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Here we go again, lockdown still here so we are back on the Tump bashing trail. This time I planned a bumper batch of 13 hills fairly close to the A92 in north Fife. We met at our usual meeting place at 7.30 which would give us plenty of time to achieve our goal. This was the first time for a while we were out on a weekday and one thing was very obvious the traffic was anything but lockdown like!!
Our first hill would take us back to Luthrie where we finished last week and once off the A92 the only traffic was farm related.
Starr Law turned out to be the most problematic hill of the day, distance wise it was easy and short but the fences were a major problem, with a distinct lack of gates.
Starr Law
Green Craig
Black Craig
Tay Mount
Scurr Hill
St Fort Hill
Chester Hill
Hare Law
Craig Law
Knock Hill
Newton Hill
Shambleton Hill
Round Hill
Starr Law, 164m, 55m of ascent, 1.8km, 30mins
Starr Law up in the woods
Like all good walkers we avoided walking on ploughed fields
Summit up there
Nice friendly wooden gate
Huge cairn marking the summit of Starr Law
Not the best of views
Forest was fairly straight forward
Luthrie church in the distance
A short drive along the unclassified road would take us to our next hills.
Green Craig, 189m
and
Black Craig, 203m, 130m of ascent, 2.3km, 55mins
Our start point for the next couple of hills
Inside the cemetery
The way uphill to Green Craig
Looking back down to Creich cemetery and the nearby farm
Norman's Law the highest hill in the area
Looking across to Black Craig from the summit of Green Craig
Looking across the Tay to the western end of Dundee
Looking back up to Green Craig
Now the fun begins, gorse is lying in wait to attack us
Looking back across to Green Craig
We now have to get across all the undergrowth to the higher top which is the summit of Black Craig
Just a matter of picking our way through
The Lomonds in the distance
Not the best of views from the summit due to the vegetation
We opted to descend down here
Not far before we get back to the start
Looking back
Welcome to the wee hills in Fife, plenty of electric fences
A few vacant spots in the cemetery
Another short drive.
Tay Mount, 189m, 24m of ascent, 1km, 25mins
On our way slightly uphill, before entering the forest
Heading slightly uphill in the forest
Out of the forest now and not far to the summit of Taymount
Following the wall and fence uphill
Another welcome sight, just a shame there aren't more of them
The trig looking a bit lonely
George zooming in on the trig number for Parminder
We were drawn across to the fenced off area round the tree
Some sort of memorial for "Julia"
Even memorials are covered in barbed wire
Interesting looking tree
A slightly longer drive, downhill passing the eastern edge of Balmerino and parking near the cemetery in Kirkton.
Scurr Hill, 104m, 79m of ascent, 2km, 30mins
Another cemetery, another start point, this one is Kirkton
Looking back to our start
Looking across to Dundee (again)
Looking back again, nice gentle ascent
Silver birch looking interesting
Looking back, the observant ones will notice a couple of horses in the distance
Looking back, not far to the summit of Scurr Hill
The summit of Scurr Hill, not very exciting at least we had a bit of a view
Descending now, the Tay looking very wide
Another drive of about 3 miles taking us back onto the A92 where we parked in a layby.
St Fort Hill, 123m, 75m of ascent, 2.7km, 40mins
Having crossed the A92 and heading uphill before entering the forest
Another welcome sight, I had noticed the deer fence and hadn't noticed the style
Apprehensive look
Plenty of snowdrops, good dry path through the forest
Lovely walk through the nice open forest
For our equine friends?
George looking happy on the summit of St Fort Hill
Probably the longest drive of the day as there is no right turn off the dual carriageway onto the unclassified road, so we had to go down towards the Tay Bridge and head back south, before turning left.
Chester Hill, 107m, 30m of ascent, 1.1km, 20mins
The initial way slightly uphill, following the fence round to the left
Looking back, Tentsmuir forest in the distance
Another welcome sight
Very interesting ruin, not far from the summit of Chester Hill, couldn't find any info as what the buildings were
A few more closer photo's
Fire place
Not sure what the wooden bits are for?
More buildings to the rear
Some sort of inscription on a corner stone
Summit area of Chester Hill
A very short drive along the unclassified road, we probably could have walked, but we didn't.
[u]Hare Law[/u], 111m
and
Craig Law, 112m, 150m of ascent, 3.5km, 1hr 5mins
We are now on the large Scotscraig Estate
More barbed wire fences - protecting the snowdrops
Walled garden
Rhododendron loving the swampy conditions
Good track/road through the estate, would take us to the foot of Hare Law
Time to head up the grassy slope to the summit
The ruined Scotscraig Tower just visible
It was our lucky day, fallen tree assisted us getting over the fence
Scotscraig Tower, the fence round it has been trampled down
A better photo of the Tower
The summit of Hare Law is the high point on the grassy bit
Friendly gate
After a short walk again on the road we turned right and are now heading up Craig Law
A bit more going up
George leaving the summit of Craig Law, another woody summit
Any suggestions?
Back onto the A92 and we parked on the A92 at the entrance to St Forts farm.
Knock Hill, 91m, 58m of ascent, 1.5km, 25mins
The start of walk up Knock Hill
No surprise, the summit of Knock Hill is in the forest
Entering the forest now
Summit area of Knock Hill
Short drive along the A92, parked in a layby on the left.
Newton Hill, 144m, 115m of ascent, 2.5km, 35mins
Having parked in a layby on the A92, we would be heading up there
Nice dry track uphill
Looking back down on the A92
Small mast on the summit area
Tay rail bridge
Looking down along the wall
Scurr Hill in the distance
Managed to capture this with my camera
Rail bridge zoomed
Another short drive into Kilmany,
Shambleton Hill, 134m
and
Round Hill, 106m - 185m of ascent, 4.9km, 1hr 9mins
Having parked just off the A92 in Kilmany, looking back down the track
Not long before we turn left and head into our final forest
Another good wide path through the forest
Out of the forest and looking back
The vegetation starting to encroach onto the path
A photo that sums up the day, fence, gorse and Dundee
Summit area of Shambleton Hill
Following the path slightly downhill, before we head across to Round Hill
George taking a tumble but still smiling
Shambleton Hill in the background
Not far from the summit of Round Hill looking back
George attempted to open the gate guarding the summit of Round Hill, we gave up as there was chicken wire on the lower part and a stake lying across the wire to ensure the gate didn't open and keep animals out
George on the other summit of Round Hill
The way down off Round Hill
Another very enjoyable day and another big chunk of Tumps ticked off. It will be back to the drawing board to sort out the hills for our next outing, the way things are progressing we should complete our mission before we are released.
