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After a gorgeous, sunny Sunday, Monday morning woke up damp and dreary in Edinburgh, but I'd been looking forward to this trip and didn't fret too much when I parked up at Glenkirk and set off in slight drizzle along the road up Glenholm.
It's not marked on the map so I was surprised to find what seemed to be a fairly new forestry track heading up Coomb Hill. It was dispiriting to think that in the near future the hillsides here will be covered by straight lines of trees and the higher points with new windmills being planned for the area.
- Looking ahead from the start
- Holms Waterhead and the bulldozed forestry track
- Pleasant ramble up Glenholm, even if the weather was less than perfect
- Holms Waterhead
- Looking back at Congrie Hill and cloudy Chapelgill Hill
The track goes as far as a turning area where a boggy ATV track heads straight up Coomb Hill, well-defined at first, but becoming increasingly vague as height is gained.
- The track up on the left, I returned by the righthand track
- Track ends about halfway up and from there it's ATV tracks up Coomb Hill
- Cloud lifts for a good view of Glenholm
- Culter Fell
About 200m short of the top of Coomb Hill I left the ATV track to cut across to the summit cairn of Coomb Hill, a Donald Top. Views came and went with the clouds, but the sight of Tinto, Culter Fell and Chapelgill Hill made the brief teabreak enjoyable.
- Faint ATV track up Coomb Hill
- Cairn at the top of Coomb Hill
- Tinto and Culter Fell
From Coomb Hill it's a straightforward, short stroll over to the top of Gathersnow Hill where I took another cuppa before thinking over my next move. I found myself in a Donald-bagger's dilemma as I looked over to Hillshaw Head and Coomb Dod. Do I add another couple of ticks or do I give up the pleasure of visiting a load of windmills in the steady drizzle and head back to the car?
I decided to head back - something I may come to regret if I reach 139 Donalds and Tops, but I think I can live with it for the present.
- Top of Gathersnow Hill looking towards Chapelgill Hill
The way down to Holm Nick links up with part of the Walkhighlands Culter Fell circuit so is easy enough to follow. About halfway up Moss Law I turned right, crossing some rough, wet grass, aiming for a relatively new fence marking the start of the new forestry.
After getting over the tight barbed wire (shorter folk might struggle here), I messed around a bit trying to work out which side of the big drainage trench I should be before finding the start point of the track which eventually heads back down to Holms Waterhead.
- Heading down to Holm Nick, looking towards Culter Fell and Chapelgill Hill
- Coulter Reservoir
- Looking up from Holm Nick, aiming to turn right about halfway up
- Start of the track down
- The hillside here is covered with lines of holes waiting for young trees to be planted
