Some Tumps from Glass to Keith

[Gordon Ballantyne]

A good morning sunrise again greeted me from the bedroom as I dressed - a good omen.....
Picked up Harvey and GordonC then headed up the A96 to Huntly then West on the Dufftown road to Glass.

Morning glory at Westhill

Tom Mor

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Parked up at the bottom of the track beside Edinglassie Mains then walked up and along it.
Our appearance disturbed some ewes in the field above, who trotted along the field to join their mates in the adjoining field grazing neeps. This blocked out route up Gallows Hill, so we returned to the gate where the track turned left and entered the grass field - now empty of sheep. Wandered up past a ruined ferm cottage and along the top of the field, then gained entry to Gallows Hill through another gate.

GordonB & H examining the ruined ferm cottage on the way up Gallows Hill

Meandered up over Gallows Hill, through a gap in the fence at the soggy bealach then up to the top of Tom Mor. Grand views in ther morning sunshine, but a keen breeze.

The top of Tom Mor

Returned via the marked cairn, which was overgrown and not very interesting. The sheep had returned to the field below, but this time they just moved to the bottom of the field as we passed - no drama. .




Janetstown Hill

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Arrived at our parkup at the junction into Carbrotach to find a very big float full of sheep maneuvering around at the junction. Fortunately he was on his way out after loading up, so we managed to get out of his way to let him clear off. Squeezed in at the junction to park then dawdled up the stubble field, through a gate and on to the grassy/heathery top..
Weather still holding good.

View from the top of Janetstown across to Cairn Hills turbines

On the way back, some sheep appeared from nowhere into the field we'd ascended, so we swerved into the next field and then back into the original one to make our exit to the car.



Cairn Hill

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Found that a house was being built adjacent to the turbine track, so no bother parking.

Parkup for Cairn Hill

Hopped over the gate and up the track through the wood and over a cattle grid to find a very convenient gate into the wood behind the highest turbine. On the way we spotted a weathered granite "march marker". Couldn't decipher any markings

A granite march stane on Cairn Hill

Gordonc at the top of Cairn hill with a turbine backdrop

GordonB about to fall off the top of Cairn Hill much to H's surprise

Stumbled around in the wood until we'd determined the highest point then sat on a tree stump out of the breeze for a snack. ( a manky old kit-kat that needed "using up" )




Ten Rood Hill

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Parkup here was a bit of a quandry,
The gate into the field was ajar, but a bit guttery at the entrance - there was a wee dump in the woods near Turfhillock farm but it was also the entrance to a field and judging by the recent tractor marks - frequentrly used, so we opted to squeeze on to the verge at the side pf the road.

Parkup for Ten Rood

Sauntered back down the road to the stubble field entrance and wandered up the field amid straw that hadn't been bailed. Through a gate with a complicated hasp arrangement which we managed to unpick, then up to the top of the field.

Looking back down the stubble fields below Ten Rood

This hilltop was rough and wooded, guarded by a necklace of gorse, hiding a BW & E-fence. We probed its defences until we found a gate held together with the faithfull fencing wire, just above one of the new power transmission pylons. Plootered up to the top, which had been grazed by cattle, so the ground was chopped up a bit. Selected a tree at the top to be the highest point for photos. GordonC even climbed up a tree a wee bit to emphasize our choice.

GordonC up the tree at the top of Ten Rood

On our way back down, GordonC saw a gap in the gorse just below the top and discovered where the farmer had estabished a way through to take his tractor up on to the top[ to feed his kye from the adjacent field. GordonC explored this route to establish its navigability. After I'd re-wired the gate from our ascent route, GC appeared back in the field - obviously successful.



Black Hill

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Parked up at the seat behind the cottage and set off up the path signposted to Keith and other places. A short way along the track, we discovered a "badger run" under the fence into the field above. Slithered through it into the grass field above
Walked up the grass field by some mature beech trees to see a couple of kye looking at us across the way. They seemed interested, but not enough to make any move toward us, so we made for the gate, then up into the wood. Skirted some more kye until we reached the soggy top. From here we could see that the main herd of kye were sheltering from the breeze in the quarry marked on the map.

Kye in the woods on Blackhill

Top of Blackhill

Skirted the kye on the way back down and made it into the grass field over a slack section of fence, to gain our "wormhole " in the lower fence, back to the track and thence to the car.



Keith Hill

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This became a drive-by,
As others have noticed, this area is reserved for the annual Keith Show field sports - among other uses.
Circumnavigated the site but all the gates were locked and it looked a tricky climbover, so any other "touch top" ascensionist will have to wait until the Keith Show or someone opens it up to cut the grass, or some other maintenance to gain access
FYI next Keith Show is 7/8th Aug 2022.

Although there was a wee spitter of rain on the way to Blackhill, we dodged the "blue bolb" forecast on the BBC weather simulation - so a wonderful dry day.

The only downside was that on the way home we'd picked the only day of the week that our favourite cafe in Alford was closed.
Wore my facemask as a black mourning cap on the rest of the drive home !