King's Seat Hill for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

[Graeme D]

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With school being shut on the Tuesday to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, I seized the opportunity afforded by this little bonus day off to head for the hills with my daughter.

I put Ailsa into nursery for the morning while I took care of a few chores before picking her up after lunchtime and heading south down the M90. I had originally thought about doing Bishop Hill from Scotlandwell but with Ailsa sleeping soundly in her car seat as we reached Milnathort, I decided to buy her a little more sleep time by heading further afield. King's Seat Hill above Dollar had also been an option so I headed there.

Ailsa was still sleeping by the time I pulled into the car park just beyond the access road for Castle Campbell, so I sat for a while longer before setting off.

With Ailsa sitting in pride of place in the child carrier backpack, I walked up to the next car park and then down the steps down into Dollar Glen before climbing back out at the entrance to the castle.

Heading into Dollar Glen

Wooden walkway in the glen

Tree long past the point of being good for firewood

Climbing out towards the castle

Entrance to Castle Campbell

From here, the path led through a series of narrow defiles and rather confusing junctions before emerging onto the open hillside below Bank Hill.

Back down to the castle

A few water features are passed on the way

King's Seat Hill across the glen of the Burn of Sorrow

Castle Campbell and the rolling Clackmannanshire countryside

It was a short, straightforward but steep ascent up onto the Donald summit with expansive views up and down the length of the Forth Valley.

First rest stop - it's hard work carrying a 15 month old on your back up a steep hill!

Dollar comes into view

Gloom Hill

Hillfoot Hill from NS949990

Looking back over Bank Hill

Memorial plaque just below the summit

Ailsa had her 4pm juice and grapes at the sprawling summit cairn as we were joined from the Ben Cleuch direction by a bloke with a dog and from the Castle Campbell direction by a middle-aged couple. They all took a quick look before moving on but we sat for a good 20 minutes and enjoyed the peace and the views before retracing our steps back to the car.

Summit cairn towards Ben Cleuch

Towards Tarmangie and Whitewisp

Juice and grapes! Yum!

Ailsa reflecting on her first Donald

[SMRussell]

What a lovely report and walk - the wean must be becoming a hefty wee load

The other half (RTMcB) was drooling over an Osprey carrier in Tiso the other weekend - I'm not even pregnant - his eagerness of a bundle of crying-pooping joy that caused it What kind of carrier are you using and have you had to replace it as she's grown?

[Graeme D]

What a lovely report and walk - the wean must be becoming a hefty wee load

The other half (RTMcB) was drooling over an Osprey carrier in Tiso the other weekend - I'm not even pregnant - his eagerness of a bundle of crying-pooping joy that caused it What kind of carrier are you using and have you had to replace it as she's grown?

It's a LittleLife Cross Country S2. Bought it from Tiso about 6 months ago and have used it several times. I think the instructions that came with it said it was from about 6/9 months up to 3 years. Think it cost about £110, so not the cheapest really! Really like it though - it sits well on my shoulders and back and even although Ailsa is becoming quite a weight now, it seems to manage the weight quite well. We used to have a frontal sling thing but beyond about 4 months, it was worse than useless.

[ChrisW]

Lovely report Graham, that would be a fair distance and ascent with Ailsa in tow, though worth every ounce of additional weight I'm sure it must be getting toward the time when you buy one of those 'all terrain' pushchairs for the likes of Mt Keen with its bottom to top path....now that would be an epic slog
Great report, thanks for sharing your dad n daughter time

[Stretch]

She's really growing up Graeme, what a trooper!

I intended to do this and the surrounding hills by bus from St A's but never got around to it . . . wish I had of now.

[Bod]

Lovely walk for yourself and Ailsa
I suspect you will be repeating this route one day and reminincing back to when you carried her up to the top of the hill. The juice and grapes looked good, great stuff!

[gammy leg walker]

Jings Graeme the wee one is growing fast,soon be needing some boots mate.

[dooterbang]

Agree with GLW...cant believe your wee one is 15mths

Nice wee report with some fab info on baby carriers

[morag1]

Nice report and nice to see the wee one enjoying herself on the hills

I've had my eye on Dollar Glen ever since our visit to Rumbling Bridge Gorge, might give this route a try, cheers

[Chrisabelle]

I did this hill last year with Tarmangie. Lovely report and pics of the wee one.