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Blaeloch Hill horseshoe

Blaeloch Hill horseshoe


Postby wjshaw2 » Sun May 19, 2013 2:55 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Blaeloch Hill

Date walked: 08/05/2013

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 11.4 km

Ascent: 340m

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Near Knockendon and the track to the reservoir there's a wide enough verge to take several cars. I followed the track to the reservoir, enjoyed the swallows, geese, and gulls who seem to own the place, said hello to the locals, and found gates through fences up into the wind farm and the top of Cock Law.

Knockendon reservoir.jpg
Knockendon Reservoir

The locals.jpg
The most stubborn local - she didn't move an inch

Kaim Hill and Lairdside Hill over Knockendon Reservoir.jpg
Kaim Hill and Lairdside Hill over Knockendon Reservoir

It being such a small hill with tracks everywhere I didn't look at the map but set off from here straight across to where I assumed the top was only to find when I got there (the wind farm education centre) that the top was a km or so off to the NE. So from Cock Law it would be better to follow the big track round Sheep Hill towards the bottom of Blaeloch Hill. There's one turbine here that was the odd one out - all the others have slight curved propellers (probably the wrong word) whereas this one is straight. All the others were turning all day while this one wasn't. A bit odd really - maybe I should go to the education centre to find out why.

Blaeloch Hill from the SW, above the education centre.jpg
Blaeloch Hill from the SW, above the education centre

Plane crash remains.jpg
Plane crash remains near the education centre

Considering the route.jpg
Considering the route

I then walked back round Blaeloch Hill over the wee lump of Lairdside Hill and straight up Kaim Hill. The north-western side of Blaeloch Hill has some interesting bogs and tussocks - at one point the ground did an excellent trampoline impression, like a big stretchy sheet ready to spring me up into the air. The slope up Kaim Hill was also surprisingly wet with a few concealed holes under heather where the bedrock has split down faults.

The views over the Clyde and the islands are well worth the small effort required for these hills. Kaim Hill's probably the best of the viewpoints.

The Firth of Clyde.jpg
The Firth of Clyde

Crosbie Hill from Kaim Hill.jpg
Crosbie Hills from Kaim Hill

It was then a wonderfully tussocky stroll over the lumps to Green Hill and back to the car. I would recommend doing this walk from Fairlie, as the other walk report says, as I suspect it would be a lovely walk up Fairlie Glen. But start from there, and then add on this circuit - without making my mistake in missing out Sheep Hill - because it was also good to do the walk all the way around the reservoir.

Quality tussocks near Green Hill.jpg
Quality tussocks near Green Hill
User avatar
wjshaw2
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 116
Munros:100   Corbetts:64
Fionas:65   Donalds:76
Sub 2000:164   Hewitts:25
Wainwrights:15   
Joined: Feb 16, 2013
Location: Edinburgh

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