Shalloch on Minnoch

[lenster]

The Bells memorial car park is just over 2.5 miles past the forestry commission signs for Kirriereoch coming from the Glentrool side or a hundred yards past the sign for Shalloch on Minnoch from the Straiton side.

The Shalloch on Minnoch sign is at the start of a foresty road that leads downhill for just over a kilometre giving your legs a chance to warm up.

You eventually reach a fork with a bridge clearly visible in one direction. Cross the bridge and almost immediately to your right is a land rover track. This leads directly to the abandoned Shalloch on Minnoch farm marked on maps.

Directly beyond the farm is two main options for routes that take you up into the forested area that then takes you up onto the steadily inclining and broad ridge that leads to Shalloch on Minnoch.

I've marked two potential ways up and down on the map. The more north easterly of the two routes is easier either direction and follows a firebreak that can be seen from the farm. Once you've followed this for about a kilometre you can cross the burn (might be difficult following heavy rainfall) and follow fence posts (clearly marked on the OS map - but not the one below) that lead up through another firebreak onto the slope of Shalloch on Minnoch.

The more southerly route looks more direct but actually requires more awareness through intersecting firebreaks in the forest and is potentially heavier and slower going underfoot. (On the detailed walk route and description for Shalloch on Minnoch and Kirrieoch there is a sleeper bridge mentioned as a route across Shalloch Burn if you follow this direction - on my visit it was in a far worse state than pictured (August 11) and it took me a good few hundred metres to find a crossing point further on)

If you look at a 1:25000 OS map before you depart it is worth taking note of the firebreaks that are indicated. They can make a real difference to how long it takes you to get through this section of the walk. The going can be very boggy either route.

This isn't a well worn walk. More likely you will pick up on deer tracks through the forests as opposed to people tracks. On this occasion I was fortunate to see a number of deer several times.

Once through the wooded area it's a straightforward walk to the summit. The view across to Kirriereoch and the Merrick are great from this side of the ridge.

It's quite a tough walk because of how boggy the ground up through the forest is. On the plus side; walking this in August, I saw more species of Butterfly than I've seen on any other walk in Scotland and given that it was a Saturday was surprised to meet only one other person (at the summit) the whole time I was out.

[kevsbald]

It's a tough wee hill at the start with all that big but lovely higher up. Know what you mean about the solitude.

[Scaredywalker]

Did this one from Stinchar bridge which is very easy going, although was beaten the first time as the burn was in spate and couldn't cross. Returned the following week and got the same again but detoured round the forest walk, the going was horrendous for about 3/4 mile until we picked up the path! One the way back the burn had dropped enough for us to get over but I honestly would just have walked through it rather than take the same route back!! I still have Kirriereoch Hill to do and it seems the best way to tackle it is from the same area that you started...may wait till winter for that one though!

[lenster]

@Scarywalker. Yes, I think Kirriereoch would be worth tagging on. I considered it, but had already taken longer than I thought to get to Shalloch on Minnoch and had promised to be back for tea. It's probably an extra hour to add Kirriereoch and to drop back out. There's a two and a half mile walk on the road back to the Bells memorial if you pop out on the foresty road marked for Kirriereoch. It might also be worth looking at ascending it from that point. I'd be interested in getting up there in the winter. Think it would be stunning with snow and clear skies.

[Scaredywalker]

The 2nd time that I did manage up the Shalloch I popped over to Tarfessock as well, however looking at Kirriereoch's north face it seems very steep and craggy and I feel the easiest way would be from the west, but its the tough going that puts me off....I think the S/W must have the roughest ground in Scotland...anytime I have went off the path you sure know about it! Anyway as I said I will probably leave it till winter for dry crisp day (ever the optomist) when the undergrowth has died a bit. Good hills these though.