Bishop Hill from Scotlandwell circuit

[U059361]

Participants: Isabel and Joe
Weather: sunny, with cloud drifting from west, windy up top.
Route: graded path, farm track, foot worn path, some way marks.
Wildlife: sparrowhawk, rabbits
Special Interest: Scottish Gliding Centre, old limestone quarries

Parked car at car park next to church at Scotlandwell. It is open for walkers except Sunday morning service. The walk starts over the road and down towards the village. A sign points up to Bishop Hill and Kinnesswood. You can do the walk in either direction as its a circuit. We went up the hill to get the hard work over with.The path goes up wooden steps to get off away from the road. Walking through Kilmagad Wood. The path goes through a gate and rises slowly till reach a junction. Left is to Kinneswood and right takes a more substantial track up the slope to Bishop Hill via Munduff Hill with its white ball, visible for miles.The path goes first east, then back west before climbing steadily north. All the time we walked, there was the swish of another glider going overhead. The walking was popular, but the sky looked crowded with 7 gliders, the tow plane and even a hang glider joining in later. Became difficult to keep gliders out of the photos.

Scotlandwell with glider field

First good sight of Loch Leven

The views quickly open up, with Scotlandwell below and then Loch Leven higher up. Nearer the top, the east side gives an overview of Glenrothes and Firth of Forth.The path goes past some conifers higher up and then out through a gate into open hillside. Now the full view of Loch Leven is available and the gliders almost at same height.

Loch Leven proper

Yes I took a few pics of gliders, this one passed us many times along the way

Walked past an old quarry, then up to Munduff Hill beside the white ball. Had a look around, views of Lomond Hills, East and West, as well as our destination, Bishop Hill.

The landmark beside Munduff Hill.

Bishop Hill on left, West Lomond on right from Munduff Hill

Took the direct route to the hill, which leaves Munduff Hill in northernly direction and eventually becomes a track made by a tractor. We could see eastwards across Fife, but not west. The good thing was we were away from the edge and the wind. Crossed the waymarked path for reservoir circuit to Bishop Hill heading towards the edge, but we crossed it, The path goes past yet another quarry then we went though a gate in fence and carried on directly towards Bishop's Hill on the track. When we got near the hill, we cut across, climbed the fence/dyke and walked to top.

East Lomond and reservoirs

Looking over to the Loch from Bishop Hill, with track leading to the gate out of field, but you wouldn't want to walk that way......

Great views all around now. After some photos and watching the gliders, we walked back down to the fence to west of hill and in its shelter had our lunch.Then walked to corner of field, out the gate and onto path down the side of the hill. There is a waymarker pointing it out.

Kinnesswood from the start of drop down the slope

The track going down the slope, one of the better bits

The track curves round and drops quickly down the slope, zig zagging to the bottom. Eroded and very muddy in parts. When we got to the bottom, we expected to walk out by Easter Balgedie but there was a polite notice telling us to exit the hill at Kinnesswood. There was also a waymarker for a path called the Michael Bruce Way. So we followed it back round to Kinnesswood, its a bit of a sheep track here and it was very muddy going over streams etc. Had good view of gliders coming down to land at the glider field and even saw the hang glider land in a field opposite the village.

The hang glider coming down in field beyond Kinnesswood

Reached where it crosses the path going up to White Craigs from Kinnesswood and we simply walked down into the village to main road and back to car park at Scotlandwell. The less chronologically challenged could walk all the way back to start of walk on the Michael Bruce way.

[Laurajfalconer]

Thanks Isabel and Joe. We have stayed near this hill for the last 3 years and never managed to get out on it. Until today...we did this walk following your directions. Lovely day on the hills.

[hills]

Great report, full of good detail...

[Sarah86]

Thanks for the useful report, we were up that way but approached from the reservoir side and missed out on Munduff Hill so I would like to visit again to get a better view of any gliders about.