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So I found myself stuck in the Lowlands on Friday with a whole day to kill.. Itching to get to the hills after a couple of weeks off, I was more than a little frustrated at the lack of walking.. but then Ido usually spoil myself quite badly in that respect
The morning came, I pondered over a map, and decided I would go for a wander around the Pentlands, so I made a piece and set off on the short drive.
I arrived in bright sunshine, although it was a little chilly – pretty good for the time of year. I made my way through the woods on a wee pathy, past the bonny cows.
Across the road and over the burn. The terrain was somewhat grassy, like a golf course almost, and I was starting to think my B1 boots were overkill somewhat!
Wasn’t long afore I was climbing, up a well manicured lawn, with a muddy path that had me slip sliding at points. Fast running legs with no upward or forward progress
Was just a short wee bit up to the first top – Turnhouse Hill. The views were jaw dropping on the way up – I haven’t seen anywhere so flat probably since I was living in Melbourne.. Just houses and fields and flatness for miles and miles.
Geez, it was windy up there too, and I had to adopt the walking at 45 degree position for a while. Well at least the wind was constant, so I wasn’t staggering about like a drunkard
From there I could see a shower enveloping hills further down the ridge, in the direction the wind was coming from.. Hmm set for a soaking then..
I made my way down to the coll.. Steep grassy slopes and more mud had my erse wet and mucky in nae time, but the wind subsided a bit and I managed to defrost my icy hands. The path was almost wide enough to be classed as a land rover track up to Carnethy hill, which had an array of shelters, none of them good, which was a little disappointing seeing as the extreme wind now had a fair amount of drizzle in it.
So downward again, in increasingly damp conditions. Still muddy, so more slipping about – I think I need to start using my new boots.. The coll was squelchy, the path up to Scald Law good. There was a trig point at the top, and despite the now pelting rain, some nae bad views roundabouts.
There was a wee hill off the main path, South Black Hill I think it was from the map. I made my way over, and was surprised to find some poor chap trying to hunker down in one of the exceptionally poor shelters that seem to be a feature in these hills. At least it wasn’t quite so windy now.
I made my way back to the main path, and up the steep grassy slopes of East Kip. I looked up and suddenly realised the sky was full of snow. As I ascended it got heavier until visibility was down to a few yards, and every scrap of clothing was on.
East Kip, then West Kip passed beneath my boots, and after some marshy ground I headed off the ridge, down an exceptionally muddy track – I was starting to resemble a cow pat, there was so much splooshy mud about
As I headed down the track, the sun made a sudden appearance, and the day turned out lovely
Saw the strange carvings on a stone..
I could see on my map a castle was marked – Oooh I will have to swing in past I thought! So after a cuppa and my piece sitting on a wall, watching the sheep, I set off to find it. It was easily found (right where it said it would be on the map
) but looked like a private residence. Wont be doing any harm if I just walk up the drive and take a peek, I thought. Halfway up the drive though, a couple of vicious looking dogs appeared barking and growling at me, so I turned heel and ran, shutting the gates to the drive in the nick of time. Geez, if you don’t want visitors, you just need to put up a sign!
So I took a different path across a field of bonny sheep.. I could see the castle through the trees, and it looked rubbish anyways..
The path took me through a narrow glen, with some rocky outcrops and some scree slopes, and came out next to a fine waterfall, and a nice camp spots. The burn had severely eroded the path, so it was necessary to take to the scree for a few yards – most difficult terrain there was all day
From there just a short tramp over a couple of grassy fields and I was on the road passing by the reservoir.
I walked out over the dam a way, although it was pretty muddy. The sunshine was lovely, and in the sheltered glen, it was actually rather hot. I sat for a while and laid out my waterproofs to dry in the sun while I had a snooze for 10 minutes.
I carried on down the road, passed another reservoir.. There were rather a lot of folk about in the glen, and I got chatting to a few of them. Everyone in fine spirits on such a sunny day
When I got a bit further down, I heard the roar of a big waterfall, but there was a rather high wall in the way.. A couple of hundred yards further on though, I spotted a wee pathy down to the river. When I got to the vicinity of the waterfall, there was a fence and signs saying that it was too dangerous to go close, but BC being BC, I jumped the fence, and was so glad I did.
Wasn’t far back from there to the car after that, just a quick trot along the river, past a tree that was eating a bell..
A fine impromptu leg stretch, in 4-seasons-in-a-day weather. I am glad I didn’t waste the day, but I think if these were the best hills I had close by my soul would slowly die tbh
