Normans Law meander

[U059361]

Participants: Isabel and Joe
Weather: Bright sunshine, frosty
Route: worn footpath on hill, farm tracks.
Wildlife: Pair of buzzards.
Special Interest: Avoiding being shot in pheasant shoot, two guys with a hawk hunting on slopes.

Parked the car in car park in front of Luthrie Village hall.

Luthrie Village Hall and car park

We walked west out of car park and down a path past bus stop, crossed the road, turned left and walked down the farm track on the right beside a sign for Ayton and Norman's Law.It's a straight track to a T junction, turn right and walk up the hill and over to Carphin farm where the track turns round past the side of it to head up another hill. There were a number of vehicles parked here and we heard plenty of shooting.

The track as it comes up the hill towards the farm

A few hundred yards further on a track leaves this one on the left and goes up a steeper slope, we took that one and followed it up to top and over.This track gets fainter as it climbs, but once over the brow of the hill a path between two woods can be seen on left heading to Norman's Law which is now visible.

The path between the trees to Normans Law, which is in the background.

Take the path and it reaches a gate. We went through the gate, crossed
another farm track and picked up the path going to the top of Normans Law. the shooting seemed to be behind us. We then spotted two men with a hawk of some kind walking below us. They sent it hunting and then went and collected the hawk and whatever it caught several times before disappearing round the hill. We brought our attention back to the walk. Its a straighforward climb up and well worth it. Trig point, huge cairn and shelter and a viewpoint board meet you at the top. The River Tay is visible from Dundee back towards Perth. all of North Fife right over to the Ochils proper, Falkland Hills and over to St Andrews and the sea visible. There really isn't much blocking the view.

The Lomonds from the top cairn

The River Tay where it becomes an estuary

Dundee and bridges

We decided to have our lunch here, there was a little wind but easily avoided beside the cairn.After having our fill, we decided to walk a bit more, so took the path west off the top and dropped down to a forest and walked down beside it
to bottom of field. Went over a strange gate that might be a horse jump, on a track through the trees to join up with the Fife Coastal walk. It then sounded like WWII with all the shooting going on but we couldn't see anyone. An Army
helicopter started flying back and forth just to add to the atmosphere.We then followed the waymarked path down all the way to a junction in the track and instead of going further east we kept walking down to to a junction just before Ayton farm.We then turned left and walked up to Denmuir Farm and followed the track over to the T junction where we went right at start of walk.

Open countryside from path beyond Denmuir Farm

The farm track here becomes a path till you pass a few houses and then becomes a well worn track again.

Last view of Norman's Law from farm track

We met one of the hunters and he explained all the urgency as the season ends soon and the birds are at their best (for the pot). Turned right at the junction to go back to Luthrie and the car park.
A good walk with a great view and weather to match.

[Johnny Corbett]

I've did a few sub2000 recently and really enjoyed them, this looks another good one