Corserine & Cairnsmore

[rockhopper]

Date: Sunday 30 November 2014
Time taken: 8hrs 30mins (incl stops 1hr 10mins, excl drive in between)
Distance: 30km approx
Ascent: 1,600m approx
Attendees: me

Left early for the relatively short drive down past Carsphairn then up the single track road to the car park near Forrest Lodge.

Corserine / Milldown / Meikle Millyea

Corserine 30nov2014 activelog.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Set off from the car around 0700hrs – only needed the head torch for about the first half hour.

The sky was quite clear at this point for the walk up through the forest going anti-clockwise



Forestry 4x4 doing the rounds



Pre dawn



Quite a few signs going up through the trees to point the way. Found the big boulder and crossed the burn.

Once on the open hillside the sun started to appear



Small cairn on the way up



Going round the top of the corrie, could see over to the Donald, Carlin’s Cairn – clag blew over not long after and decided not to walk over to it



Extremely faint brocken spectre



Trig point



Mist blowing over then clearing with the sun strong in between. Headed off down the Rhinns of Kells.

Very faint fog bow



Mist clearing a little



West towards the Galloway hills



Looking back



Loch Dungeon



Westwards again



Up over Millfire then on to Milldown





Then on towards Meikle Millyea

Lochan



Looking back





Trig point on Meikle Millyea



Could see another cairn in the distance which looked as though it could be a wee bit higher so walked over to it – don’t think it was any higher though



Returned to the trig then the return leg down NE



Looking over towards Corserine



Met a few walkers on the way down. Back at the car, the car park was now pretty busy. Unpacked and drove off up to Carsphairn.

Cairnsmore of Carsphairn

Cairnsmore 30nov2014 activelog.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Parked in the wee layby just off the A713 at the Green Well. Had some lunch then set off up the track towards Cairnsmore.

Dunool in the distance with Cairnsmore shrouded in cloud



Looking back to where I’d been in the morning, more cloud had arrived there as well



Up the track, walked past Willeanna then straight up Dunool



Into the cloud for the walk up Black Shoulder



Occasional glimpses when the cloud cleared but then it clagged over again.

Another faint fog bow



Summit in clag – waited for a wee bit but no sign of it clearing so set off on the descent following beside the dry stane dyke.



Lower down the mist did clear but stayed around on the higher ground







Got back to the car in the fading light just after 1600hrs

[Collaciotach]

Almost looks like the Highlands

Good report

[kev_russ]

Bootiful

[weaselmaster]

A good couple of hills to pair off, RH - makes for a good stroll
You had cracking weather - like the pics, esp the sun over the trig point

[BlackPanther]

We saw a fog bow on Sunday, too, but didn't catch it...

I love all shots of cloud "creeping in" over the hills. Ah, and good to know, I'm not the only one keen on photographing trigpoints

[Huff_n_Puff]

Great photos - lovely introduction to this area for me. This has been an amazing November all over the country. Thanks

[Tinto63]

Nice photos on what looks like a great day. The south-west top of Meikle Millyea at NX516825 is 3m higher than the trig point and is the Donald. Good job you walked over to it. (if you are ticking the Donalds!)

[PerthAlly]

Lovely report.

I grew up down there and walked those hills as a kid.

Your photos are perfect. I'm getting sentimental now