free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
The weather was set fair so I decided to set off early down the M74 to Beattock where I turned along the minor road to park in a large cleared area about a km. east of Kennelhead. I set off on my walk just after 8a.m. and I had hoped to start off in the cool of the morning but already the heat was stoking up and I was glad of the shade as I strolled along the excellent forest road.
- Distant Queensberry
After a time, I reached the windfarm roads ( not marked on even my new OS78) which headed north towards Lamb Hill and the open hillside of Queensberry. Here, I made my first mistake: I took the second road when I should taken the first. This came to a dead end and I had to traverse through some horrible scrub to reach the correct road to the east of where I was. Eventually I came to an area where there was a wind turbine and a mast of some sort. I tried to access the hillside here but the was a horribly high barbed wire fence which I didn't fancy trying to cross so I headed further up, still on a windfarm road to an area of felled forestry. I was able (just) to walk up the edge of this area on the felled logs and branches but even as I went up, I knew that this would not be a good route of descent. I went up some rough ground to reach a fence - this time with no barbed wire on the top, thankfully. From here it was just a slog in the intense heat and burning sun to reach the summit cairn.
- Queensberry's summit cairn
- On the summit of Queensberry looking over to Gana Hill
It was at this point that I remembered that it isn't really a good idea to take to the hills in this kind heatwave. After a good intake of fluids, I headed off back down to the fence and walked alongside it, checking all the while where the barbed wire section started. I came to a meeting of fences at Pot of Ae and it was here that the barbed wire fence began. I walked on the left side of the fence until I came to a section that I felt I could get over - but it was a tight fit, if you get my meaning. The ground on the south side of this fence was pretty horrible and at one point I feel over into a bog and got my trousers absolutely soaked. They soon dried off!
- Coming down through rough ground over the barbed wire fence
Finally, reached the mast (met station) and got off the hillside on to the much easier walking on the windfarm and forestry roads. However, the was still some distance to go and the heat was baking so I can't say the walk-out was pleasurable. Thankfully, I had thought ahead and parked my car in the shade so my water rations were still cool and I really needed to take on as much fluid as I could before the drive back up the road with the air-con on full blast. Would I recommend this route up this hill? Probably not - but then again perhaps it would be more enjoyable on a day when the weather was more conducive to strenuous exercise.