4 Donald round (inc. 2 grahams) of Culter Fell et al

[gld73]

Had a good hotel breakfast before departing the hotel in East Kilbride for the final time, and rather than head straight up the road home, I decided to do another hillwalk while I was vaguely in the area. Chose the round of 4 Donalds (2 of which are grahams too) from Coulter near Biggar as it was probably about as good a length of walk as I'd easily manage with the shorter daylight hours now, given I only left the hotel at 10am. Started the walk at 11am. Ground was wet through a lot of it, but never anything walking boots couldn't handle, made it round with dry feet.

A damp, overcast Monday in November - so I was surprised that both laybys/ parking spots had 3 cars in each already. First ascent, Fell Shin, the hill on the left.

Heading up Fell Shin, looking back on the start. It was a walk which really reminded me of the Lake District, both in terrain of the hills, sheep dotted around ... and the easy to pronounce hill names...

Eventually came to the summit of Culter Fell, though it was all in the clag and nothing to see.

Heading down to Holm Nick, the next hill, Gathersnow Hill ahead, similarly shrouded in wet cloud

Gathersnow Hill summit and the fence line to follow for the next stretch. I bent over to open my bag and take out a bottle of water after taking this ...

...then stood up and found that in those few seconds the cloud had lifted a bit and I could see the wind farm ahead (the slope I'd take to Hillshaw Head is going up to the left with the summit out of shot)

Heading down Gathersnow Hill, the cloud had also lifted to give me my first proper sighting of Culter Hill (on the right) and Tinto (in the distance on the left)

Zoomed to Tinto and Coulter Reservoir

Hillshaw Head summit, Culter Hill and Gathersnow Hill behind

Dropped down from Hillshaw Head to pick up the wind farm track for a stretch towards Hudderstone

Finally got to see Culter Hill clear of clouds from the unmarked summit of Hudderstone Hill