snowgoose wrote:Thanks for the tip Dave. I already had the 58 but it's a bit old, so got the Explorer 366 after the event. Will have another shot at them soonish.
Quick update on this. I was on Whitewisp/Innerdownie again this week, in poor weather from the Glensherup side. Went up by a slope of replanted trees near the Roughcleuch Burn - interesting but not really recommended. Did a quick out-and-back to Whitewisp once up, then returned via Innerdownie and one of the standard ways off (back into the trees at the second stile - the one level with the cross-wall - and so down to the track via a sketchy but useful path).
I was halfway back along to Innerdownie before I realised I'd forgotten to check if there was a dog gate at the Whitewisp stile. However, another Ochils-regular friend has since confirmed that there is one - and there are also dog gates alongside both the upper stiles into the trees below Innerdownie, ie the first one and the useful one.
So you should be OK - but you've also got the option of avoiding any problems completely, as there's the old path along the ridge beside the wall that stays clear of the deer fence and doesn't take much longer anyway. If coming from the Whitewisp side, when you get to the high stile you'll find it's pretty much alongside a corner in the deer fence. Go left, follow the stock fence for a few minutes and you'll reach the old path at a modern metal gate. If you follow this path east along the ridge for around a kilometre you'll arrive back at the deer fence which has a gate in it - go through this and rejoin the main path along to Innerdownie with no further complications. Innerdownie summit is a nice spot, plus there's the ruin of the old wallers' bothy just before the top if you want a better windbreak for a snack.
Hope that helps.