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I parked up in the usual spot across from the bungalow and was away by 8am.
The first part of the walk is on a decent landrover track until you reach the field full of cows:
As far as getting across the cow field is concerned, I would suggest staying over to the left off the track - heading straight along the track isn't advisable at this time of year when things are frozen up so I dread to think what it might be like when it's been wet for a while!
I picked a suitable point to leave the landrover track and headed up the side of the small hill called Willieanna and reached the top about an hour after leaving the car. The way ahead to the next hill, and onwards towards the main summit of the day, is aided by following a 'stane dyke':
After the steep climb up to the top of Dunool, the views started opening up a bit...
For the final part of the ascent, I stuck on my microspikes as there was a bit more snow about now. I reached the summit cairn & trig point after 2 and a half hours, not bad for my first of the year:
No views and nowhere to sit, the shelter round the trig point was full of snow!
The route back down is aided as well, just keep another 'stane dyke' on your right all the way down the hill to the wee wooden bridge over a burn then follow it round to the right to the landrover track.
It was a busy set of hills today, I met over 20 folk while I was heading down, the majority from a hillwalking group. They looked as though they'd get views from the top as every time I turned round for a look, the clag was clearing and the sun was trying to make an appearance. By the time I got back past the cow field, it was looking good up there:
