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My original plan was to climb both Mona Gowan and Morven from further down the road, but the Obergruppenführer arranged an evening out at short notice and I thought I better not turn up needing a double hip replacement, Plan B was quickly put into action and I realised that it would be quicker to climb Mona Gowan on it's own, across Scraulac and Cairnagower Hill, I started from a "small" lay-by on the A939, There was just enough room to squeeze in about 10 cars, a few buses, the starting grid of a Formula one race and the queue for the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry.
- Compact but Bijou
Stone steps lead up into the heather and a path, which more or less follows the fence, leads up to the top of Scraulac. There's a slight downhill and rise to Cairngower Hill with a padlocked gate, but remembering my army training, I managed an Arctic roll over the gate and threaded my way through the peat bogs. The view to Morven was improving. even though it was an overcast, windy day.
- Morven
There's a bit more downhill before the final pull-up to Mona Gowan, with a more substantial river of Peat in the dip.
- Grand Canyon
I donned flippers and an aqualung to make my way across, but later realised that if I'd left the fence and followed a parallel ATV track, I could have gone round it.
The Cairn is truly a creation, a skyscraper in the world of cairns, and the views in all directions had a differing array of weather conditions, most including rain.
- A magnificent erection
As time was short, I returned to the car by the same route. All in all a cracking little hill for not much effort.
