free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
The weather has been pretty rubbish over the last few days so instead of getting out on the hills over Xmas I've had to settle for an hour in the gym each morning. This morning was the same, up early, drive down to Dundee to the gym, home by 8am (I'll get longer in my bed when I get back to work
).
Today followed the same pattern but back at the house the morning started off bright and sunny so with Mile Hill in mind (my only Angus Munro/Corbett/Graham/Sub 2000 left to do) I headed off. By the time I arrived at Balintore the sun had disappeared but conditions were decent (windy but not that cold).
I had left this hill to last as there seemed to be a few fields to wander through and a couple of times I have been in the area there have been a lot of livestock around but today the fields seemed to be empty so I shouldn't be annoying anybody.
I had looked at various ways of getting to this hill but in the end I selected the same route Rod and JC used last winter and Graeme D a few days ago.
![2.jpg]()
- A bit of a mole problem
Parking opposite the main entrance to Balintore Castle I headed down past Balintore smithy and went through the gate into an empty field. As per Graeme D's report I followed the grassy track but then stupidly left it to head more directly towards Mile Hill. Everything was going fine till I reached a burn at the bottom of the field and then had to tramp through some tussocky grass back towards Hilton until I found a crossing by a track. I was now only about 100 yards from Hilton, followed the track for about 50 yards then turned left away from Hilton and towards Gairlaw.
![3.jpg]()
- Mile Hill
![4.jpg]()
- Looking back over the fields towards the start
The track from Hilton to Gairlaw was in good nick with only a few damp bits so it didn't take long to get to the foot of Mile Hill.
![5.jpg]()
- Burn in full flow
On reaching Gairlaw I needed to cross a burn that normally you would probably hardly notice but today I needed to use a few stepping stones to get over dry.
![6.jpg]()
- Looking down on Gairlaw
The climb up onto the top of Mile Hill was fairly easy going on grassy slopes with the odd tree stump and rabbit burrow to watch out for. The top is pretty flat and by chance I came across a few stones which seemed to mark the summit.
![7.jpg]()
- Looking over to Loch of Lintrathen
![8.jpg]()
- Cat Law
After just a few minutes I headed back down towards Gairlaw.
![9.jpg]()
- Gairlaw with more monster mole hills
![11.jpg]()
- It's OK Rod, honestly!!
Once I was back at the point close to Hilton I noticed a track skirting the woods so followed it back before crossing a gate in to the field.
![13.jpg]()
- A few casualties from the recent storms
Back in the field I picked up the grassy track which took me back to within 100 yards of the start of the walk.
Might have been an idea if I had read Graeme's report properly in which case at the start of the walk I would have followed the grassy track through the field until it reached the tree line close to Hilton but the temptation was to leave it and head more directly towards Mile Hill.
Probably could have picked a better hill to complete my Angus hills on but worth doing.
