Birkhall which would have brought me on to the hill fairly close to the top. But a much better way looked to be starting on the B976 at the end of the track to Loch Ullachie and following it for about a mile onto the open hillside more or less at the start of the north ridge. I would then have a walk of about a couple of miles along the ridge free of all the forestry. So that's what I did and it turned out to be by far the best route.

It was a good track through the forest and we reached the open hill after about 30 minutes. I wasn't sure if it would be heather bashing from then on but in fact the track turned into a good path which followed the top edge of the forest all the way to the top at a gentle angle. And a lot of the trees up here turned out to be of the old Scots Pine variety rather than blanket conifers. Soon after arriving on the ridge, Lochnagar put in an appearance, in fact it tended to dominate this walk. An added bonus was that the heather was in bloom, providing a lot of colour to the moorland.

The ridge flattened out and our objective came into view. It is the twin peaked hill on the left, the hill on the right is Meall Dubh.....

 

Lochnagar again, with a lone pine.....

 

Ben leading the way on the path, heading for Meall Dubh.....

 

 

Good views were opening up all around. This is looking back down the ridge, over the valley of the Dee to the Corbett, Culardoch.....

 

 

and across the forest to another Corbett, Morrone.....

 

 

The views became more extensive as I got higher. The view of Lochnagar now extended to take in some of the hills above Glenshee.....

 

 

A zoom of Lochnagar, looking straight at its cliffs and gullies.....

 

 

As seems to have happened a lot this year, the sunshine had disappeared and the cloud had come over a bit as we got to the middle of the day. However, it looked as though the main Cairngorms were not faring quite as well as we were.....

 

 

The path steepened and came out at the dip between the two tops of the Coyles. It had only taken 2 hours from the car, at a gentle pace with lots of photo stops. I wasn't sure which was higher, they both looked about the same to me and anyway, I was visiting them both. I went to the south top first, where there was a small cairn. As usual, Ben got there before me. He now knows that when he reaches a cairn or trig, he has to sit to get his picture taken.....

 

 

The top of Mount Keen was visible to the south.....

 

 

And another zoom shot of Lochnagar, with the Corbett, Connachraig, in front of it.....

 

 

The cairn builders obviously had no doubt which of the two tops was the main one. The hill in the background is Morrone......

 

 

Ben got his photo taken again, with Glen Muick and Loch Muick in the background......

 

 

A zoom shot of Loch Muick.....

 

 

I was looking straight down the valley of the Dee from here with the distinctive top of Bennachie on the horizon and the town of Ballater in the foreground.....

 

 

Ben had a last look back at the other top with Loch Muick and Lochnagar in the background before we started on our way down.....

 

 

We made a short diversion to take in Meall Dubh but apart from a look back to the Coyles, it didn't add anything to the views that we had already had.....

 

 

This was definitely one of the best sub-2k's that I have climbed. Of course the weather, the colour of the heather and the good path all helped, but it is a hill that I would certainly climb again. And it's worth doing the longer route rather than following the forest roads most of the way.

 

Craigendarroch

6 August 2015

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Craigendarroch, 402m/1,319', Sub-2k Marilyn, OS Map 37, NO 365965

It looked as if we were to get some respite from the dismal conditions of summer 2015 so I decided to head for Deeside and take the opportunity to add another Marilyn to my list. But I also needed something for the day that I travelled up and chose Craigendarroch, which I'd climbed a few times before but not since I got a digital camera. The hill dominates Ballater and you get a good view of it from the banks of the Dee.....

It was a getting better type of day but there was still a lot of heavy cloud around when I parked at the start of the path up, in the appropriately named Craigendarroch Road. The hill is tree covered and definitely needs a "haircut" as the view from the top is now getting pretty obscured.

Ben at the trig.....

The cairn, tomorrows hill, the Coyles of Muick (the pointed top), with Lochnagar behind.....

a zoom of the Coyles of Muick.....

and a zoom of Lochnagar.....

Beinn Uird

30 July 2015

Participants: Just me
Where: Beinn Uird, 597m/1957', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 56, NS 399985

I had been putting off climbing Beinn Uird as all reports suggested that it was very rough. And it was! The ground also contained traps of the natural variety, 3 times my leg disappeared into a wet hole. And when descending, I almost stepped on an adder so the day was not without interest.

I approached by way of the Ben Lomond path until I was almost level with the col between Lomond and Uird. A view of some of the Arrochar hills.....

and the lower part of Loch Lomond with its numerous islands.....

I took this photo of Beinn Uird from the point where I left the path. Looks innocuous but looks can be deceptive.....

A mix of rough grass and heather made for slow progress but at least the midges and flies stayed away. Ben Lomond from part way up.....

It was one of these hills where the top never seems to come and when it did the cairn was a bit underwhelming......

Ben Lomond dominates the view (above) but there is also a fine array of peaks on the horizon.....

Needless to say, I had the hill all to myself from the time that I left the Ben Lomond path until the time that I re-joined it. So a hard won "tick" but it won't be getting a second one!

Leagag

15 July 2015

 

Participants: Just me

Where: Leagag, 601m, 1,972', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 51, NN 519539

 

July and August are not my favourite months for hillwalking- heat, midges, flies etc., but it was such a good day that I just had to go and climb another Marilyn that had been on my "wanted" list for some time. Leagag sits above Bridge of Gaur at the west end of Loch Rannoch and is only a few metres short of Graham height. I took a couple of photographs of it from the other side of Loch Rannoch.....

 

 

 

There was plenty of space for parking at the village hall and the track started directly opposite. The hill didn't look particularly inspiring from here.....

 

 

but the views soon started to appear. This is looking back to the start with the Ben Alder hills in the background.....

 

 

After a couple of miles, the route leaves the main track for a rough path going round the side of the hill. The path was obvious although there was a large cairn marking the turn off just in case you missed it. This was new country for me and it was providing different perspectives of familiar hills. This is the southern aspect of the Munro, Meall Buidhe which is climbed from Glen Lyon.....

 

 

There was a huge flat area of land round the south side of Leagag (seen in the above photo). I spotted a herd of deer- possibly about a couple of hundred beasts. Obviously good stalking country hereabouts......

 

 

I left the path just after seeing the deer and headed diagonally up the hillside aiming for a grassy ramp in the direction of the highest point. The underfoot conditions were good, a mix of grass and short heather and it wasn't long until I spotted the cairn. Another magnificent viewpoint! I'll let the photos tell the story.

 

The Black Mount and Glencoe.....

 

 

 

Loch Rannoch with Schiehallion to the right.....

 

 

Loch Rannoch again.....

 

 

 

Ben Alder with a glimpse of Loch Ericht.....

 

 

A telephoto shot of Ben Nevis, the Mamores etc......

 

 

A great wee hill, but it needs a good day.